More IET observations

We had a class yesterday and did a little drill. We have started to use stun guns in training a lot to provoke a realistic startle response. It was an inverted edge tactics class and we started the students with a closed trainer in their pocket. I stood 7 yards away and walked towards them with a stun gun. The goal was to deploy the blade into the inverted grip and cut me while not getting stunned. I pressed the attack upon contact and so did they. What I found was that I took serious pulling scissor cuts under my arms and between my legs. In doing so they were able to move offline to the outside and avoid being stunned. When they did get stunned it was out the outside off their weapon hand. They were able to land cuts because of the inverted blade and just cyclic cutting because of the panic of trying not to get stunned.

Next we tried the same drill with them having an open blade in the traditional grip. What we found was that they felt the need to try to concentrate on using the knife and became fixated on my torso, which kept them right in front of me. This led to some cuts across my midsection and some powerful stabs to my gut (and I have the bruises to prove it). They seemed to forget all about moving off the X and getting to the outside. When they did move it was straight back and two ended up falling with me over them with the stun gun. The got stunned everywhere. At best it probably would have ended up with a mutual slaying. The panic response was to slash violently as they moved straight back; this moving their strong hand way outside their silhouette left their center fully exposed.

We plan on doing more with this drill.

Sounds very interesting. I hope to partake in the IET class some point soon, it just wasnt in the cards this time around.

I was in this particular class and it was certainly worth the time and money. I’m just a civilian interested in firearms, personal protection and martial arts and as such, I would never claim to be an expert in anything. However, I will say that the techniques I learned would seem to be very effective in a real world scenario, i.e. inflicting damage that incapacitates an adversary as opposed to inflicting superficial slashing wounds. As previously mentioned by Mercop, the stun gun drills were proof of this.

I look forward to incorporating IET into my “toolbox”.