Reply to Bob re knives and swords.
I was able to get to my dad's .38 s&W when I was still in diapers. Fast forward and I was a single father with a baby and knew that kids will steal from a home of a childhood friend on a lark. So no guns ever out. It also doesn't have to be your kid, it could be your grandkid. So I positioned non firearms throughout the house that kids wouldn't play with or take.
So, I too had the training in knife fighting, swords, Filipina stick fighting.
When I read the indoctrination of "don't bring a knife to a gun fight", I just shrug my head. It comes down to training and situational awareness. A classmate in OODA Loop was held up at gunpoint at a gas station. The perp did not survive. An instructor and two plain clothes came out of a gym. Three gang members were waiting, one was going to make his bones. The score was one BG dead, one BG wounded who had the names of 14 of his victims tattooed on his body and the youngest got a way. The shot guy said he was a victim of a drive by and the officer accompanying him said no, I'm the guy who shot you!
Never bring a gun to a knife fight
Re: Never bring a gun to a knife fight
I know little to none Escrima - but have high respect for the art.
Re: Never bring a gun to a knife fight
I am posting a video of basic escrima strikes with one stick. The only strikes not shown are across the body and a plunging strike straight forward to any point on the target.
I would hope you can appreciate that the strikes are ergonomically correct and easy to do in slow motion. These are the same strikes in knife fighting. It is hard to find a knife fighting instructor, so you do this basic escrima strikes over and over again. It is why I recommend a basic escrima course.
I am old. When shtf, I must survive in a group of people who have no military/police/self defensive instruction. So, I will have to provide instruction. You can see that with just an hour or two of instruction, people will be on their way and they can then train themselves.
Remember, you don't have to be the best, just better than your opponent. You don't need two sticks. You will never have time to learn how to defend yourself against strikes by an opponent. You see the downward stroke across the shoulder blade. Imagine a guy starting was a raised axe handle and then trying to strike downwards on you at full speed. I was trained to take away the axe handle coming at full speed away from the perp and stab him with it. You don't need that level of training. You don't need a fancy stick. I keep a 28 inch long cast iron water pipe with black painted end caps in the car. Cheap enough.