Folding Knife Use: The Spyderco Lava
The Spyderco Lava is an excellent knife to utilize to demonstrate the concept of the validity of a small knife for defensive use. A huge knife should not be seen as mandatory for defending yourself. A very large knife does give you reach/range advantages but can quickly become a pain to lug around, will often be illegal to carry in many jurisdictions in the United States, and can draw a lot of unwanted attention. With training, a small knife can be very effective. The Spyderco Lava, due to its strength, quality of construction and overall fit and finish, and outstanding design, is one of my favorite small knives. The handle is very ergonomically shaped and the handle design, coupled with the choil on the blade and the jimping on the back of the blade, make the overall package easy to retain and hold onto even when used in a combative manner. The same cannot be said for many other smallish knives.
This video is narrated, so please ensure that your computers sound is in the on position. During the video, I demonstrate defensive uses for this knife with its blade retracted (closed) and extended (open). Note that, though I open the blade quickly, I demonstrate that a quick opening is not necessary in order to use this folding knife in self defense, as it can be used as an impact and pain compliance tool without having its blade deployed. Notice that the knife can be drawn from a pocket and used in defense of yourself while under attack, as demonstrated in the free form flow section of this video. At the close of the video, after using the weapon as an impact/compliance tool, I deploy the blade, demonstrating that the knife blade could have been opened and used to cut my opponent at virtually any point while I was engaged in fending off his blows. In closing, please remember that self defense and combat is always more about the person (mindset, training, experience) who is using a self defense tool than the tool itself. A highly trained fighter, even when unarmed, is a deadly opponent, and I would rather face a well armed untrained opponent any day. Buy the best equipment that you can afford and train hard. A small knife that can be used in a life threatening encounter is a useful tool. I recommend that, if you choose to carry such a knife, you purchase one that will not move in your hand or be easily lost. There are a few small fixed blade knives, many designed to be carried in a sheath that is worn on a chain or cord around your neck, that are excellent. Folders are harder to deploy, but are easier to use as pain/compliance tools, as you do not have to worry about cutting the opponent inadvertently, due to the fact that the blade in a folder does not have to be deployed during the draw stroke unless you wish it to be. When it comes to tiny folders that I rate as really good for defensive use, my choice currently narrows to onethe Spyderco Lava..
Tuhan Holloway, July 2007
