Dagger Technique 4: Triceps Hook       The opponent stabs with a middle thrust and the defender hack parries the wrist of the attacking arm from the inside with their free hand, while hacking to the biceps or inner elbow of the arm with their dagger.  This motion is a type of double hack parry, letting the attacker supply much of the momentum needed to do the damage.  Grab the wrist upon contact, and immediately after you hack through the biceps, hook back with the false edge of the dagger and pull-cut the triceps.  Use your hip rotation to power the pull by simply reversing the body mechanics of the initial blast.     The opponent delivers a backhand blow or thrust.  Double hack parry with the dagger and free hand as before and swing the arm down and through.  Grab the wrist with your free hand as you continue moving the dagger to the triceps hook position, and cut out as before.     The last picture shows the same technique from the opposite side, this time grabbing the wrist before delivering the cut.  Had the material on my arms protected me, however, this could also be a counter to the technique as Mike follows with the stab.

Dagger Technique 5: Scissors Hold     In this depiction, the attacker stabs with an overhead strike from a knife-in-back stance.  You high outward hack parry with your empty hand and guide his wrist counter-clockwise into the dagger's rising “hook”.  Grab your dagger's blade with your empty hand and lock in the triangle.  Pull and circle to take him off balance and deeply cut his tendons by the wrist and then follow up with strikes.     You can also drag a man to the floor with this hold, but you do not need to.  At any point after the attacker is “jolted” by the triangle lock, quickly stab them as they are fighting for balance and follow up with another  technique.  The quick pull of the triangle lock can add a “whiplash” effect to the follow up strike.     Though this lock may appear bizarre, and may be more appropriate for use with a semi-sharp pry bar or when wearing gloves, it was quite common in the Middle Ages.  The triangle wrist lock is seen in every Medieval combat manual, and in a number of variations.  Exactly for this reason, it should be studied - When every master shows it it must have value, yes?  Like all things, there is a time and place for its use.

Dagger Technique 6: Backattcha’ Triangle Wrist Lock Counter     Here we see a triangle lock done as a counter to a triangle lock!  The trick to making this work is having the quick reaction and changing the angle at which you are applying  the lock.  This can only be done by feeling the lock.  No amount of words can describe the possible variations.  Learn the triangle lock well first, and then learning this will be “naturally easy”.     In the unarmed combat spectrum, this is the equivalent of the wrist center lock.  When you are in position for a center lock, you are also generally in position to have it re-applied to you.     If both your hands get locked up in this high or mid line standoff for any length of time, look for the low line to open and for knees or kicks to be delivered.  Right here if either of us landed a solid kick to destabilize the others base we could get a take down.

Dagger Technique 7: Switch Hands - Scissors Hold Counter     This is perhaps one of the simplest counters there is, but one which is often overlooked.  The hand switch is seen throughout Medieval combat manuals as a counter to a number of different more sophisticated holds.  Though it appears obvious to do this, many people panic and cling to the dagger under stress.  By training the response in combat scenarios like this one you will build the reaction and timing.     The Dog Brothers use the term "Monkey Trapped" to describe a fighter who is so fixated on holding his weapon that they will not let go of it.  Like the monkey who reaches into a jar to grab the fruit and then can not pull his hand back out of the jar, and so remains holding the fruit and not wanting to give it up is stuck there, trapped by its own will.  There are times where to let go of the weapon is the best way, but this can only be learned in practice.