Who am I?
What am I?
Two very important questions I'm going to answer here. I am primarily a Martial Arts instructor. It’s what I have done for the majority of my life almost full time. When I was in my early teens I knew this was what I wanted to do. I threw myself into training with all my heart, training five or six nights a week- & also everyday in my jury-rigged gym in the family garage. I have sacrificed a great deal to get where I am, when other young people were doing what they normally do at that age, I was devoted to self development & discovery through hard training. A great deal of whom I am today, the discipline I have, the self control I have, the sense of justice I have; all have been forged over the anvil of martial arts training.
Most people have an image of the martial arts as being a bunch of people wearing pyjamas doing kicks & punches. The truth is though that the martial arts are a very large world. Many martial arts are based on weapons training. Okinawan Kobudo practitioners train with the Tonfa (side handle batons), Sai (forked dagger type tool), Nunchaku (rice flails), Bo (staff), Eku (oar- yes I said an oar) & many other weapons. Chinese Kung Fu has probably the widest range of weapons practiced, with many types of sword, dagger, staff, spear, daggers, knives & throwing weapons- so many I'm not even going to start listing them. Some practitioners of Japanese JuJutsu, Aikido/Aikijujutsu, Karate-do; & all practitioners of Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu & Batto jutsu practice with the Japanese sword- the (dreaded) 'Samurai sword', the Katana. Since around 1986 I have trained in weapons arts. I started with Japanese & Korean weapons arts, & then moved into a long time love affair with the South East Asian martial arts. I continue to study (& teach) these arts. I have studied with some of the top experts & masters in the world. Pekiti Tirsia, Kali, Escrima, Arnis de mano, Silat- these are the wonderful, ancient, beautiful, warrior arts I continue to study & teach. What is one thing that all these arts specialise in?
The Knife! (Everyone draws breath as if Satan himself walked in the room).........
So am I (as I have been accused of being) a hypocrite? Do I in one breath tell kids not to carry knives but in the other teach the use of them- in three words YES I DO! Does this make me a hypocrite, no I don't think so. I'm a professional martial arts instructor who teaches martial arts that involve the use of weapons (primarily the stick & the knife) to qualified licensed martial adult martial arts students & the Military. Does this mean that I automatically think that kids should carry knives for self defence- if you think so then I think you should do a course on logic & return to reality! Do instructors of Japanese Kenjutsu which uses the samurai sword (Katana) think that everyone should be allowed to carry a Katana? Last I checked the answer was NO! Do instructors of medieval western sword fencing & renaissance martial arts think we should all be carrying a Rapier & Main Gauche because they train & teach with them? Once again, last I checked the answer was NO! Do instructors of Chinese Wu Shu think that we should all be carrying a Broadsword or rope dart? No! Do instructors of Archery think we should all be carrying longbows, again methinks- NO! The thing I'm trying to get over is that just because we teach something that is historically a warrior art it doesn't follow that we wish kids to be practising it on the street. Trust me, I have seen 11 & 12 year old kids in street gangs battling with cheap swords & machete’s- it’s not anything I want to see again in my lifetime.
I am a very strong advocate of the right of the person to defend themselves in a manner which allows them a realistic chance of success. It seems strange to me that some people seem to almost expect people to roll over & just let people mug them. To fight fairly & all that rubbish. To successfully defend yourself against a streetwise opponent even if they're unarmed is difficult for most people, even trained blackbelts. Does it mean I want every Tom Dick or Harry carrying weapons? No. As a self defence instructor I do advocate certain LEGAL self defence tools that have been deemed by the law not to be offensive weapons (such as the Kubotan keyring or walking cane) that can give the average person a slight advantage if attacked. Let’s face it, it’s difficult to imagine someone going out performing a vicious spree of violent acts with a 4 inch piece of plastic rod! I stock & sell Kubotans & similar in my gym, only to over 18 year old students or their family members. I know that I'm supposed to be a hard hearted steely eyed warrior who teaches people to cut the hearts from their opponents & turn them into an object d'art before their eyes- but I recently performed a free series of self defence workshops for a local organisation that looks after abused women. These women have been through hell, & are in safe housing. Some have been raped, others viciously attacked by people they thought they could trust. It was amazing the way a bit of basic self defence training & a short piece of plastic rod on a keyring could help them recover their confidence & self esteem! A heinous offensive weapon? if you think so after seeing who benefitted from it then I feel genuinely sorry for you, but like I say I haven't seen too many chavs attacking someone with a blunt 4" lightweight plastic rod! It is a force multiplier for those weaker than the thugs & muggers out there. My martial arts website is frequented by military operators from around the world (I have provided instruction for Special Forces & elite units from around the globe) who are currently going into harm’s way. On my website I have in the past featured some specialised weapons & bits of kit of interest to my friends & students in the military. These would be of no use to any civilian without the required specialised training. My martial arts & combatives instruction is separate to my anti knife crime efforts, & there isn't even a link from one site to the other. However, if you happen upon it you'll see the same thing on it constantly "we do not condone the carrying of illegal weapons or of committing illegal acts, we are in the business of teaching people how to survive such things". If I was in the business of indiscriminately selling weapons to just anyone I wouldn't have police officers coming to me for private training (which I do for free).
The martial arts. People often forget that the first word there (Martial) essentially means 'War'. Some parts of the martial arts are ugly & terrible things to behold. There are many techniques & methods I know that I would never dream of using on an opponent in real life. Just as the instructor of medieval & renaissance fighting arts knows & demonstrates many battlefield techniques that he would never dream of performing even in self defence, the Oriental martial arts have many techniques which are a gateway to a time in history even more violent than today. Here lies a paradox within the martial arts; knowing how terrible these original battlefield techniques are (such as a systematic attack of the opponents muscles & a finishing attack to their un-armoured nether regions- as found in Pekiti Tirsia) makes you realise more just how much you don't want kids carrying weapons. A youth lashing out with a knife can cause wounds that most people can't even visualise. Martial arts & knife techniques are available all over the internet. DVD's on it can be bought on ebay or from martial arts suppliers. The thing is, some chav could watch these DVD's & see all these techniques for the rest of the year; but without the timing, control, appreciation of distancing, co-ordination & actual physical technique gained from actual training under a good teacher- IT WON'T DO THEM ONE BIT OF GOOD. Why do you think it takes years to become proficient in martial skills? The thing is, knowledge is universal. It can't be contained or controlled, it just is! That is why I cringe when I hear about martial artists who claim to be self taught from book or video tape. The only people who can gain anything from 'virtual lessons' are trained martial artists who already have the basis of good body mechanics, timing, rhythm etc. If this wasn't so the every chav who watched a Jet Li movie would be a sword & kung fu master!
So if we don't plan on using the knife as a weapon here in the UK why do we practice them? Well... like the Kendo practitioner who practices sword fighting with his bamboo shinai, or the Kenjutsu student practising sword kata with his Katana, or the Batto Jutsu student who practises cutting rolled tatami mats with his Katana, or the fencing student who studies Talhoffer or the other medieval manuscripts of medieval western martial arts; we practice them for a number of reasons- none of which relate to a wish to use the weapon on another person. Firstly is the fact that its fascinating, it’s a deep study of the human mind & its inventiveness. Its a chess game on a large scale. Secondly comes something that the lay-person won't have heard of or even think about- ATTRIBUTE TRAINING. When we do blade training in the SE Asian Arts we don't just learn to hack & stab at each other with sticks or training knives! The foundations of the training are the various two man drills that build timing, distancing, co-ordination, sensitivity, control & much more. This training really turbo-charges your 'normal' unarmed martial arts training like no other type of training. Third, the truth is that if you even want to stand a tiny chance of defending against a weapon then you need to understand how that weapon can be used, & have a deep understanding of the 'universal lines' it will travel down & the 'tricks of the trade' that can be employed by someone who wishes to do you harm. Anyone who says that you can be proficient at knife defence without 'knowing' the knife doesn't have a clue what they are talking about! I am the only instructor in Europe of the Euro-American Bowie system. This is a HISTORICAL system that trains in the American Bowie knife or Arkansas Toothpick. It is of the same ilk as the medieval dagger or longsword classes available out there. It is based upon Sabre fencing, as Jim Bowie's father practiced the Sabre. Is it some deadly system that will have people fighting in the streets with Bowie knives? No more than Kenjutsu is a deadly sword art that will encourage people to duel with Katana to solve their problems. We talk of "the deadly back-cut". Yes, it was deadly back in 1890! It is a name that everyone gives it, the same way as some Ninjutsu practitioners speak of "the deadly Kyokotsu Kudaki technique". Kyokotsu Kudaki- in English it sounds terrible; it means "crushing the sternum". It was a deadly technique, back in the 15th century. Unfortunately the ill informed or purposely malicious can make anything sound terrible if they try hard enough! If you really think that I'm encouraging people to carry 12 - 14" Bowie knives you'd better go & accuse the fencing instructor of encouraging people to arm themselves with Rapiers. Apart from them being a little big, heavy & practically impossible to conceal, Bowie knives are far more expensive than a knife nicked from mums kitchen.
The long & the short of it is that I am unapologetically proud to have the knowledge of martial arts that I possess & to teach the things I teach. The reasons that I can so effectively explain to young people the realities of knife carrying & what happens when a knife is used are;
1- Because I am a qualified instructor of martial arts that practice knife training! I have a deeper understanding of the realities of what different knives can do, & of the realities of the knife than anyone who hasn't my level of training & knowledge of the knife. When I say to kids that I'm a qualified instructor of knife arts & an instructor to Special Forces they shut up & listen with a bit of respect! They know I know what I'm talking about & I'm not just another adult there to 'talk at them'.
2- Because I worked for 19 years in an environment where I got to watch exactly how violence happened. Where I got to mix with & deal with the sociopaths & wolves of society. Where knife threats were often a nightly occurrence & where I had to deal with the aftermaths of violent attacks with weapons.
I'm not shy of telling politicians that I am a qualified instructor of blade arts. When I gave my presentation at the Parliament two years ago I told the assembled MSP's & staff that I was a qualified instructor of several knife systems. It’s old news there. The fact of the matter is that what I am makes me more effective in convincing young people that I know what I'm talking about. You might not like what I know! You might not be comfortable with what I know! But if I can make a difference to some kids lives, & maybe just save a few then maybe you should just let that slide. There is an old Romanian saying, "it is permissible to walk with the devil until you have crossed the bridge". However, just because I can teach these arts doesn't give me horns & a forked tail guys. I don't teach these martial arts skills to just anyone. The people who train are good decent people, if they weren't they wouldn't be in my classes. The people on my seminars tend to be very senior martial artists; at the lowest they are generally senior coloured belts with three or four years training under their instructor, & often they are experienced blackbelts or even masters. All are licensed martial artists, not just anyone off the street; they are not a risk to society! I'd be more worried about the unarmed skills I teach, as some of these are extremely deadly, & the person is always armed with their own hands & feet (joke).
I suppose the greatest endorsements I have are all the parents who bring their children specifically to me for my classes. If I was some raving lunatic teaching blood & guts all the time would I have so many Little Ninjas classes? Would I have teachers & social workers recommending my classes to parents of children with behavioural challenges? I have positively influenced the lives of thousands of children through the years I have been teaching, & I'm proud of it.
A final request put up or shut up. Before you criticise anyone who is actively giving their time to try to make a small difference & make youths think before they tool themselves up, or even before you criticise someone like Ken MacAskill, who might not be doing quite the right thing with his latest legislation- but who genuinely cares about what he's trying to achieve; ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO STOP THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENT CRIME AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE. If the answer is 'not a lot' then I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself. Remember opinions are like bums, everyone has one & not everyone wants to see yours!
Mark Davies
What am I?
Two very important questions I'm going to answer here. I am primarily a Martial Arts instructor. It’s what I have done for the majority of my life almost full time. When I was in my early teens I knew this was what I wanted to do. I threw myself into training with all my heart, training five or six nights a week- & also everyday in my jury-rigged gym in the family garage. I have sacrificed a great deal to get where I am, when other young people were doing what they normally do at that age, I was devoted to self development & discovery through hard training. A great deal of whom I am today, the discipline I have, the self control I have, the sense of justice I have; all have been forged over the anvil of martial arts training.
Most people have an image of the martial arts as being a bunch of people wearing pyjamas doing kicks & punches. The truth is though that the martial arts are a very large world. Many martial arts are based on weapons training. Okinawan Kobudo practitioners train with the Tonfa (side handle batons), Sai (forked dagger type tool), Nunchaku (rice flails), Bo (staff), Eku (oar- yes I said an oar) & many other weapons. Chinese Kung Fu has probably the widest range of weapons practiced, with many types of sword, dagger, staff, spear, daggers, knives & throwing weapons- so many I'm not even going to start listing them. Some practitioners of Japanese JuJutsu, Aikido/Aikijujutsu, Karate-do; & all practitioners of Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu & Batto jutsu practice with the Japanese sword- the (dreaded) 'Samurai sword', the Katana. Since around 1986 I have trained in weapons arts. I started with Japanese & Korean weapons arts, & then moved into a long time love affair with the South East Asian martial arts. I continue to study (& teach) these arts. I have studied with some of the top experts & masters in the world. Pekiti Tirsia, Kali, Escrima, Arnis de mano, Silat- these are the wonderful, ancient, beautiful, warrior arts I continue to study & teach. What is one thing that all these arts specialise in?
The Knife! (Everyone draws breath as if Satan himself walked in the room).........
So am I (as I have been accused of being) a hypocrite? Do I in one breath tell kids not to carry knives but in the other teach the use of them- in three words YES I DO! Does this make me a hypocrite, no I don't think so. I'm a professional martial arts instructor who teaches martial arts that involve the use of weapons (primarily the stick & the knife) to qualified licensed martial adult martial arts students & the Military. Does this mean that I automatically think that kids should carry knives for self defence- if you think so then I think you should do a course on logic & return to reality! Do instructors of Japanese Kenjutsu which uses the samurai sword (Katana) think that everyone should be allowed to carry a Katana? Last I checked the answer was NO! Do instructors of medieval western sword fencing & renaissance martial arts think we should all be carrying a Rapier & Main Gauche because they train & teach with them? Once again, last I checked the answer was NO! Do instructors of Chinese Wu Shu think that we should all be carrying a Broadsword or rope dart? No! Do instructors of Archery think we should all be carrying longbows, again methinks- NO! The thing I'm trying to get over is that just because we teach something that is historically a warrior art it doesn't follow that we wish kids to be practising it on the street. Trust me, I have seen 11 & 12 year old kids in street gangs battling with cheap swords & machete’s- it’s not anything I want to see again in my lifetime.
I am a very strong advocate of the right of the person to defend themselves in a manner which allows them a realistic chance of success. It seems strange to me that some people seem to almost expect people to roll over & just let people mug them. To fight fairly & all that rubbish. To successfully defend yourself against a streetwise opponent even if they're unarmed is difficult for most people, even trained blackbelts. Does it mean I want every Tom Dick or Harry carrying weapons? No. As a self defence instructor I do advocate certain LEGAL self defence tools that have been deemed by the law not to be offensive weapons (such as the Kubotan keyring or walking cane) that can give the average person a slight advantage if attacked. Let’s face it, it’s difficult to imagine someone going out performing a vicious spree of violent acts with a 4 inch piece of plastic rod! I stock & sell Kubotans & similar in my gym, only to over 18 year old students or their family members. I know that I'm supposed to be a hard hearted steely eyed warrior who teaches people to cut the hearts from their opponents & turn them into an object d'art before their eyes- but I recently performed a free series of self defence workshops for a local organisation that looks after abused women. These women have been through hell, & are in safe housing. Some have been raped, others viciously attacked by people they thought they could trust. It was amazing the way a bit of basic self defence training & a short piece of plastic rod on a keyring could help them recover their confidence & self esteem! A heinous offensive weapon? if you think so after seeing who benefitted from it then I feel genuinely sorry for you, but like I say I haven't seen too many chavs attacking someone with a blunt 4" lightweight plastic rod! It is a force multiplier for those weaker than the thugs & muggers out there. My martial arts website is frequented by military operators from around the world (I have provided instruction for Special Forces & elite units from around the globe) who are currently going into harm’s way. On my website I have in the past featured some specialised weapons & bits of kit of interest to my friends & students in the military. These would be of no use to any civilian without the required specialised training. My martial arts & combatives instruction is separate to my anti knife crime efforts, & there isn't even a link from one site to the other. However, if you happen upon it you'll see the same thing on it constantly "we do not condone the carrying of illegal weapons or of committing illegal acts, we are in the business of teaching people how to survive such things". If I was in the business of indiscriminately selling weapons to just anyone I wouldn't have police officers coming to me for private training (which I do for free).
The martial arts. People often forget that the first word there (Martial) essentially means 'War'. Some parts of the martial arts are ugly & terrible things to behold. There are many techniques & methods I know that I would never dream of using on an opponent in real life. Just as the instructor of medieval & renaissance fighting arts knows & demonstrates many battlefield techniques that he would never dream of performing even in self defence, the Oriental martial arts have many techniques which are a gateway to a time in history even more violent than today. Here lies a paradox within the martial arts; knowing how terrible these original battlefield techniques are (such as a systematic attack of the opponents muscles & a finishing attack to their un-armoured nether regions- as found in Pekiti Tirsia) makes you realise more just how much you don't want kids carrying weapons. A youth lashing out with a knife can cause wounds that most people can't even visualise. Martial arts & knife techniques are available all over the internet. DVD's on it can be bought on ebay or from martial arts suppliers. The thing is, some chav could watch these DVD's & see all these techniques for the rest of the year; but without the timing, control, appreciation of distancing, co-ordination & actual physical technique gained from actual training under a good teacher- IT WON'T DO THEM ONE BIT OF GOOD. Why do you think it takes years to become proficient in martial skills? The thing is, knowledge is universal. It can't be contained or controlled, it just is! That is why I cringe when I hear about martial artists who claim to be self taught from book or video tape. The only people who can gain anything from 'virtual lessons' are trained martial artists who already have the basis of good body mechanics, timing, rhythm etc. If this wasn't so the every chav who watched a Jet Li movie would be a sword & kung fu master!
So if we don't plan on using the knife as a weapon here in the UK why do we practice them? Well... like the Kendo practitioner who practices sword fighting with his bamboo shinai, or the Kenjutsu student practising sword kata with his Katana, or the Batto Jutsu student who practises cutting rolled tatami mats with his Katana, or the fencing student who studies Talhoffer or the other medieval manuscripts of medieval western martial arts; we practice them for a number of reasons- none of which relate to a wish to use the weapon on another person. Firstly is the fact that its fascinating, it’s a deep study of the human mind & its inventiveness. Its a chess game on a large scale. Secondly comes something that the lay-person won't have heard of or even think about- ATTRIBUTE TRAINING. When we do blade training in the SE Asian Arts we don't just learn to hack & stab at each other with sticks or training knives! The foundations of the training are the various two man drills that build timing, distancing, co-ordination, sensitivity, control & much more. This training really turbo-charges your 'normal' unarmed martial arts training like no other type of training. Third, the truth is that if you even want to stand a tiny chance of defending against a weapon then you need to understand how that weapon can be used, & have a deep understanding of the 'universal lines' it will travel down & the 'tricks of the trade' that can be employed by someone who wishes to do you harm. Anyone who says that you can be proficient at knife defence without 'knowing' the knife doesn't have a clue what they are talking about! I am the only instructor in Europe of the Euro-American Bowie system. This is a HISTORICAL system that trains in the American Bowie knife or Arkansas Toothpick. It is of the same ilk as the medieval dagger or longsword classes available out there. It is based upon Sabre fencing, as Jim Bowie's father practiced the Sabre. Is it some deadly system that will have people fighting in the streets with Bowie knives? No more than Kenjutsu is a deadly sword art that will encourage people to duel with Katana to solve their problems. We talk of "the deadly back-cut". Yes, it was deadly back in 1890! It is a name that everyone gives it, the same way as some Ninjutsu practitioners speak of "the deadly Kyokotsu Kudaki technique". Kyokotsu Kudaki- in English it sounds terrible; it means "crushing the sternum". It was a deadly technique, back in the 15th century. Unfortunately the ill informed or purposely malicious can make anything sound terrible if they try hard enough! If you really think that I'm encouraging people to carry 12 - 14" Bowie knives you'd better go & accuse the fencing instructor of encouraging people to arm themselves with Rapiers. Apart from them being a little big, heavy & practically impossible to conceal, Bowie knives are far more expensive than a knife nicked from mums kitchen.
The long & the short of it is that I am unapologetically proud to have the knowledge of martial arts that I possess & to teach the things I teach. The reasons that I can so effectively explain to young people the realities of knife carrying & what happens when a knife is used are;
1- Because I am a qualified instructor of martial arts that practice knife training! I have a deeper understanding of the realities of what different knives can do, & of the realities of the knife than anyone who hasn't my level of training & knowledge of the knife. When I say to kids that I'm a qualified instructor of knife arts & an instructor to Special Forces they shut up & listen with a bit of respect! They know I know what I'm talking about & I'm not just another adult there to 'talk at them'.
2- Because I worked for 19 years in an environment where I got to watch exactly how violence happened. Where I got to mix with & deal with the sociopaths & wolves of society. Where knife threats were often a nightly occurrence & where I had to deal with the aftermaths of violent attacks with weapons.
I'm not shy of telling politicians that I am a qualified instructor of blade arts. When I gave my presentation at the Parliament two years ago I told the assembled MSP's & staff that I was a qualified instructor of several knife systems. It’s old news there. The fact of the matter is that what I am makes me more effective in convincing young people that I know what I'm talking about. You might not like what I know! You might not be comfortable with what I know! But if I can make a difference to some kids lives, & maybe just save a few then maybe you should just let that slide. There is an old Romanian saying, "it is permissible to walk with the devil until you have crossed the bridge". However, just because I can teach these arts doesn't give me horns & a forked tail guys. I don't teach these martial arts skills to just anyone. The people who train are good decent people, if they weren't they wouldn't be in my classes. The people on my seminars tend to be very senior martial artists; at the lowest they are generally senior coloured belts with three or four years training under their instructor, & often they are experienced blackbelts or even masters. All are licensed martial artists, not just anyone off the street; they are not a risk to society! I'd be more worried about the unarmed skills I teach, as some of these are extremely deadly, & the person is always armed with their own hands & feet (joke).
I suppose the greatest endorsements I have are all the parents who bring their children specifically to me for my classes. If I was some raving lunatic teaching blood & guts all the time would I have so many Little Ninjas classes? Would I have teachers & social workers recommending my classes to parents of children with behavioural challenges? I have positively influenced the lives of thousands of children through the years I have been teaching, & I'm proud of it.
A final request put up or shut up. Before you criticise anyone who is actively giving their time to try to make a small difference & make youths think before they tool themselves up, or even before you criticise someone like Ken MacAskill, who might not be doing quite the right thing with his latest legislation- but who genuinely cares about what he's trying to achieve; ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO STOP THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENT CRIME AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE. If the answer is 'not a lot' then I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself. Remember opinions are like bums, everyone has one & not everyone wants to see yours!
Mark Davies