These pictures were meant to accompany an article I did for Jim Keating's Modern Knives Magazine.  As it worked out, there was trouble in computer land, and so they didn't end up in the final piece.  Here they are now for your enjoyment.  To better understand what is happening, please refer to the full article, available free online.  The new Modern Knives magazine is a whole lot of fun, and is constantly being updated.  Check back regularly for more Comtechian goodness!

    I'd also like to mention that due to the limitation of the digital camera I have, I had to still pose these pictures.  This fact, combined with the fact that real knife openings happen in a fraction of a second and would actually occur "between the pictures", results in a distortion between how these look and how it would actually look in, say, frames of film from a movie camera where I could just do a quickdraw at speed.  These are not exact, but will hopefully give you the idea.  The kinetic opening, in particular is hard to show, because there is such a tiny hand motion when it is done correctly.

Biker Flip
1) Start from a neutral position.
2) Draw your knife, pinching it by the blade as you clear your pocket or sheath.
3) Keep it close to the body as you draw, and…
4) Flip the handle back and down, at a 45 degree angle, to lock the knife open (having to hold the knife so the camera could see it slightly more vertically downward.  It makes the knife very hard to see when doing this open, which is part of the illusion.
5) Immediately slash with the #1 strike…
6) Retract the pommel to the chest to solidify the grip on the handle.  This is a transitional position, and not just a final "stance".

Long-Ark Kinetic #1
1) Start from the neutral position.
2) Draw the knife (this time from back “wallet side” pocket).
3-4) Swing it up in a short ark, up and to the right to snap the blade open.
5-6) Slash #1

Long-Ark Kinetic #2
1) Start from the neutral position.
2) Draw the knife (this time from back “wallet side” pocket).  In these photos, I'm greatly exaggerating the motion.  You do not want to draw with the arm that wide.
3-4) Swing it up in a short ark, up and to the left to snap the blade open.
5-6) Slash #2

(With special thanks to Fred the torso dummy and Tigg!)

Anchor Opening
1) From a groundfighting tie up, put pressure on him by shifting one leg back…
2) Draw your knife and press it into him…
3) Slide it forward, keeping contact, and pushing the blade slightly open
4) Reverse your motion, anchoring the point in his thigh, glutes, kidney, etc., and…
5) Open the knife for the thrust, twist, cut out, or other work.  I am doing this over top of the jacket in the pictures so you can see the knife.  In training, learn the pros and cons of getting the knife under outer clothes to defeat them as armor.
6) Let Tigger run in and kick their ass.  She'd look at the camera, but she's keeping him covered in case he tries anything funny!