We’re all familiar with esoteric and flashy knife grips in the movies, unbelievably, these fantasy grips are actually taught by many Southeast Asian Martial art groups as well as Western knife stylists. These grips often include placing the thumb on top of the spine of the knife and more often, keeping one or more fingers off the handle.
“Ministry of Silly Knife Grips.”
Just because your teacher and your teacher’s teacher have enshrined these fantasy grips doesn’t mean they are safe. The human hand is biomechanically designed to grip with all fingers for maximum strength and control – extending fingers or placing thumbs on the top of blades works against our natural grip mechanics and creates serious injury risks. It’s more important and practical to use safe grip positions over flashy Hollywood depictions. (Note: I am referring to compact knives, not large knives or swords).
Medical research as well as anecdotal evidence from EMTs and law enforcement regarding finding severed fingers on the ground after gang fights are a stark reminder that what looks dramatic in movies can have catastrophic real-world consequences.
A common issue in martial arts and self-defense is the difference between highly controlled training environments with skilled practitioners versus real-world applications under stress. What might work for a highly skilled practitioner with decades of training and perfect technique may not be appropriate for most people, especially in high-stress situations where fine motor control deteriorates.
The two safe grips for compact knives (standard-forward and reverse) both with full-hand purchase, it makes perfect sense from both a biomechanical and practical safety standpoint. It prioritizes weapon retention, injury prevention, and reliability over stylistic considerations.
This kind of reality-based analysis, backed by actual field experience from first responders is invaluable for cutting through the myths and misconceptions that surround knife techniques.
Defensive-Knives-Part-IISee the full study on this topic in a 2-part article in the following links:
