Beware the Tiger Claw

One day, a fellow named Jarred Ha was sitting outside his home near the University of Washington waiting for a friend to arrive.

While waiting for his friend, Jarred encountered a neighbor and fellow student named Madison, with whom Jarred had previous disagreements.

Madison was upset about the parking situation on the street since she was having a party at her house. She was so upset with Jarred that she punched him. He responded by pushing her away causing her to fall to the ground.

Madison’s friends witnessed her fall and rushed outside to confront Jarred. The group began attacking Jarred, punching and kicking him until he was able to run away.

A student named Graham who was attending the party continued to pursue Jarred even after he had created distance by running down the street. Once Graham caught up to Jarred, he began punching him in the head. Then he started smashing Jarred’s head into nearby vehicles.

Fearing for his life and yelling for Graham to back off, Jarred pulled a karambit knife from his pocket. As the attacker continued to rush Jarred, he had no choice but to use his karambit to defend himself. In total, Graham was cut six times in his legs, groin and abdomen.

In the end, Jarred Ha was charged with a felony and kicked out of the University of Washington. After a long legal battle, a jury acquitted Jarred of all crimes — and even went one step further…

The same jury returned a verdict that Jarred used lawful force to defend himself. This ruling means he is eligible for reimbursement by the state for the roughly $40,000 his family spent on his criminal defense.

The fact is the karambit is a popular knife style used all over the world. Since the 11th century, famers have used the karambit as a tool for harvesting rice, root crops and skinning animals.

Its claw-like shape pays homage to the Sumatran Tiger, and the knife is commonly referred to as a “tiger claw.” If you’ve ever thought about getting one of these knives, here’s a few things you ought to consider…

Pros

Easy to conceal. The karambit style is very popular among women as it can easily be hidden on your person. A folding karambit is even smaller and you can carry it in a pocket or around your neck.

Use the ring. The ring on the end of the knife provides you another self-defense tool as it can be used as a blunt object to strike your attacker. Plus, if the ring is on your finger it will be difficult for anyone to disarm you since you have a strong grip on the knife.

Quick to deploy. Fixed-blade karambits are typically easy to deploy very quickly. Plus, they’re small enough that you could have one in your pocket ready to use without anyone noticing.

Cons

Not versatile. While these types of knives have historically been used for farming and other tasks, they are not a knife I would depend on for camping or heavy-duty work. What I mean is, you wouldn’t use this type of knife for chopping firewood or other rugged tasks.

Folders can be slow. A fixed-blade knife is quicker to deploy if you need to defend yourself. Even though karambit styles come in both fixed and folding styles, I would stay away from folders for self-defense.

In my opinion, a karambit can be a valuable self-defense tool, but it’s not a knife I would take camping or hiking. If you decide to get a karambit, make sure you properly train on how to use it to protect yourself.

Stay safe,

Jason Hanson