"A sword never kills anybody, it is a tool in the killer's hand." -  Seneca

The Filipino martial arts, known by names such as Kali, Escrima, and Arnis, have a concept called “Defanging the Serpent.” This concept at its heart involves attacking the opponent’s attacking limb in order to take away his ability to use his weapon against you. You see this concept throughout the drills and patterns used to practice these arts.

While Kali , Escrima, and Arnis have perhaps developed this principle to it’s highest level, it is common in many other fighting styles as well. You have the kote attack in kendo and kenjutsu, where one swordsman cuts the other’s wrists. In classical western fencing these attacks were common, and they still exist in Olympic fencing with the epee and sabre. In Karate, many of the traditional “blocks” found in kihon and kata are actually examples of this same principle.

You even see the same thing, albeit usually subconsciously, in gunfights. Anyone who’s gone through law enforcement training has heard the trope about the opponent’s hand or gun being shot unintentionally because the shooter was “focused on the threat.” And anyone who’s done a high volume of force on force training has seen the high probability of getting shot in the hands and forearms. Some of this is undoubtedly due to focusing on the firearm like our crusty old red shirts said in the academy. Some is certainly because the firearm, and the hands gripping it, are often between us and the opponent’s high center chest. And some is because when using cover properly the gun, hand, and forearm (and shooting eye behind them) are often the only available targets.

The reason you see this principle across so many training paradigms is simple. It’s effective. Take out the delivery system for your opponent’s tools and you take away his ability to fight effectively. This holds true in large scale warfare as well. “Maneuver kills” are a common tactic in cavalry combat, and a common strategy throughout all warfare is movement denial. Take away the opponent’s ability to deliver his tools to the necessary place and you greatly reduce his combat effectiveness.

There is a lesson here. Don’t think of just the killing blow, the knockout punch. Sometimes conflict is a war of attrition. And in that war of attrition pay close attention to the delivery mechanism for your opponent’s strikes. If they cannot get their tools to bear against you, you are far more likely to win. Practice this well in your training so you can use this principle in conflict if needed.