I have been searching for a while for a weapon to supplement my Wing Chun (詠春) practice. This weapon must satisfy the following criteria: 1) Easy to carry, 2) easy to conceal, 3) easy to deploy, 4) complements Wing Chun hand techniques.

There are only two weapons in the Wing Chun system: 1) Butterfly knives (baat jaam dou 八斩刀), literally "eight slashing knives"; and 2) dragon pole (luk dim bun gwan 六点半棍), literally "six and a half point pole." Though the butterfly knives mimic Wing Chun hand techniques to a certain degree, they fail in the first two criteria. And forget about the dragon pole, which runs 8 to 13 feet in length and is intended for strength training. There is no way a Wing Chun practitioner could carry these weapons or easily find them in the street. What I want is something easy to carry in a pocket or backpack that can be deployed lethally or non-lethally – and that fits with my existing Wing Chun knowledge so there is no long learning curve.

The Karambit satisfies all of these criteria.

Karambit (or Kerambit) is a small hand tool with a retention ring on one end and a curved blade (resembling a tiger’s claw) on the other end. It is common in Southeast Asian regions like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Java and the Philippines. Commerce was abundant between these neighboring countries in the early days, so the Karambit eventually made its way into the indigenous arts of Indonesian/Malaysian Pentjak Silat, and the Filipino’s Escrima/Arnis/Kali. Only in the last 45 years has it made its way to the West.

According to legend, Wing Chun was created by a woman – the nun Ng Mui (五枚). By coincidence, the Karambit was considered as a woman’s weapon in the early days. Indonesian women hid the Karambit in their hair, like a hair clip, or in their sarong.

Types of Karambit

The design of the Karambit can vary by region – the length of the blade, whether or not it has a retention ring, or double blades, or spikes on the rear end, etc. In the Philippines and the West, one can buy two basic types of Karambit: one with a fixed blade, or one that folds. Fixed blade Karambits can be double-edged or single-edged, while a folder is always single-edged.

What makes the Karambit so lethal is that you can stab and slice with it and also rip and tear. It can sever veins, arteries, muscles, or tendons and will leave very painful and jagged wounds. In practice, first you puncture your attacker, then hook and rake in one direction. When you encounter resistance – say, a bone – you twist and rake in another direction. This will leave a very nasty wound.

I was first introduced to the Karambit in 2006. My student and best friend Adam Pliss and I attended a bladed weapons seminar conducted by Tuhon Ray Dionaldo of Filipino Combat System (FCS), hosted by Guru Muhammad of Muhammad’s Martial Arts in Pennsylvania. When the seminar started, we pulled rubber knives from our bags ... while the rest of the participants donned a Sayoc Kali rig with multiple aluminum trainer knives and Karambits. Picture two Wing Chun guys with a rubber knife among attendees with multiple aluminum training knives. It was really funny. We ended up buying some aluminum Karambit trainers. The seminar was an eye-opener. I hadn't considered the possibility that an opponent might throw a knife at you while covering the gap to engage you with another knife – hence the multiple knives rig. We started with basic Karambit strikes, slashes to target areas – in Sayoc Kali this is referred to as a “template.” Then we had pre-arranged sparring drills where Adam and I felt like ducks in the water as we flowed and had fun. Remember the last criteria? We were so used to our Wing Chun drills that we easily adapted to the Karambit drills.

 

This is the correct way of holding the Karambit. The blade pointing downwards and curving forwards. The index finger is placed through the retention ring with your thumb on top of it and served as a lock. This is called the reverse grip which is the standard. You can use the retention ring as an impact tool.	You can flip the Karambit counter-clockwise (out and away from you) as pictured on the right. This is called the extended grip. Note that the thumb stops the rotation and locks the Karambit in place.

 

Various Ways to Hold the Karambit

The Karambit can be held in various ways. The reverse grip is the standard (above left). Hold the Karambit so that the blade points downward and curves forward. The index finger fits through the retention ring; the thumb presses atop the ring to serve as a lock. The retention ring can also be used as an impact tool.

For the extended grip (above right), flip the Karambit counter-clockwise (out and away from you) as pictured on the right. Note that the thumb stops the rotation and locks the Karambit in place.

The image to the right shows an example of how "not" to hold the Karambit. Notice the position of the thumb in both pictures. You have less control of the Karambit holding it this way.

 

Comparing Wing Chun and Karambit Techniques Side-by-Side

Karambit techniques are very compatible with the Wing Chun style. The figures below show the Wing Chun On Guard position (Adam on the left, Carlo on the right) and the karambit On Guard position.

Above: On Guard – Adam on the left and Carlo on the right

Below Left: Carlo throws a punch; Adam counters with a Wing Chun slap block followed by a right straight punch (pak da). Below Right: Carlo throws a punch; Adam counters with a slap block followed with a right straight thrush with the Karambit.

Below Left: Carlo counters with a left pak sao. Below Right: Carlo counters with a left slap block.

Below Left: Adam executes a right larp sao on Carlo’s left arm followed by a left palm strike. Notice Adam’s left forearm pinning Carlo’s right arm while executing the palm strike. The same movement can be done with the Karambit. Adam hooks Carlo’s left arm with the Karambit while delivering a left palm strike. Again notice Adam’s left forearm pinning Carlo’s right arm.

Adam finishes it up with a right gum sao on Carlo’s left arm followed by a right palm strike. Below Right: Adam grabs Carlo’s left arm while pinning the right arm, then follows it up with a Karambit slash to Carlo’s throat.

As demonstrated above, a Karambit is easily adapted to Wing Chun hand techniques, satisfying my fourth criteria: Complement Wing Chun hand techniques.

 

Footwork

The Golden Rule, "Get out of the line of attack (LOA)," applies to footwork. In addition, one must take into account the reach difference between an armed and unarmed attack. Weapons are just an extension of the arm. In an unarmed attack, move the back leg 30–45 degrees to the side to get out of LOA and be on the blind side. For an armed attack, this might not be enough.

 

Control the Attacking Hand

In Wing Chun, we always control the attacking (lead) hand when engaging, usually with a pak sao or a larp sao. For an armed attack, control of the attacking hand is a little more involved.

Pak Sao

Below, the attacker executes a horizontal strike; Carlo blocks with a Wing Chun pak sao. Armed with a blade, the attacker can move his body clockwise and still slash with his knife. The image to the right shows the better way to respond to such an attack, stopping the attacker in his tracks regardless of how much effort he expends in turning.

 

Larp-Sao

Below Left: the attacker executes a horizontal strike; Carlo blocks with a Wing Chun larp sao. Armed with a blade, the attacker can still rotate the hand clockwise or counterclockwise to slash the hand. A better way to respond to such an attack, is to grab the palm rather than the wrist so as to have more control and prevent the attacking arm from turning.

 

Legality – Karambit

Different states have different laws with regards to bladed weapons, so check your state laws to see if a Karambit is legal. Even if it is legal, a state trooper may not know that it is. Do you really think it is worth your while to "educate" him on the rules and argue that such blade is legal? If he wants to confiscate it, let him and be done with it. If he goes beyond that, then it is a different story.

In the hands of a skilled practitioner, the Karambit is a lethal weapon. It can put an attacker in the hospital with forearm bleeding from a 12+" cut, intestines hanging out, throat slashed, etc., or in a morgue. Good luck trying to convince a judge it was self-defense ("Your Honor, he attacked me first; I just defended myself and moved like water, went with the flow until he was no longer standing.") Excessive force? You'll likely need a very good lawyer.

Non-Lethal

You can use the Karambit as a “non-lethal” weapon. A fixed-blade Karambit aluminum trainer or “not fully deployed” folder can still do damage as an impact weapon.

Where Do We Go from Here?

There are a lot of Karambit videos on YouTube and other places on the Internet. Check them out. Some of them are too flowery. The first three moves are more than enough to take your opponent down. Stick with Wing Chun principles and make it simple and direct. A few of my favorites are Ray Dionaldo (FCS Kali), Doug Marcaida (Marcaida Kali), Jak Othman (Harimau Berantai), and Rodel Dagooc (DAS). I have met them all, except Doug Marcaida (hopefully soon), and they are all awesome people.