![]() Most systemized knife training is conducted in a dueling format, where two equally matched practitioners square off and practice attacks, defenses, and counters against each other. Reverse-edge tactics are generally not the tools of choice if you’re engaged in a knife-versus-knife scenario at medium to long range (aka a duel), which is the reason this method is often frowned upon by edged-weapon practitioners. By all accounts, the purpose of using a reverse-edge methodology is exclusively for close-quarters confrontations, where cutting away from your adversary is the primary objective. Over the past several years, a few well-recognized edged weapons experts, including James Keating, Craig Douglas, and Scott Babb, have brought reverse-edge knife fighting tactics to the forefront of modern combatives through their own highly developed, reverse-edge-based curriculums. Though not unique to the Filipino blade arts, the art of Kali (particularly the Pekiti Tirsia system) has been most widely credited for the introduction of this unorthodox use of the knife. The word pikal is a Visayan dialect word that literally means “to rip.” In the tribal fighting arts of the Philippines, this name is generally used to describe the method of holding a knife in a reverse grip (aka icepick grip) with the edge inverted, facing toward the user. A basic understanding of reverse-edge theory, strategies, and mechanics, as presented here, will place you ahead of the power curve and help you make it home to your family if you should ever have to resort to your knife as a means of defense. ![]() In my experience of researching, training, and teaching the use of edged weapons, I’ve found that the use of the knife in a reverse-edge configuration is the most effective method when it comes to straightforward, no-nonsense, close-quarters combat.
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