Knife Skills for Concealed Carry
defensive knife
This two-day course presents students with the skills needed to effectively utilize a folding or fixed blade knife as a defensive tool. In addition to imparting a basic skill set, the class will also provide an in-depth explanation of the philosophy behind the skill acquisition and how to optimally teach these skills to others.
This coursework is designed to address realistic situations where a law-abiding citizen may have to utilize a knife to defend against a lethal force attack. The course introduces simple, effective movements that are easy to learn, court defensible, and work well under stress.
Topics Covered:
- Choosing a defensive knife
- Carry locations
- Drawing & opening the folding knife under stress
- Basic cutting angles and targets
- Three ways to use a knife to stop an attack
- Escaping life-threatening physical attacks with a knife
- Transitioning between knife & pistol
- Weapon retention using the knife
- Using the knife against multiple attackers
- Knife access and deployment from grounded and seated positions
- Covert knife carry in non-permissive environments
- Disarm prevention techniques
- Principles of knife vs. knife attack dynamics
- Legal issues regarding knife defense including the debrief of a knife self-defense homicide case where Greg was employed as an expert witness.
** This class is held from 10am-6pm each day** Please bring a lunch with you.
Greg Ellifritz
- Greg Ellifritz is Active Response Training's president and primary instructor.
- Greg recently retired after serving 25 years as a police officer. During his tenure, Greg spent 13 years as the full-time tactical training officer for a central Ohio police department. In that training position, he was responsible for developing and instructing all the in-service training for his 55-officer agency. In addition to the training position, he also served as patrol officer, rangemaster, weapons armorer, bike patrol officer, bike patrol coordinator, sniper, and field training officer during his career.
- He instructed classes at the Tactical Defense Institute for 17 years and served as a lead instructor for TDI’s ground fighting, knife fighting, active shooter, impact weapons, and extreme close quarters shooting classes.
- Greg holds instructor, master instructor, or armorer certifications in more than 85 different weapons systems, defensive tactics programs, and law enforcement specialty topics. In addition to these instructor certifications, Greg has successfully completed more than 4,500 hours of documented formal training with the leading firearms, empty hand fighting, and edged weapons instructors in the country.
- Greg designed the curriculum for the first law enforcement defensive knife class ever presented at the Ohio Peace Officer’s Training Academy. He taught that police knife class to officers from more than 10 different states for numerous years.
- He has a master’s degree in public policy and management with a focus on criminal justice policy issues and has contributed to several publications and websites including: ‘The Firearms Instructor,” “Ohio Police Chief,” “Combat Handguns,” Survivalblog.com, “Concealed Carry Magazine,” Primedia's "Personal & Home Defense Annual," “Police One,” "Recoil Magazine," and “American Handgunner.”
Class details
Pre Requisite – This is NOT a beginner level course. This course is designed for instructors and the like.
Skill Level – Intermediate-Expert
Required Equipment –
- Eye protection (shooting safety glasses will be fine)
- Athletic clothing. Pants/shorts should have pockets suitable for carrying a knife and belt loops.
- Trouser belt
- A pen and paper for notes. Notes on phones and computers will not be acceptable in this course.
- An open mind and the willingness to coach/assist other students in the class
Classroom – Two Days, 8 hours each
Offered – One-Time
Class Size – 20 Max, 10 Min
Cost – $500
Optional Equipment –
The instructor will provide these items for use in the training class if you don’t own them. With that said, you will probably have a better learning experience if you are training with your own personal gear.
- The (real) folding and/or fixed blade knife you regularly carry
- A pair of gloves thin enough to allow you to open a folding knife
- A dulled replica training knife. We will be using both folders and fixed blades in class. Bring a couple of each if you have them.
- A plastic replica training pistol (Blue Gun, Red Gun, etc.) and holster
Upcoming
Click on any of the dates below to see availablity and to reserve a spot.