Using a stick,bat or any weapon in a improvised fashion is always a good idea in a pinch. You always have to remember the golden rule in self defense "you can't tell me I cheated if your dead." That being said here are some pointers that may help.
1. How to hold your improvised weapon. If you are using a stick here are some good pointers. First grab the stick in the fashion shown below.
You take your pinky finger and place it at the bottom of your stick bat etc... whatever you have picked up. Then bring your pinky finger back up to join the rest of your hand like this.
There are a few reasons why this is done. It gives you a striking point at the end of your stick. Also if you are taught right or through self exploration you can use it as a trap in order to disarm or catch attacks.
When using bladed weapons here are a few tips that I was taught a while ago. You can hide a knife in your hand and still have it ready to use by holding it like this.
If you use this method you can actually cut or stab an attacker with the chance of him ever seeing the blade. If you choose to stab said attacker you need to move your finger down the back ridge of the blade or along the side.
When the blade comes back out you can reposistion your finger where it was if necessary. Always remember when using a knife or defending against a knife you will get cut. The best thing to do is try to control where the cuts happen if possible. One way I was taught to handel a knife for self defense was like this.
One reason the thumb is placed on the back of the blade is for practice. You can practice with out a knife using the thumb as your guide. Also When checking the knife against your body hit your thumb against your self that way when you have a knife in your hand you wont stab your self.
One last tip when when you are fighting someone who has a weapon in hand a good place to try to strike first is the hand holding the weapon. If they cant hold it they cant use it..
There are a hundred ways to stick fight or fight with knives. These are just some tips that I have come across on my way through life.
Here is a chart that I found was fairly useful, but kinda of common sense
Comments
Even accuracy drills help. You might be surprised how inaccurate you are with a stick especially when you have an adrenaline dump. Pin-point accuracy is never a bad thing and can make disabling the other person easier and faster. A mere inch can make all the difference between knock down and just smacking them upside the head without disabling them.
Make sure you hit SOMETHING so you know what it feels like. I've seen people twirl nunchucks around and then when they swung it at a padded bag, it came back and hit them in the side of the arm because they'd never actually impacted it against anything. You have to know what's going to happen and react appropriately. Giving yourself the edge by grabbing a big stick against someone armed with a knife only to fuck up and hurt yourself because you've never done that before is not just stupid, it could get yourself killed. If you want the extreme end of the spectrum about the importance of knowing how to control and react to your own weapon, take up a lance sometime, saddle up, and hit something. If you haven't done any research, I can almost guarantee you will knock yourself off the horse.
For the record, I'm by no means a pro fighter or high rank in any martial arts. Just hoping to prevent accidents before they happen from what I DO know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Arnis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskrima
I have seen this guy in person and he is really fun to watch.
There's tons of different teachers out you owe it to your self to find one and have some fun.
There are so many cool styles out there, and some awesome teachers. Sadly though there are allot of egos that can ruin peoples experiences. I live by the expression that there aren't any bad styles just bad students and teachers.
This is the first time I have ever heard of the fechtbuchs. I will look into that and see what its about.
I cant really see how you could defend against a knife with grappling. I'm not saying its impossible, and I'm sure there are people who could. I just couldn't imagine grabbing onto someone who has a knife. The way I was taught to use a knife was to fight with out one. Then put one in your hand and do the same thing. That way you don't have to train your muscle memory differently.
No problem at all Psy. I understand your train of thought, and you have a very valid point. Thank you for adding to the conversation.