So you have a license to concealed carry, and take a few handgun self defense classes a year. You also participate in competitions like IDPA or USPSA. You’ve done all the drills, and do dry fire practice at least every few evenings. Every so often, you take a class on shooting with a light. You’ve taken some basic first aid classes, and even some focused tactical first aid classes. The following is a list of your everyday carry gear.
Cell Phone – Magazine Carrier with 2 Spare Magazines – 9mm Handgun – Quality IWB Hybrid Holster – Folding Karambit Knife – Flashlight – Wallet – Car Keys
Everyday Carry Gear
So what did you miss? You have all the training you need, right? Was there something not covered? Look at the training that I listed, and then look at that list of Every Day Carry again. There is definitely some training missing. Just like a gun is not a magical talisman, and requires you to practice your skills in order to be an effective tool, if you carry a knife for those times and situations where using a firearm is impractical, you need to train with it. You need to practice drawing it just like you would practice drawing your pistol from its holster. You need to practice how you move with it, and how to use it effectively. If you don’t, you might as well be carrying one of these;
Hamster Circumcision Kit
“Wait, knife training? Who am I, the karate kid?” No, you aren’t. And that’s why you need to train. Yes, there are classes on combat knife handling. No that doesn’t mean that you’re only going to be taught how to use a knife like the one below.
Rambo’s Toothpick
You will learn which knives are good for self defense, and which ones are not the greatest. You will learn how to deploy your knife in such a way that you will be able to defend your self when your gun is not available, or inappropriate. And you’ll learn how to fight with it, as well as when to fight with it. A good instructor knows when it is better to pull a knife, instead of a gun, and even when you should pull a knife so that you can get to your gun.
If you have not added a knife to your every day carry for self defense, you should. And then you need to train with it, and take classes, just like you would with your pistol.
Firing Pins 