Ernest Emerson
Ernest R. Emerson
Born
March 7, 1955 (1955-03-07)
Northern Wisconsin, USA
Occupation Knifemaker, Martial Artist, CEO
Spouse(s)
Mary Emerson
Ernest R. Emerson (born March 7, 1955) is
an American custom knifemaker, martial
artist, and edged-weapons expert.[1] Origin-
ally an engineer and machinist
in
the
aerospace industry,[1][2] Emerson became a
knifemaker known for making decorative
knives but later became better known for his
combat knives, eventually founding a produc-
tion company to mass-produce his designs,
and popularizing a style of knife known as
the Tactical-folder.[3] Emerson’s knives have
been displayed as museum pieces, designed
for use by Navy SEALs,[4][5] and used by
NASA in outer space.[6] They have also been
featured in films and novels, furthering their
popularity with collectors.[7]
Emerson is an accomplished martial artist
who has developed a combatives system,
Emerson Combat Systems, which has been
taught to police officers, elite military units,
and civilians.[8][9][10]
Background
Ernest Emerson was born on March 7, 1955
in a 400-square-foot (37 m2) log cabin built
by his grandfather in northern Wisconsin,
and was raised in a family of farmers, crafts-
men, and teachers.[8][11] While attending
high school he displayed great ability as an
athlete, specifically as a wrestler and base-
ball player, being drafted by the St. Louis
Cardinals to play professional baseball at the
age of 17 in the Midwest League.[8]
Emerson began his training in martial arts
at the age of 16 with the Korean version of
Judo known as Yudo, traveling from Wiscon-
sin to Minnesota twice a week to attend
school.[12] He continued his study of the mar-
tial arts while attending the University of
Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a brown
belt in Kyokushinkai Karate and a black belt
in Shotokan Karate while competing on the
university’s karate team.[8] After graduating
with degrees in physical education and world
history, Emerson moved to Southern Califor-
nia for the sole purpose of continuing his
martial arts