Kadochnikov System

International Association

Stage V. Working with weapons

Special methods
that are used to master the skills of self-defense
against any kind of edged weapon

www.KadochnikovSystem.com
 Stage V. Working with weapons

Before starting work with weapons (and other objects), it’s

necessary to define several principal aspects, which characterize
the specific approaches of the Kadochnikoff System with weapon
techniques in general and with edged weapons in particular.

Firstly, it’s important to understand that there are no special

laws that make the movements in fighting with weapons and
objects different from those in the fighting without weapons.
In both cases the physical laws are the same, the same basic
elements are used for developing the movement system.

Secondly, the skills of control over your own body and weapon
and over the body and weapon of your opponent with the help of
his/her own force and inertia don’t differ from the skills described
earlier, but the presence of a weapon requires a higher level of
maturity of these skills.
Thirdly, it’s necessary to perceive the opponent and his
weapon as a united biomechanical system and to remember
who gives commands in this system. By no means should you
focus your attention on the weapon, forgetting that the weapon
is only a continuation of the arm, and it’s the brain of the person
that controls it. This new additional (kinematic) link must be
considered and used.

Fourthly, training with a weapon and objects requires from a

trainee work with a shifted centre of gravity and gives an extended
experience in controlling the movement at different speeds and
trajectories, which are necessary for the performance of damaging
strikes and it also helps to mater the proper movements and to
use energy efficiently.
 Finally, the principal here is to achieve a state when there’s no
fear of the weapon. It’s only possible in the case – when work
with a weapon has been mastered and when you know how to
use it. Here we see an absolute ban in the use of imitations of real
objects during the training process.

Replacing the weapon by its replica is absolutely intolerable!

There are a lot of reasons for this. The main one is the necessity
to develop skills of working with standard weapons and to
overcome the psychological barrier (fear) which arises when a
person faces an armed opponent. The weapon must be real; the
trainees must work with real objects from the very beginning.
The other reason is that introducing such training subjects is
possible only when the initial skills of the group achieve quite a
high level, when their discipline and consciousness is high.

The basic aspects of the organization of the training process

in the task of fighting interaction with the use of weapons
and other objects.

The training usually begins with the organization of rational

techniques of performing strikes with edged weapons or a stick.
When the technique is considered, the strikes are made in the
air – it helps to feel the inertia of the air movement itself. Then
the strikes are made with the help of special equipment (targets,
dummies, etc.). The neglect of these requirements leads to the
forming of irrational holds and unrealistic techniques of the
strike. The strikes with a weapon in a close contact with the use of
a wrong technique may cause injuries to the attacking extremity
instead of striking the opponent. When the strikes are practiced,
it’s important to use all parts of the weapon (if it’s knife – point,
blade, butt, the other side of the haft; in case of a stick – any part
of it).
 The strikes to the equipment are made with a one-sided
method; the strikes to a partner are mastered with a two-sided
one. In this case a trainee gets the skill of an aimed attack more
quickly; he/she controls its trajectory and the point of the basic
effort application.

The technique of disarmament is more complicated than the

technique of strikes with weapons. It requires higher level of
controlling your own body and better technical skills. In this
respect, we start mastering this technique after the training of
strikes made with weapons and other objects. Moreover, working
with objects, you have to analyze the peculiarities of different
groups of objects.

The length of the object influences the technique of the work.

To develop the necessary range of skills and habits, it’s advisable
to use sticks of 60, 120 or 180 cm in length and to spend equal
time in the work with them.

The disarmament itself can be considered in three variations:

knocking out, taking away and using the weapon of the opponent
against himself/herself without taking it away.

It’s necessary to begin mastering the opponent’s disarmament

by knocking the weapon out of their grasp, following the rule
that «the weapon not knocked out must be taken away». The
following of this rule is justified by practice. Knocking the
weapon out is done to knock the weapon out and to pull the
weapon to the side for the striking, stabbing or disarmament.
If in this case you use your arm or leg, they should be relaxed;
the strikes must be made to the pain zones and points or to the
nearest joint. Doing this, you have to move away from the line
of possible fire or attack.
 If the force of the strike is insufficient, if the weapon is not
knocked out, it’s important to shorten the distance and to perform
a second strike immediately to an unprotected point, to use levers
and influence pain zones and points, to take the weapon away, to
make an opponent fall, to stun him/her, etc.
Basic hand positions while protecting yourself from a knife threat.
I
The position of hands when you are being attacked to the head, with a knife from above. With the
following knife removal from the enemy.

1 2

3 4

5 6
7 8

II
The position of hands when you are being attacked to the torso, with a knife from above. With the
following knife removal from the enemy.

1 2
3 4

5 6

7
 III

The position of hands when you are being attacked to the torso from above. With the following strike
at your enemy's attacking right forearm with your elbow.

1 2

IV

The position of hands when you are being attacked to the torso, with a knife from below. With the
following knife removal from the enemy (type 1)

1 2
3 4

The position of hands when you are being attacked to the torso, with a knife from below. With the
following knife removal from the enemy (type 2)

1 2
3 4

VI

The defense position of hands when you are being attacked to the torso, with a knife from below. With
the following knife removal from the enemy (type 3)

1 2

3 4
5

VII

The defense position of hands when you are being stabbed at the torso. With the following strike at
your enemy's right attacking hand, with your elbow.

1 2

3 4
 Test questions and tasks

1. Are there any special laws of movement for a fight with

weapons and other objects?

2. How can we reach the state when the fear of weapon is

absent?

3. What parts of a weapon should be used during the training

of strikes?

4. What does the technique of working with objects depend

on?

5. What are the three variations of disarmament?