Question for Mike Janich

Evil D · #1

I was browsing videos and ran across Mr. Janich giving a feature on the Navaja....Mike, what the heck did you just do at 1:40?? What finger are you using to snap the blade open in reverse grip like that? :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgq6rKhv ... re=related

That's a pretty sweet move :cool:

Half Sack · #2

Looks like the pinky to me but its hard to tell, very quick.

Azwaiian · #3

How is it humanly possible to open a knife that fast?! He must be part ninja or something.

Half Sack · #4

From watching some of his other videos I'd say yeah he's ninja.
I assume the blade opens very very smooth too, I can't open my endura with my pinky or even ring finger nearly as fast, but that's what the emerson is for :D
Actually I don't think I open that fast with my thumb in standard grip.

Azwaiian · #5

Back when I had a lot of cable channels, I used to watch a self defense show that Mike was a part of. I forget the name of it, but it was a good show with pretty good self defense tips. It also covered the use of guns, long guns, knives, and personal safety. I didn't know then that he was a Spydie dude, pretty cool.

Yeah I say he's a ninja!

white cloud · #6

i have been to a couple of his mbc camps. he is one skilful guy.

angusW · #7

This came up when that video first aired. I believe Mike said it was the ring finger. When it first came out I think everyone was trying it with different knives. I find it works well with the Navaja and the Para 2 but a bit tough with the Manix 2.

Fred Sanford · #8

Looks like his right handed ring finger. I open my Para 2 like that in reverse grip. I've had a class with Mike as well and he's one tough very fast man. It's insane how skilled he is.

fifthprofession47 · #9

It is indeed his ring finger. If you refer back to his first "Fighting Folders" DVD he reviews various opening methods including this one.

Donut · #10

Someone asked this question before, he said it was his ring finger.

Halfneck · #11

Ring finger, but I want to say the pinky assisted a bit. I ran into Mr. Janich at BLADE and was curious how he opened a folder in Reverse Grip. He was kind enough to demonstrate it & it was smooth & fast. I've tried it myself & it is nowhere as smooth & fast. Definitely shows a lot of practice is needed on my part to even get to a competent level.

skatenut · #12

Evil D wrote:I was browsing videos and ran across Mr. Janich giving a feature on the Navaja....Mike, what the heck did you just do at 1:40?? What finger are you using to snap the blade open in reverse grip like that? :eek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgq6rKhv ... re=related

That's a pretty sweet move :cool:

Saw that video too and asked myself the same question. :confused:
Absolutely incredible, what a move!
It is probably MJ-do, and I don't mean this in any disrespectful way, quite the contrary!

araneae · #13

I've been working on ring finger opening since seeing that video months ago. With some practice its not too hard. Although I couldn't compare to Mr J.

joetheknifeguy · #14

I have some of the man's videos and books. I wouldn't mess with him if all he had was a **** toothpick knife on him. He is amazing to say the least. But of course, when no one is looking, the guy is practicing his *** off, you can count on that. That old adage, "Practice Makes Perfect"
He is very enjoyable to watch. I practice at least 30 minutes per day opening and deploying my knives, sometimes more, you never know when you will have the need to get that blade out.

Michael Rigg · #15

As others have said, the opening is performed with the ring finger. If you are trying to learn the opening, one way to get the mechanics down, is to start with the knife in the open position, put your hand in the position it would be in if you had finished the opening, and then reverse engineer where you need to have your fingers when you start the opening. This is the way that Mike taught me. Please practice with a trainer first.

Best,

Mike

Evil D · #16

My ring finger just isn't strong enough to flick the blade open like that...or the detent on my Para 2 is just stronger than my finger. I can open it that way but nowhere near as fast.

angusW · #17

Evil D wrote:My ring finger just isn't strong enough to flick the blade open like that...or the detent on my Para 2 is just stronger than my finger. I can open it that way but nowhere near as fast.

On my 20CP Para 2, the blade just flies open but on my black satin Para 2 it's more difficult to do. Definitely helps if the detent isn't too strong.

araneae · #18

Evil D wrote:My ring finger just isn't strong enough to flick the blade open like that...or the detent on my Para 2 is just stronger than my finger. I can open it that way but nowhere near as fast.

Keep practicing, it gets easier as you build up coordination in that less used finger.

2edgesword · #19

Michael Rigg wrote:Please practice with a trainer first.

Best,

Mike

Excellent advice Mr. Rigg, a lesson I've learned more than once the hard way :) .

Michael Janich · #20

Thanks to all for a great discussion and especially to my MBC instructors for filling in for me. I apologize for the slow response, but I've been traveling a lot the past few weeks and have been away from the forum. I just returned from teaching a law enforcement/corporate security course in Germany yesterday and taught a great seminar in Virginia Beach last weekend.

Yes, it is a ring finger opening, and, as Mike Rigg wisely pointed out, it is best to reverse engineer your starting grip with the knife in the open position and learn with a trainer first. The most common problems with this opening are that a) Although we have muscles that power that motion of the ring finger, we don't use them much, and b) an improper starting grip causes you to "short-stroke" the opening and run out of finger before the blade is fully open.

Like anything else, practice is the key. Don't give up.

BTW, a little trivia fact: I first saw this opening in the beginning scenes of the Stallone movie "Cobra." For those of you who also saw it and will never get that 90 minutes of your life back, you may remember the scene where the guy takes a bunch of hostages in a grocery store. Stallone confronts him with 1911 drawn, then "holsters" the gun (down the front of his pants) and draws a custom folder behind his back. He opens the folder with a pinky opening and throws it underhand into the bad guy's chest before shooting him a bunch. Here's a link to the scene on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5fUOxPyt5U

The opening happens about 3:03. After playing with the concept a bit, I realized that since the ring finger is stronger and longer than the pinky, it is better suited to a reliable opening.

Now if I could just get someone to say to me "I'll blow this whole place up." so I can respond, "Go ahead. I don't shop here." my life would be complete...

BTW, out of respect for all the real ninja out there, I'm not one. Still working on my learner's permit to kill...

Stay safe,

Mike