The Reluctantly Militant

War, much like any natural disaster, can spontaneously ravage any community of people.  In the greater scope of social affairs, it constitutes the lowest point of human degradation and despair, the point at which deconstruction begins and accelerates, the devaluation of lives, and the cheapening of mortal suffering on a massive scale.  No wise person engages in warfare, values its initiation, or seeks its profits.  At this point in the United States, European Americans are at war with several potential enemies, both foreign and domestic.  Make no mistake, the failure of our government to declare this state of war in no way minimizes the truth: we are all at war, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not.

One of the more invisible wars being waged against white European Americans is the current war of black violence against whites.  Determining the reason for this violence is merely a distraction that prolongs discussion and prevents effective mobilization of whites in defense of their communities.  As such, I will not discuss those reasons or humor them here except to say they are illogical and founded on a cult of black victimhood.  The important issue is to arm and militarize white communities in this time of war.

The decision to go to war cannot be an act sanctioned by a governing body.  It begins with each warrior's personal conviction that certain battles are more important than the preservation of an unjust, tenuous state of peace.  This decision can be hastened by certain decisive events which hold enough symbolic power to motivate a community to mobilize toward arms.

A couple of these events have already happened for me.  I will name them here as bullets in my magazine.

The first two bullets in my magazine are named Amanda, after Amanda Blackburn, and Evie, after Everette Blackburn.  Amanda was a pastor's wife who, on the morning of November 10th 2015 was shot to death during a break in by 3 black men.  She was pregnant with Evie, who was unborn, and home alone with her other 15 month old child, Weston who was physically unharmed by the intruders.  Amanda's husband, Davey, left for the gym early that morning, an opportunity which the 3 black cowards capitalized upon by breaking in.  These same men had already completed an earlier robbery of an apartment in which one of the men suggested killing the tenant.  This same man was talked down by the others.  However, upon being left alone in the Blackburn house, he was attacked by Amanda and shot her in the chest.  Evidence is ambiguous on whether a rape occurred.  Next, the man shot her in the back of the head and proceeded to watch her bleed out until he eventually left the home of the murdered wife and unborn child with a 15 month old left alone in another room awaiting the return of Davey Blackburn, the tragic survivor of this act of open barbarism.  The two bullets in my magazine are dedicated to Amanda and Evie in hopes that they either prevent another act of violence against my own loved ones or stand as unfired, perpetual memorials to the end of open racial warfare in this country.

My next bullet is named Logan after Logan Tipton, a 6 year old boy who was fatally stabbed to death in his bed by a black man who also attacked his siblings.  This act occurred early December 2015.  Following the fatal, unprovoked stabbing of the 6 year old boy, the boy's father subdued and held the perpetrator until police could arrive to arrest him.  It is worth honoring that the father had access to the knife and could have chosen a very different course than restraint.  Bullet 3 honors Logan's life.  May it ever remain unfired.

Bullet 4 is named Mitchell after Mitchell White, a father who was shot by a 20 year old black man while defending his son from attack by another black man.  Bullet 4 remembers you, Mitchell, as a good father to the bitter end, and it's my earnest hope that I can keep it safe in my magazine unneeded in the defense of those I love.

Bullet 5 is named Michael after Mike Gilotti, a father, husband, and Iraq veteran shot to death on his front doorstep as he left for the gym on January 5, 2016.  Four black miscreants were later seen with his truck.  Bullet 5 memorializes a good man.

Bullets 6, 7, 8, and 9 remember the unjust deaths of Phillip, Amy, and Savvas Savopoulos and their housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, all of whom were tortured to death for the pleasure of a black perpetrator who even left the ransom money which was the original pretext for the murders.

More bullets are certain to be named as months pass... As my magazine count grows, so too will my armament requirements.

While some would denigrate my decision to honor these deaths in this way, I follow a martial morality: the iron rule.  All of these cases exhibit some variation of the golden rule as a comfort to those harmed, and while I do not dishonor the survivors' decisions to forgive these perpetrators, I cannot ever share their forgiveness.  Forgiveness can only end violence when applied to those capable of remorse.  The black community has shown only apathy or support for these brutal war crimes.  I pick these memorials because each of them are innocent lives lost to the European American community within the past year.  A pastor's wife, an unborn child, a 6 year old football fan, a caring father are just some of the many lives lost.  These were good people, all preyed upon by black perpetrators.  How these acts occurring so close together are not calls to arms for white European Americans across the country is a great tragedy to our people.  Reluctance to arm oneself for war is a great virtue in times of peace, but it becomes an equally great act of cowardice and weakness in the face of a determined evil.

I will not share in the dishonor of a false peace.  I will be perpetually armed from here on out until a clear end to these killings.  I vow that my community and loved ones will not stand to suffer wartime atrocities at the hands of a ruthless enemy.  I have already laid my life down to the ending of this state of war, and that is how all true wars begin: at the point that a warrior is willing to fight back and die in the defense of honor.  You, hapless readers, have a choice to make.  Be a collaborator in the destruction of your families and communities, or stand your ground, protect your own, and resist.  Those who ever physically attack me or mine in any size of group will be neutralized with lethal force.  This is a promise, delivered calmly, with no antagonism.  In equal measure, I promise only one condition to my enemy.  Those of you who do not physically attack me or mine will never need to fear violence.  If you die by my hand, you commit suicide.  If your black life matters, you'd be advised to pick a softer target, or abandon violence before you pick one of the growing number of whites who have less and less reasons to care whether you live or die as a consequence of lawful self defense.

Balancing One's Martial Character Through Training

The concept of balance constitutes a foundational principle of martial development.  To truly walk the martial path to an asymptote of human development requires a great deal of work parsing out the myriad qualities that distinguish exceptional living from more mundane survival.  To accurately identify the balance point in any endeavor, one must experience both deficiency and excess to accurately discern moderation.

For example, the author once set out to lose weight down to his exact recommended BMI (body mass index) through rigorous endurance training and fasting.  This resulted in a very small, efficient body type ideal for another goal: the attainment of a one armed pullup.  However, the pullup goal was actually prevented by the loss of weight.  As muscle mass decreased, so too did relative strength, such that pullup strength became progressively less.  Despite very heavy training on lat development, improvements in pullup strength slowed and then halted.  In addition to this disheartening plateau, the author gradually suffered a case of full body tendonitis which developed over a course of months of weight lifting and martial arts training.  The extent of joint stiffness and strength loss could not be counteracted by supplements or medications and the author decided to abandon the goal of maximizing strength in a minimal body frame.

The author began exclusively focusing on martial technique training, dropped endurance training beyond pressure testing martial techniques, added slower conventional calisthenics without one armed variations, and quit fasting to free feed for a period of months.  Almost immediately, muscle tone improved, joint stiffness abated then disappeared, and martial power increased progressively as techniques projected more and more power.  Yet this correction went too far as well when the author discovered that the strength of his cardiovascular system could not match his muscular output.  High blood pressure and shortness of breathe plagued every exertion.  This excess demanded a return to balance.

The author found a balance point between these extremes by adding limited endurance training and fasting every 2 weeks in addition to hill sprinting followed by restricted breathing 2 to 5 times per week to build cardiovascular resistance to hypoxic stress.  By limiting the duration of these activities a better balance was struck between nimble endurance and muscular power.  Further, maintaining a physical balance required far less effort than maximizing either endurance or strength..

This physical illustration of personal balance also finds a parallel in the balancing of one's character.  Many of the author's mentors and friends in the martial arts community struggle to control their responses to violence after lives filled with abuse, aggression, fear, and danger.  The author however, was introduced to the martial arts community from the opposite extreme: childhood was a time of safety and fairness, hence there was an underdevelopment of aggressive potential.  This yielded a person thoroughly unprepared for the demands of violent confrontation.  It remains a humbling experience for the author to meet any other martial artist with a very dissimilar background who nevertheless walks a similar balance.  Further, it demonstrates that martial development can begin from very different trailheads, but all paths converge on a single peak.  The experience of this sublime convergence between dissimilar people is one of the great rewards of walking the martial way, and for this author it engenders a profound peace.

In the Sexual Market, Be the Bad Man

Western culture is littered with tiny subversions.  One of the most obnoxious to this author is the notion of the "bad girl" as a celebrated cultural institution.  The harm in this meme is evident as soon as you bother to ask, "what makes a girl bad?"  A girl is bad when she sleeps around, acts like a bitch, has zero respect for authority or tradition, lies habitually, and generally annoys and/or harms every person she contacts.  If you want a bad girl, there's a good chance you'll end up with one.

On the other hand, bad boys/men generally fall into the more ambiguous category between legality and moral righteousness.  A bad man/rebel/Byronic hero generally exemplifies a code of personal honor which dictates how much force, if any, he applies to the world.  This type of man also tends to have more trouble staying single than finding a good woman.  If you're a male struggling in the world, you'd better identify your moral code and spend more effort developing it than finding pussy.  If you earn women's respect, their sexuality will follow.  If you chase pussy and lose women's respect, you'll have neither.

Be aware that the man of true moral refinement is not usually celebrated in the broader culture.  To truly be a good man, you may need to be seen as a bad one.

How to Not Look Like a Mark

The majority of violent attacks are sadly predictable.  Though rare, these events can be more or less likely depending on your life circumstances and if you roll the dice often enough with your safety, the probability of your victimization will inevitably approach 100%.  The first 500 times one walks down a back alley at 3 am, they will likely get away unscathed.  How likely will one get away unscathed if they repeat this risky action another 500 times?

One of the most reliable precursors to violence is competition, which is exacerbated by the scarcity of the resource motivating the contest.  In a civilization, these situations are almost always solved through games, or organized, explicitly nonviolent contests in which one's prowess is demonstrated and a recipient of the contested goods is chosen by impartial judges.  Examples include: promotion in the workplace based on objective workplace productivity evaluations, dating decided by family opinion of suitors, etc.  These organized contests can sometimes be corrupted, which encourages savage situations where victors are chosen based on their ruthlessness, superficial charm, and willingness to cheat.  Violence becomes an inevitable outcome of these dubious contests and a wise person avoids taking part in them or coveting the goods on offer.  Often, simply possessing a high value good can designate one as a target of violence.

Another high probability antecedent of violence is visible weakness or timidity, known among criminals as "looking like a bitch" or "mark."  Overt displays of emotional dysregulation, incapacity, inattentiveness, or vulnerability are signals of opportunity for criminals who seek to take something from someone.  Usually, they will "case" a target to verify evidence of weakness.  Next, they will develop a plan, usually with any number of armed accomplices who bolster their confidence.  Then, they will use violence or its threat to extract some good from the victim.

Yet another antecedent of violence is looking or acting noticeably different from a normative group of thugs.  Simply having a different race than a group of males can make one a "mark," regardless of one's visible indicators of awareness, will, or skill.

So, how should one avoid victimization?  Here's some good ways:

1.  Be aware.  Know the physical location of all persons in a given area.  Do not enter blind alleys whenever possible.  Check corners and hiding places.  Visually scan people who talk to you and look around you while talking to them.  Read their body language and direction of their gaze for evidence of their intentions.  Watch the hands of strange persons.

2.  Gain muscle.  Pound for pound, the larger a person can get while remaining lean, the less likely they will ever be targeted for violence.  Do back bridges, dips, sprints, deadlifts, squats, or anything else that causes you to gain lean weight.  Muscle definition is unimportant, so long as fat is not allowed to accumulate.  At a lean 200 pounds or more, even a short man becomes less attractive as a target.

3.  Hide your good fortune.  Avoid public displays of affection with attractive partners, or even being seen commonly with that person in suspicious company (hint: anyone you don't know is suspicious).  Do not display your sexual appeal, money, or resources among untrusted persons or in a public setting.  Be humble for your own safety.  Never allow a stranger to know where you live or see you, or your partners, enter your residence.  Go elsewhere until they are gone, or utilize the authorities to scare them away.

4.  Be hard to categorize/seem subtly odd.  If you wear suits, select suits with an unorthodox coloration, or unbutton your shirt in sketchy areas.  The author actually removes his dress shirts in bad neighborhoods and simply wears a plain undershirt with slacks.  Being very odd can make one a mark.  Being slightly odd can unnerve a criminal seeking a mark.

5.  Do not covet any goods that are won through uncivilized conduct.  Do not seek sexual contact with women who are won through violence (you can determine this by judging their choice of sex partners).  Do not seek money through gambling or stocks.  There is much money and sex to be attained without abandoning civilization.

6.  Stand your ground.  Do not be pushed, pulled, or coerced into cooperating with attackers.  Be assertive about your rights.  Do not fear alerting the authorities.  Leaving one's home for a time is preferable to enabling perpetrators.

7.  Fight first, or fight back!  When attack seems inevitable, attack first and as brutally as possible.  Use weapons against multiple opponents with lethal intent.  Cause severe physical trauma to your first target and prepare to do the same to their backup.  When struck, grabbed, or ordered, initiate overwhelming retributive violence against your assailant, no matter their size or degree of armament.  Do not stop until you are incapacitated or your opponents are neutralized or fleeing.  Fight hard to ensure the latter.

Racial Cuckoldry and the Pathetic European Female

A cursory view of contemporary popular media shows a distinct self annihilating tendency among women of European descent.  Media that would elicit immediate social reproach only 50 years ago is today apathetically overlooked.  Of course, the ubiquity of attacks against the dignity of European American people is by design: sometimes the most obvious truths are hidden in plain sight.

Case studies:
Observe the song L.A. Love by Fergie.  On the surface, it is a song about international fame, yet the settings of the song and the choice of actors in the music video reveal a distinctly provincial interest.  Scenes such as a tour bus filled with white/mut women and black men rolling through the 'hood leave little room for alternative interpretation to a rank, disgusting attempt to symbolically cuckold European men.  What other interpretation is available for an overtly sexual, virile, white woman who holds company exclusively with black men and mut women?  What is NOT said speaks volumes.  Another scene shows a white woman of the entourage comforting her white baby while Fergie rolls her eyes in disgust.  In this one scene, a disgust with reproducing one's white lineage, a disgust with white babies, and the complete lack of a sense of shared obligation to future white generations is fucking obvious.  Forget academic feminism as a cause of this kind of behavior by white women: Fergie probably can't read higher than a 3rd grade level.  This kind of self annihilation is just human nature for a conquered class of women.  Intermarriage is common between victorious soldiers and subjugated women throughout history, and L.A. Love simply demonstrates which race has won the war.  L.A. and other cities are occupied territory and this song reveals the plan to transform every other white city on Earth in the exact same way.  Notice that no African or Muslim cities are mentioned by name at all.  If Fergie and her entourage of gangstas attempted this shit in Pakistan they would all go quietly missing.  Just goes to show, the hands across America miscegenation advocates only seem to target those races most predisposed to gentleness and peace.  Hence, white and Asian women have become the sexual playthings of the world while every other race of woman is left well alone.

Next, check out the degenerate Dev, and her song Kiss It.  On the surface, it is a breakup song defending her choice of slutting around and castigating the offended, presumably white male, and that alone would be bad enough if the music video and choice of cameo were not so blatantly indicative of mixed race cuckoldry.  Dev is shown sexually taunting her weak white ex-boyfriend by cavorting with his black replacement, Sage the Gemini.  She flirts with the possibility of reconciliation, then responds with the admonition that he can kiss her ass.  She also taunts his physical prowess against her new black boyfriend, saying the white man "couldn't fuck with him."  Subsequent scenes tease and deny sexual access with the presumed black victor directly in the foreground... exactly where symbolic cuckoldry is best hidden.

In my sensitive liberal days, I used to see this form of media as progressive and edgy.  How against the norm to replace a 'typical' dominant white male with a black one... or a woman... or a damn garden gnome.  The problem with this conclusion is that progressive ideas, once accepted, become the new conservative.  The two songs above demonstrate that there is nothing new about mixed race cuckoldry.  In fact, it is the new normal in popular media where a love affair between degenerate white women and black men has been quietly occurring for the past 10-20 years.  It's enough to make you think the defenders of white heritage were right when they talked about black men coveting white women...

White men who protest too loudly to this blatant disrespect in the media are treated as aggressive savages who will hurt and kill white women and their dusky lovers, but the reality is simpler, and more amusing.  The silver lining to this situation for proud white men (yes fuckers, we still exist), is that our errant women have picked so badly among our competition that only our weakest brethren are driven to violence.  The strong white men of the world are simply calling white women's bluff.  Go ahead and breed indiscriminately with criminals and civilization's rejects.  We will continue to breed with even better white women, raise our families, and defend our communities.  To the death.  You miscreants will receive much worse than our aggression.  You will ultimately receive only our apathy.

Optimizing Arousal

In becoming a martially competent person, one must carefully attend to their state of arousal, as this will help or hinder one's authentic expression and self defense.  Both under and over-arousal can be dangerous in different ways.

The risks of under-arousal include passivity, disconnection, and excessive self abnegation.  Examples of this state include such acts as failing to speak to those who one perceives to be aggressive, failing to actively oppose evil intent, and serenely accepting unjust treatment simply to maintain peace.  This state works well when one is socially disconnected and can escape into anonymity, however, this state can expose oneself and one's loved ones to unnecessary attacks and losses.  Therefore, cultivating an attitude of avoidance and chronic low-arousal, though soothing and healthy, is a fundamentally selfish approach to life, as it curtails the necessary struggle of protecting one's interests and one's family.  Ironically, this is the best approach to building situational awareness, as detachment from immediate concerns allows for an unbiased observation of one's life circumstances.  Low muscle mass, low pain threshold, and low tolerance for conflict are symptoms of chronic under-arousal.  Yogis, Buddhist monks, voluntary celibates, and other separatists from social convention share this trait of low arousal.

The risks of over-arousal include aggressiveness, over-involvement, and impulsivity.  Examples include talking more than acting, vigilantly overreacting to slights and threats, and allowing one's situational awareness to wane.  By prepping oneself perpetually for conflict, one forgoes honest evaluation of one's life circumstances.  Stress becomes a default condition which accumulates in the form of physical and psychological ailments.  Obesity, poor awareness, and a positive attitude toward conflict are symptoms of chronic over-arousal.  Soldiers who enjoy killing, competitive business personnel, and high testosterone types exhibit over-arousal.

The ideal state is optimal arousal for one's circumstances.  One's optimal level will decrease over time as one becomes more secure in old age and less endangered.  Examples of optimal arousal include arguing persuasively with sworn enemies by balancing anger with reason, defending oneself using only the amount of force necessary to repel an attacker, and self abnegating only to the point of meeting one's goals and no further.  This balance point corresponds with feelings of competence, energy, vitality, safety, and a general acceptance of conflict as a fact of life.  Conflict is not avoided or attacked, but is confidently managed to attain favorable resolutions.  In sports, this balance of arousal is called being "in the zone" while in life it is simply called surviving effortlessly.  Striking this balance is one indicator of walking the martial way.

An Expanding List of the Worst Possible Martial Arts Techniques

In judging a martial technique, both effectiveness and appropriateness must be weighed.  Effectiveness refers to whether a technique results in quick incapacitation of an opponent through death, unconsciousness, or defeated will power.  Appropriateness refers to whether a technique can be executed with minimal risk of personal harm or social consequences such as incarceration or collective rejection.

One of the single best tests of effectiveness is the pad test: if a technique can defeat the will power of a partner holding a shield, it is generally effective for self defense.  For appropriateness, the uncomfortable consequence criterion is helpful: if one would dislike the personal or social consequences of using a technique, they should select another.

Without further ado, these are some of the worst possible martial arts techniques for self defense.

The Crescent Kick

A martial technique is most effective as either a circular or linear attack.  Circular attacks gain power through momentum.  Linear attacks gain power through speed of delivery.  The crescent kick attempts to do both, yet accomplishes neither.

Whether it is an outside to inside, inside to outside, or reverse crescent kick, this author has severe doubts that any variation could be trained to the point of actually incapacitating an attacker.  In fact, this kicking variation demonstrates so few principles of effective striking that it is practically harmless to a committed opponent.  Any reader who disagrees is challenged to attempt bag work or pad work with this kick and post their training publicly.  This author reserves the right to chuckle at the results.  If the unfortunate proponent of this kick even manages to remain standing, they will find their target of aggression peacefully undisturbed, as though no kick was ever thrown.  Therefore, this kick is best suited for self defense by self abnegating pacifists, masochists, and cowards who will throw a kick, but not to save their lives.

The ineffectiveness of this technique derives from the anatomy and physics of its execution.  The smallest muscles of the hip (the hip flexors) are used to launch the kick in a narrow arc which disperses all its power by reversing the direction of the initial kick just prior to impact.  Any power this kick might have delivered is wasted before impact in the execution of a foolish, ostentatious crescent which may provide some aesthetic appeal to audiences, but will be pure comedy at best to an opponent.

I've actually seen this technique recommended as a gun/knife disarm, which should demonstrate that many martial artists will teach techniques without actually using them in training.

Why is it trained?

Despite the almost complete ineffectiveness of this kick, it provides great benefit as a training aid to the actual power kicks: front, side, roundhouse, and back kicks.  It does this by training the flexibility of the hips, legs, and back while also training balance and accuracy.  In this capacity, the crescent kick can be useful for board breaks and pad work as a way of training the transmission of power from an unusual, purposefully restricted angle.  Despite its training benefits, this technique is as much a replacement for the other kicks as pushups are a replacement for palm heel strikes.

Alternatives

Pretty much any kick is preferable to the crescent kick in a self defense situation.  The front kick or side kick could be used more quickly and effectively in nearly every situation a crescent kick could be used.  For the reverse crescent kick, the hook kick or back kick would be superior alternatives.


The Hollywood Backfist

In similar form to the crescent kick, the hollywood backfist is depressingly ineffective, anatomically/physically inappropriate, and yet, remains a photogenic technique that must be explicitly trained out of the younger generation.  Check out the TKD black belt (who should know better) demonstrating it below.

 

Why is it trained?

Unlike the crescent kick in its variations, the hollywood backfist confers no training benefit and does not directly or indirectly benefit any other upper body strike.  If you ever encounter a martial arts school advocating this technique for self defense or even training, immediately leave.  They are misguided at best.

I would carefully teach this technique to someone who I hated so much that I was teaching him to perform martial arts techniques wrong so he would get his ass kicked.  I would use this technique if I was cast for lead in a low budget 80's action film parody as the final climactic finishing blow against the evil villain with the eye patch and mullet.  I would use this technique in a street fight if I was hoping my opponent would step out of range, grab my wrist, and dislocate my shoulder.  Never use the hollywood backfist under any circumstance.

Alternatives

When striking to the rear, use a proper back fist instead, as pictured:



Other alternatives when striking to the rear are the rear elbow strike and reverse elbow strike, both of which can be used at the same range as the hollywood backfist with exponentially more power.  A proper reverse elbow strike can break ribs and rupture internal organs.  A "proper" hollywood backfist can dislocate a shoulder (your own).

The Headbutt

 
A favorite of bullies, martially naive macho men, and cinemaphiles, the headbutt is a technique that seemingly transcends common sense.  It is a literally bull headed approach to self defense.

The average person, if you told them how hard you can hit, would want to see evidence in the form of punching bag training, or some kind of accelerometer.  For whatever reason, the headbutt is immune to this standard of proof.  Perhaps it owes to the sheer hardness of the human skull.  Perhaps it impresses the untrained to see a display of confidence like seizing an opponent and attempting to smash their face with your head.  Regardless of the reasons for its uncritical adoption, the headbutt remains an awful technique.

The headbutt is awful because it is both ineffective and inappropriate for the majority of situations.  To test effectiveness, go right ahead and attempt to repeatedly smack a 100 pound punching bag as hard as you can with your skull for 30 seconds.  Go ahead, I'll wait. *Jeopardy Theme* All right, now throw an elbow strike into the back as hard as you can for 30 seconds.  Which one smacked the bag harder?  For the appropriateness test, which one makes you dizzy and sore?  I rest my case.

Why is it trained?

A better question might be why the headbutt isn't trained.  In every school I've taught and participated in, none of them have actually prompted us to train the headbutt as an actual technique on actual pads.  Rather, its mentioned as a kind of stand alone fight ender with an aura of respect, as though a good solid head butt can maim, knockout, and kill on contact.  These beliefs, if tested on actual equipment and fully resisting opponents, are swiftly refuted.  A full force headbutt, though using a much larger surface area is about half as powerful as a punch from the same person.  The technique is also jarring to the trainee and may cause injury.  A lose lose proposition. 

Alternatives

Most upper body strikes can surpass the power of the headbutt with a mere couple months of practice.  The forward elbow can be used as a replacement for the headbutt in nearly any situation and can cause much more damage to the opponent's face with proper technique.  To throw a headbutt usually requires one to grab the opponent's head first, so throwing an elbow instead of a skull is hardly an unreasonable replacement and will almost always result in more damage to one's opponent.

The Knife Disarm



Few martial techniques do so much to assuage one's fears yet provide so little actual protection as the knife disarm.  The knife disarm is a martial pipe dream held by those who long for an imaginary back alley brawl where they smoothly disarm a knife wielding attacker and bask in the glory of their nonviolent conflict resolution while the attacker is arrested to burn with shame for their poor life decisions.  The only problem with this fantasy is that knife defenses are rarely ever that effective.  The reasons for the inefficacy of knife defense originate in the physical properties of all knives: they are small, very sharp, and concealable.  A tool that can bleed you out ON ACCIDENT should certainly be very low on the list of weapons one would like to confront. The great fallacy inherent in the concept of a knife disarm is the notion that an opponent will not slash wildly as soon as they sense their weapon being taken or any sign of resistance.  Simply slashing at someone wildly is nearly as effective as any "legitimate" knife techniques being taught and practiced in martial arts settings.  Therefore, DISARMING knives is a false focus of self defense with potentially deadly ramifications.  Rather, NEUTRALIZING one's attacker should always take priority.  An unconscious, crippled, or dead opponent cannot cut you anymore.  Therefore, learn knockout blows, bone breaks, and killing techniques.  These will protect you better than years of knife defense focusing on mere disarmament.  Those who pull knives deserve what happens to them, so it is important to reject the tactic of gently disarming those who think assault with a deadly weapon is a valid method of resolving grievances.

Why is it trained?

In an educational sense, learning knife techniques on nonresisting opponents can be a way of demonstrating principles of knife defense (offsetting, joint locks, strikes, distance, blade safety) in the absence of mortal terror.  For this reason, there is a place for controlled knife defense training.  The problem is when trainees leave the dojo pumped full of false confidence and stop practicing these techniques on resisting opponents. 

Alternatives

The best defenses against a knife wielding opponent endorsed on this blog, in order of preference, are: 1. shoot the opponent from distance if you see they are armed and angry, 2. block the deployment of the knife and knockout the opponent if they are unarmed, close, and angry, 3. run for your life and don't stop, 4. knockout the opponent before they have decided to use their deployed knife, and 5. pull out a knife of your own for mutually assured mutilation.  These options all assume that the opponent has been seen and has shown intent to harm.  Invisible, calm attackers are unlikely to be detected and defended against.  This author wishes there were better options to recommend, but knife fighting is a disadvantageous situation by design, and those who claim better tactics than those listed here are likely selling false comfort.

Most self defense experts focus on #4 of this blog's recommendations and skip the first 3.  For discussion's sake, if you're stupid enough to skip the first 3 recommendations, this author's advice and typical advice look something like the following diagram with the exception that this blog states unequivocally that step 3 should be a knockout blow, and step 4 should be an arm break:

The problem with the above situation is with the attacker.  The "sewing machine" is a more common attack style, where the attacker keeps the knife in the rear hand, grabs with the front hand, and stabs repeatedly.  Your best bet against such an attack is to knock out the opponent before they can grab you, or run away.  Those who focus on escapes and knockouts have better chances of survival.  Those expecting the above scenario are likely to be filleted before they are ever positioned for the disarm.  Most won't be fast or lucky enough to execute the above technique without incurring severe wounds.