The ALIVE! Triad: Gun, Knife, Empty Hands
Aug 24, 2016
By Steve Miles
Aug 24, 2016
By Steve Miles
The "Three Disciplines" of ALIVE!. Gun, knife, and empty hands: these are the three legs of our active personal defense triad.
Gun, knife, empty hands, why these three?
Because these are the three methods of active personal defense we are most likely to have available to us. Also, by training in these three we develop the ability to address any active personal defense situation with nearly any available tool.
What about sticks, batons, and machetes?
By training in use and defense of the short knife, we develop a foundation for the use and defense of all single-hand impact and cutting weapons AND empty hands. Only short knife does this because it has the greatest utility, the largest array of attack and defense movements available. A system that originates training in another implement will inevitably leave gaps when it comes to the short knife. And a system that originates in empty hand training will be largely unsuitable to defense against knives and other weapons.
What about pepper spray, tasers, and stun guns? What if I want to use a weapon but I don't want to permanently harm an attacker?
ALIVE! training doesn't restrict the use of "less than lethal" weapons when they are available, instead it makes them more effective. Training gives you skills and attributes, and skills and attributes give you options. The knife in particular readily provides "less than lethal" options to someone who is adequately trained, as does the gun when used as a striking implement.
Gaps cause failure in personal defense. Gaps in awareness, endurance, strength, skill, movement, timing, pressure, distance, action, function and many other things can be fatal. By training in gun, knife, and empty hands we give ourselves the greatest coverage and reduce potential gaps in our defense.
STAY ALIVE!
