In a wide variety of knives, combat models occupy a special place. Despite the development of military technology and weapons, a simple knife to this day is an effective assistant in close combat. Therefore, all the armies of the world are working to improve the characteristics of the combat knife. Despite the fact that the design of knives has been studied for centuries, this area to this day has great potential for development. It is mainly about creating highly specialized models that could most effectively solve a particular problem. One of these knives is Kochergin's knife. Today we will familiarize ourselves with its device, the principle of operation and the opinion of experts regarding this model.
History of creation
Kocherginās combat knife was created purely for the hand-to-hand combat system developed by the St. Petersburg Center for Applied Research. Developing the design of this knife, the authors tried to take into account exactly those requirements for weapons that the mentioned system makes, without taking into account any weapon trends. The first task of the designers was to find ways to achieve the maximum stopping effect of the knife by increasing its cutting ability when stabbing. As the practice of working with weapons has shown, in the framework of the system created by the CPI, it is the injection that is the most effective way of knife attacks. The development and testing of the NDK-17 model lasted seven years and led to a significant result. In 2008, Kocherginās knife, which received a very unusual shape, was presented to the public.
general characteristics
As you probably guessed, the abbreviation NDK stands for "Kochergin sabotage knife." ā17ā is the initial approved blade length. In the course of practical experience, in order to improve the balance and maneuverability of the product, it was reduced to 15 cm, but they decided to leave the name the same. Many interpret the abbreviation NDK as "Kocherginās airborne knife", but this is not true. They figured out the name, but who is Kochergin? Andrei Nikolaevich Kochergin is a martial artist and founder of the Russian koi karate school, but takinoboriru (or simply KOI).
Andrei Nikolaevich was engaged in martial arts from the age of 14. At first it was judo, and a little later - karate. Living in Germany, he mastered Wun Chun and Thai boxing. Returning to his homeland, Kochergin actively engaged in the daido juku. In addition to rich experience in the field of martial arts, he also has military experience: he served in the army sports and intelligence, participated in the Caucasian campaign. Kochergin is a repeated winner in shooting competitions and a master of sports in Makarov pistol shooting. Andrei Kochergin is known to the general public for his master classes and seminars on self-defense. He is the author of several books and a huge number of video clips dedicated not only to self-defense, but also to applied psychology.
The style of knife fighting that operates within the KOI system is called Tanto Jutsu Koi no takinoboriru. He became the first official knife fight style in Russia, according to which competitions have been held since 1997. On the basis of Tanto Jutsu Koi, a domestic knife fight system was developed, specifically for which the NDK-17 knife (a knife of a saboteur of Kochergin's design) was created.
The peculiarity of this application system is that the battle tactics are based on technical brevity and the lack of symmetry in contact with edged weapons. Guided by this principle, the CPI team is continuously engaged in the development and implementation of domestic methods for the preparation of special units in several areas:
- Applied hand-to-hand combat.
- Fire training.
- Group and tactical interaction.
Kochergin's knife (NDK-17) is the result of joint development of the CPI and VIFK (Military Institute of Physical Culture). This product belongs to innovative inventions. The reviews of many domestic and foreign experts show that it is one of the most striking modern developments in the field of knives.
The developers did not disclose the brand of steel from which the original model is made. It is only known that the material successfully combines high strength of the blade and good cutting properties. High hardness steels providing the maximum cutting effect are a rather brittle material. According to the creators of this knife, they managed to achieve high cutting ability due to the introduction of an unusual design. As a result, a unique blade was created, which has no analogues in the world.
Combat knife requirements
The main task facing a person using a combat knife is to hit the enemy or opponents in close combat. According to expert reviews, a professional with the proper level of training can use almost any tool in battle. Nevertheless, maximum efficiency is achieved with the help of special weapons designed exclusively for melee techniques. Based on this, a combat or sabotage knife should combine such characteristics:
- The width of the blade is at least 2 cm. At the same time, by cutting the angle of sharpening, the cutting properties of the blade increase. As a result, stabbing with such a knife leads to serious injuries and profuse loss of blood.
- Uneven cutting edge of the blade, in the shape of a blade. It has excellent cutting properties and allows the blade to leave wide and deep puncture wounds.
- The presence of reverse sharpening. Increases the effectiveness of the weapon and the convenience of working with it - no need to turn the knife over when changing the direction of impact.
To date, such forms of a combat knife blade are popular:
- Drop Point is a drop-shaped form. The tip goes along the axis of the injection vector, which facilitates penetration into the target.
- "Clip Point." It has a cut tip and good stitching ability.
- Spear Point is a spear-shaped form. Due to the low slopes, it is better suited for injection than for cutting.
- Bowie Has a straight or concave bevel on the butt.
- Tanto It has increased blade strength due to the bevel at the end of the blade. It stabs and cuts well.
- "Hawkbill" (karambit) - concave shape. Reminds a bird or animal claw. May inflict severe cutting wounds.
Custom solutions Kochergin
Kochergin's knife (NDK-17) has an unconventional wedge shape. The model used a guillotine-type blade, with a slope relative to the axis of the handle and an angle at the apex. According to the authors, the model of weapons they created is most effective within the framework of a specific combat system. This system illustrates the higher efficiency of cutting strokes compared to stabbing. Given that in today's military confrontation, bulletproof vests are widely used, stitching strikes on open areas of the body (arms, legs, neck and face) are not a significant damaging factor. The knife, developed by Kochergin and his colleagues, allows for the most effective stabbing and stop the enemy, without causing him fatal damage.
Knives of dagger modifications inflict narrow puncture wounds on the enemy, and a guillotine-type blade can cause a very wide frontal dissection. Kocherginās sabotage knife is designed in such a way that a straight line connecting the tip of the blade and the stop point passes through the center of gravity and coincides with the direction of the linear force. Due to the angular inclination of the blade relative to the handle, the pressure on the affected surface increases when the knife is pulled back on itself, which leads to an even more extensive dissection.
Prototype
The ancient kerambit knives pushed for the use of the sickle-shaped blade of the creators of the NKD-17 knife. They were known back in the 12-13th centuries in the territories of the Malay archipelago. Knives of this configuration are still common in the region as household tools and weapons for self-defense. In addition, they are one of the key attributes of local martial arts.
In the 70-80 years of the last century, at the demonstrations of martial artists from southeast Asia, the technique of using kerambits was first demonstrated. Performances have resonated in martial arts schools around the world. As a result, a fascination with such knives came to the west.
Karambits have unique properties and great potential for modernization in the light of modern trends in the development of edged weapons. Today, the main direction of the development of combat knives is the transition from a stabbing to a cutting one. When cut, sickle-shaped models have the maximum effect. However, the ability to strike with piercing blows is extremely small. Another drawback of historical prototypes of Kocherginās knife is the fact that products of this form are difficult to manufacture and maintain.
Design Features
During the development of Kocherginās knife, a model was developed and approved in a shape resembling a āstraightened sickleā. She received a functional blade, which, when cut, exerts much greater pressure than models with a direct blade. The test results fully confirm the superiority of NDK-17 over straight knives: from one cut, Kochergin's knife cut 620 mm of sternum of pork carcass. Moreover, the damage was caused not only to soft tissues, but also to the bone material of the ribs. None of the currently known combat knives can achieve similar results. One of the best combat knives in the world, "Tai Peng" with the same impact damages only 150 mm, and a powerful "Chinook" - no more than 200 mm.
In addition, at the top of the blade NDK-17 (Kochergin sabotage knife) is an angle. This is another major design feature and at times increases the pressing force when applying a cutting blow. Regarding the handle, the blade of the knife is tilted by 20 degrees. Such a design, even in the case of a rectilinear movement, gives itself a cutting edge, which in character is very similar to a guillotine cut.
The square cross-section of the handle provides a more secure grip. The handle of the original models is fitted with leather that absorbs moisture well. The knife as such does not have a guard. Tests have shown that the handle of the described shape allows you to securely fix the product in your hand and not miss it in the process. The reviews of independent experts testing the knife fully confirm this.
The knife of the saboteur of Kochergin's design is balanced in such a way that the center of gravity falls on the place where the blade connects to the handle. For combat knives, this alignment is not new. It provides maximum maneuverability of weapons when performing combat techniques.
Leather sheath for NDK-17 was the result of more than three years of development. It is mainly about their form. As a result, the resulting sheath model is ideally suited for any kind of equipment. The knife fits tightly enough so that when moving the fighter does not create any extraneous sounds. In this case, the weapon is removed from the sheath quickly and easily, even without prior training.
The blade is processed using epoxy blacking - the most common method of processing edged weapons in world practice. This measure not only protects it from corrosion, but also performs a masking function - it prevents the glare of the knife in the sun. Among other things, as the reviews show, the darkened blade looks more attractive.
Functions
The main working functions are assigned to the cutting edge of the blade. The creators decided to make a one-sided sharpening type sharpening on both parts of the blade. This allows you to achieve an acceptable impact power of the blade with a small angle of tightening, to make an accurate cut when pulling the blade to yourself and to achieve maximum stability of the blade when performing a front injection. An important advantage of this sharpening is the fact that it is easy to edit. You can sharpen the knife even in traveling conditions, without risking dulling the edges of the working edge.
The amazing power of a knife cut depends not only on the pressure exerted on the target, but also on the friction force that occurs when the blade passes through the cut surface. On the non-sharpened side, Kochergin's knives have notches made with technical diamond. They can significantly increase the cutting power of the blade, but do not affect the speed and ease of striking. When testing a knife on various materials, the effectiveness of this constructive technique was confirmed.
Practical use
According to the developers, the Kochergin knife (NDK-17) cannot be called a universal tool. It was developed specifically for the method of hand-to-hand combat, which is practiced at the Center for Applied Research. In order to use the Kochergin sabotage knife with the degree of efficiency that it can give, it is necessary to master the weapon system for which it was created.
CPI created a system of hand-to-hand combat using NDK-17, which is based on a massive attack by the enemy with a knife. During the fight, the fighter moves only forward, without wasting time thinking and choosing a place to strike. The position of the body, as well as the movements of its individual parts, are subject to one task - to inflict the maximum number of quality blows at maximum speed.
During the research work, all combat techniques, stances and movements were analyzed and thoroughly studied. The trajectories of all minor movements were reduced to the minimum necessary for a high-quality exit to the shock position. The principal advantage of this system is full-fledged work with the whole body. The controlled movement around its axis allows you to put the mass of the body in every blow. At the same time, freedom of movement is preserved, as well as stability in space. And the increase in kinetic pressure positively affects the speed parameters without compromising maneuverability.
Nowadays, the appearance of edged weapons of an unusual shape can often be completely unrelated to giving it fundamentally new characteristics. The main reason is a change in production technology or aesthetic considerations, rather than a constructive need. Creating a Kochergin knife (NDK-17), the developers wanted to get improved cutting qualities and increased stopping effect by modernizing the design and finding new solutions.
In the manufacture of working samples of various knives, such design solutions as the guillotine shape of the blade, chisel sharpening and tilt of the blade with respect to the handle have been repeatedly used. The authors of this product managed to rationally combine the listed solutions and adapt the knife to a specially developed knife fight system. Thus, the main drawback of the model was its specificity. To effectively use the NDK (Kochergin sabotage knife), you must have special combat skills. At the same time, techniques that are effective in working with such weapons can be much less effective in working with other knives. Combat techniques developed by the CPI and Kocherginās knife are most effective in tandem. Therefore, to apply them individually is impractical.
Kochergin knife: reviews
As mentioned above, experts highly appreciate this model for its high performance and unique design. However, opinions may differ among amateurs. On the Internet, this model received mixed reviews. You can find both enthusiastic and sharply critical reviews of NDK-17. This is not surprising, given that the product was created specifically for a specific combat technique, and only those who own this technique can appreciate it. Yes, and it is unlikely that the knife developers thought about the opinion of the Internet public.
Civil version
To date, Kocherginās knife, whose photo looks very impressive, is not supplied to the arsenal or clothing support of law enforcement agencies. It is certified as a utility knife. On sale you can find two versions of the product: standard, with a 150 mm blade, and civilian, with a 110 mm blade.
Due to its compactness, the civilian version is more suitable for wearing in urban conditions than the standard Kochergin knife. There is no folding version of the product and, most likely, will not. As a rule, such models are made of bearing steel. The large blade has a slightly sharpened cutting edge on one side. Leather sheath and a clip are supplied with the knife for attaching them to the belt. Despite its specificity, such a knife can be a good gift or an unusual addition to the collection of knives.