HISTORY OF KARAMBIT
History of the Karambit
INTRODUCTION
The karambit (as is spelled in the Philippines and in most Western countries), kerambit (as used in both Indonesian and Malay), kurambik, karambol or karambiak (both from the Minangkabau language) is a small Indonesian curved knife resembling a claw.
The small, curved-blade knife known as the Karambit occasionally pops up in popular culture. This knife have been famous in Counter Strike: Global Offensive ( CS : GO) with numbers of attractive skin. Fans of the Splinter Cell video games will certainly recognize it as one of Sam Fisher’s iconic weapons, and Karambits tend to be the weapon-of-choice for assassins or enemy agents in spy flicks. But despite their unique form–or perhaps because of it, Karambits haven’t seen much exposure in the greater EDC community. The Karambit is popular in some circles of martial arts, and its roots are in Indonesia, where the knife was created hundreds of years ago.
 |
| One of the Karambit`s skin in CS:GO |
As EDC culture spreads, the Karambit isn’t as obscure as it once was. It’s a knife any knife aficionado should know a thing or two about. What distinguishes Karambits from other cultural pocket knives is its reputation as a defense tool. With the proper training, a Karambit can be a deadly, close-combat weapon.
HISTORY AND DESIGN
A Karambit is easily identified by its curved blade and handle that, all together, forms a half-moon shape. This alone makes it look more weapon-like than many smaller EDC knives. The shape is an homage to the shape of a tiger’s claw, and it served well during tasks like skinning fish or animal hide. Like most traditional knives, Karambits were originally fixed blades, but there are modern folding models available now.
 |
| One of Karambit as modern folding knife |
 |
| Karambit also come in balisong ( butterfly ) design these day |
The karambit is believed to have originally been weaponized among the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra where, according to folklore, it was inspired by the claws of a tiger. As with most weapons of the region, it was originally an agricultural implement designed to rake roots, gather threshing and plant rice in most of island Southeast Asia. It's a smaller variant of the Southeast Asian sickles (Filipino garab and karit; Indonesian celurit, arit, or sabit; and Malaysian sabit). As it was weaponised, the blade became more curved to maximise cutting potential. Through Indonesia's trade network and close contact with neighbouring countries, the weaponization of the karambit was eventually dispersed through what are now Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.
 |
| Traditional Karambit used by Bugis warriors |
Superficially the karambit resembles the jambiyah but there is no connection. The jambiyah was always designed as a weapon and serves as a status marker, often made by skilled artisans and jewelers using precious stones and metals, whereas the karambit was and still remains an unadorned, modest farmer's implement and useful utility knife.
Karambits originated in Indonesia from the “jungles of West Java” during the 11th century, according to the book Karambit: Exotic Weapon of the Indonesian Archipelago by Steve Tarani. Tarani is a Karambit historian and notable Karambit fighter.
Aside from the curved blade and handle, the Karambit is known for the safety ring on the end of the handle. A safety ring is not a necessity for a Karambit but, according to Karambit.com, the ring is part of the traditional Southeast Asian design.
The ring also serves several purposes:
The safety ring was originally designed to prevent the blade from sliding back through the user’s hand while working at odd angles, on difficult tasks or in specialized environments (like underwater or while hanging upside down). In battle, the safety ring provides a strong, sure hold in all conditions and through the most unexpected stressors. The karambit’s safety ring makes the knife exceptionally difficult to disarm or to turn against its user and it also allows the wielder to rely on the blade’s design for increased weapon retention instead of depending on grip strength alone. Whether the user’s hand is open or closed, moving or motionless, palm-up, palm-down or anywhere in between, due to the safety ring, a karambit knife is always secure and in an optimal position for use. Finally, the grip security and increased weapon retention is particularly valuable when the knife is covered in dust, mud, water or blood or when the karambit is being utilized at the difficult or precise angles required in combative application.
Karambits were made from a variety of materials, generally whatever was easiest to access in the Southeast Asia environment or what could be traded as the trade route through Asia flourished in the 11th-14th centuries. Nowadays, Karambits are made from different metals, most commonly steel.
USE IN COMBAT
Although the knife is now associated closely with combat, the Karambit is also a tool like many traditional knives around the world. Despite its origins in Indonesia, other Asian cultures adopted the knife, including Malaysia and the Philippines, where the knife is called the “lihok.”
According to report about Filipino Karambits, “It was not meant to be used for combat since Karambit is first and foremost, a tool. It evolved only because of the necessity of the people of these three Asian countries to protect themselves from foreign invaders.” Karambit.com echoes this sentiment: “While the blade originally served solely as an ancient utility tool in the same vein as the modern-day ‘Swiss Army Knife,’ in the war-torn villages of Indonesian and the Philippines, the karambit readily lended itself to battlefield use.”
Despite its primary intention, the Karambit has become inextricably linked with combat and self defense. Using knives as defense weapons is a polarizing topic in the gear community. Regardless, Karambit training is an extensive subculture, a large part as Pencat Silat, which refers to Indonesian martial arts. This video, by the Kali Research Academy, shows some traditional self-defense maneuvers using a Karambit.
HOW DEADLY IS THE KARAMBIT KNIFE ?
Why Karambits Are Deadly. When you have a knife that is easy to control and conceal, you have a deadly weapon on your hands. A quick slice to the carotid artery can cause death in less than a minute. You can even use this knife to target and disable the arms or legs of your attacker, which will end a fight in no time.| Injuries can happen when swinging this Karambit |
TECHNIQUE
The karambit is held with the blade pointing downward from the bottom of the fist, usually curving forwards however occasionally backwards. While it is primarily used in a slashing or hooking motion, karambit with a finger ring are also used in a punching motion hitting the opponent with the finger ring. Some karambit are designed to be used in a hammering motion. This flexibility of striking methods is what makes it useful in self-defense situations. The finger guard makes it difficult to disarm and allows the knife to be maneuvered in the fingers without losing one's grip.The short Filipino karambit has found some favor in the West because such proponents allege the biomechanics of the weapon allow for more powerful cutting strokes and painful "ripping" wounds, and because its usability is hypothesized as more intuitive, though there continues to be debate about this matter.
The technique of the karambit is also heavily focused on striking the weak points of the human body, such as the muscles from the knee and elbow. This is a very effective technique because of the curved blade. Because of this, the karambit is considered to be one of the deadliest melee weapons.
Comments
Post a Comment