using a stabby knife is a different thing than using a slicey knife. If I am using a slicy knife I will be trying to cut you at long distance, preferably underneath your wrist. the key to dropping someone with a cutting knife is either to get a good cut on an artery or cut them across the face and eyes.
If you get cut well on an artery you will bleed out your life in a matter of minutes especially if you are engaged in strenuous activity. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing but when you have an open wound on a major artery its not so wonderful, your blood will simply pump out faster. This is why FMA knife fighters are taught to take cuts on areas with little arterial targets like the outside of the forearms.
My old habits from my FMA days are to slice and cut from liong range or clash and control, by clash and control i mean charge in cutting and deftly put my left hand on the opponents knife hand. Not to grab him mind you but simply to feel and immobolize his hand ever so breifly, just enough for me to get in some good cuts and stabs to the face and torso before i withdraw away. you cannot hold a persons arms with one hand on thier knife hand so don't try, simply ride it with control and deflect it away.
here is a video of me and David Knight doing some cutting knife sparring.
Edged knife sparring
Now using a stabbingonly knife like a rondell is a bit different, IMHO the idea of lunging in for a death blow is what will get you killed, rather Zufechten should be used with medium flowing thrusts from all angles to prepare the mighty death lunge. if the opponent is in recieveing mode when you do you death lunge he will use all those wonderful tricks from the manuals on you, just like Aikido however if you don't give them the energy they will not get the chance. i also try to gain a minimal amount of control of the opponent's arm to gain a split second to get in a rib stab. I think the main targets for the medium stabs are the face and neck, ribs/guts and the top of the oppoenents attacking arm as he strikes. generally as i enter to attack i do a series of quick stabs from various angles to make it difficult for the guy to counter and once i gain control of his arm i place a good stab from above into the top of the neck or face.
here is a video of me and Dave doing some rondell sparring.
Rondell Sparring
Its important not to simply do the snipping attacks with either a cutting or stabbing knife, the parts of the fight as described by Meyer fit in here perfectly. Snipping attacks are for the Zufechten, once the weapons lock in at a close range however we change to the Krieg part of the fight and must change our strategy. The last part is of course the withdrawal.
IMHO the clash together is where the knife fight is won or lost, master the clash and you will survive the fight and kill the opponent. Most people can get comfortable playing the Zufechten part of the fight, but once the Krieg happens everything falls to peices as its very fast and you have to develop a lighting quick response to attacks to not get stabbed yourself. When i spar i will force myself to jump into the Krieg with a wild attack to train this close quarter stuff.
The goal of a cutting knife fight is twofold
1. cut the opponent in a good spot from Zufechten to take away his will to fight, many opponents will be finished here if they are not motivated.
2. finish the fight by charging the opponent with a barrage of cuts and control his weapon arm, you should end up cutting the guy somehwere between 5 and 10 times on this attack. The goal is to finish by cutting acros the throat or face or to open up the belly.
i think a good understanding of the parts of the fight is important here, just like in modern MMA the phases of the fight dictate the strategy, each phase/part has a different strategy.
