BOOKS & MORE: Murder Weapon Knife

The thing about a knife is that it's damn dangerous. A weapon, easy to get hold of. Discreet and quickly drawn. In recent years, the number of knife crimes has increased, reflecting changes in the country. With a knife at hand, what can be done about it? Karl Painer has been practicing martial arts since his youth, was part of the Austrian Special Forces, and a successful MMA athlete. He teaches military close combat and has made a name for himself through self-defense courses. This time he focuses on the topic of knives.

And this is not a book that glamorizes knife combat. Painer first analyzes the problem and tries to understand where it comes from, how dangerous everything is, and also what the factors of stabbing attacks are.

Knife attacks can vary in different ways. Sometimes it helps to understand how to recognize the danger, which is what Painer aims to teach. He goes on to discuss direct combat with a knife wielder or knife-to-knife combat. Make no mistake: there is no "martial art" in that, it's about creating holes in bodies and making cuts. And when it comes to combat, it's a life-threatening situation.

But what are the best methods to deal with it? One of them is to keep your distance. The stab is the danger, a chair can provide safe distance.

The book also provides good tips on creating practice situations and what equipment to train with. It's clear that Painer comes from experience. No nonsense...

This is the blurb for the book. It's worth reading and contemplating.

Our very own top tip for successful knife combat comes from a Navy SEAL. Follow it. Save lives.

CONCLUSION: Knives are a dangerous subject. Karl Painer delivers a gripping non-fiction book on the topic with lots of knowledge, exciting information, and plenty of experience. SPARTANAT reading recommendation.

"Tatwaffe Messer. Defense against stabbing attacks" by Karl Painer, Graz 2022, 124 pages, EUR 19.90 - Available here at our SPARTANAT Shop.