There really is no right answer to knife fighting, except, perhaps, the above quote. When youāre setting out to write a scene, itās best to assess your priorities first and what your story needs. In the real world, knife combat comes in many different forms and works as a supplemental weapon in most military disciplines. Itās a common weapon in self-defense situations, and can be used both by the aggressor and the defender.
Primarily, itās a tool and, like all tools, there are situations where it thrives and those where it dies. It succeeds as an ambush weapon, as a builder on hand to hand, and when fighting in very tight quarters. Combat with knives is very quick and very deadly. As an ambush weapon, it is often used to close the distance or rush a target. Allow the knife wielder to get close to an opponent wielding a sword or a gun before either can be drawn and they will have the clear advantage. However, take the knife out of tight environments and itās effectiveness will decrease dramatically. This is why itās unlikely to be the only weapon in a characterās arsenal, especially not when youāre writing a professional combatant.
What kind of fight are you writing?
The knife is a deadly weapon in the hands of anyone, it doesnāt require any specialized training to be able to wield it. Itās more user friendly to killing than even a gun and can require less maintenance. Basic understanding works fine. You pick it up, you stab, and then you stab some more. The stabs may all go to one place, often the gut, but five or six into one place will leave the other character bleeding out on the sidewalk.
Itās up to you on whether or not you want to (or if itās even appropriate to your story) write a scene which is more sophisticated. Remember, it doesnāt have to be. The basic principle of the knife is incredibly simple: Youāre gonna shank a dude.
When it comes to a knife, anywhere on the body is a convenient target. Anywhere. This is one of the few weapons where you really donāt need to know much about it to write a scene. The knife is fairly intuitive. Unless your character needs to get fancy with their martial combat, then you do need to study. Even then, you still need to pick your martial art and do your research. Plenty of martial styles have a knife component, so itās more a matter of searching through the different styles to find the one which fits your character and story.
Below the cut, Iāll discuss some basic theory and suggestions that hopefully will be enough to get you a jumping off point into the fine art of shanking. This is no means a comprehensive list, just basic beginner tips.
