Rich, I'm going to take your suggestion and move my question to the AF/CQF board. Reading the current thread on martial arts and the previous thread on knives still raises a big question for me concerning self defense for novices and those incapable of martial arts training. At 5'8 and 175lbs I'm still in reasonable shape; but a serious back injury has made any athletic training virtually impossible. I suspect others may be in similar circumstances and I have to wonder what value certain defense "modalities" have for those of us who may not be physically able. For example, in my first post on the subject I asked "what value is carrying a knife to a novice?" A novice, of reasonable sense and ability, can generally use a firearm to defend themselves if the need arises. But, is the same true of a knife? Discussions of knives on these boards usually include the catch-phrase "good with..." or "well trained..." Well, to be truth-full, due to physical ability or simply disposition many of us are un-likely to become martial arts experts! What is the role of the defensive folding knife for those of us that have had a great deal more training slicing a sirloin than fending off an attacker? Is the knife an "experts only" weapon? Should a novice leave knives alone? If not, are there particular tactics a novice should observe in deploying the knife? I would ask the same thing about the various martial arts that are discussed on these boards. Frankly, once you guys get rolling, I'd don't even have a vague idea of what you are talking about. My take on your discussions is that I should learn Brazilian Tai Chi from a Lithuanian Buddhist who studied under a Master in Madagascar! Nevertheless, when it comes to knives, martial arts and hand to hand defense what suggestions would those of you who are experienced practitioners have for those of us who may be physically unable to master these various arts. Thanks for your insights into an intriguing topic! Kurt