All language subtitles for Forged.in.Fire.Knife.or.Death.S02E08.20.000.Dead.Run.1080p.HULU.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-SiGMA_track3_eng

- Over the past few weeks,
America's top blade wielders

have come here to put
their weapons and skills

to the ultimate test...

Whoa!
Total carnage!

And tonight,
all the winners return

for a final clash against
bigger and badder obstacles

with a $20,000 grand prize
on the line.

This is the "Knife or Death"
grand champion showdown.

- As far
as the competition goes,

I'm really looking forward
to it.

You gotta be fast
and you gotta be precise,

and most importantly,

you have to avoid
the penalties.

I finished Knife Fight
with five penalties,

and I plan to do better.

I'm bringing a great blade
and a very can-do attitude.

One of the Marine Corps mottos

is "improvise, adapt,
and overcome,"

so the objective is

the other side of the obstacle
with everything cut.

- I'm very excited for what's
going to happen today,

but I'm not letting my nerves
get the best of me.

My blade took
a little bit of a set

on the PVC pipe

in Knife Fight last time.

I have maintained my strategy

of using one edge
for the soft targets

and one edge
for the hard targets,

so I don't know what things
I'm going to be cutting today,

but we'll see what happens.

- I've already been here.
I'm not nervous anymore.

The first time
that I went out there,

the one penalty
I did actually get

on my entire run
was some cauliflower.

Never eating it again.

I'm here for one thing,
and that's to win

and take this home.
I'm just hoping

that these other guys
can, uh, at least keep up.

It's nice to be a champion,

but it'd be really nice

to be the grand champion.

- I'm proud to be
a "Knife or Death" champion,

and I'm here to win today.

One of the obstacles that I had

the most trouble with
in the last challenge

was the ratchet straps.

This time,
I'm gonna take my time.

I'm gonna make sure
to make concise cuts.

I know today's gonna be tough.

I'm trying to go through
the course

with no penalties this time.

I think that my skills
are gonna put me in a place

where I know I can do well.

Bring it on.

- Knife Fight is going to be
really, really challenging.

On Dead Run, I know I had
a lot of penalties,

- 0 for 4.

- That's not gonna work
this time.

I'm gonna have
to charge into everything

as hard and as fast
as I possibly can.

The competition
I'm going up against today--

they're all very proven.

It's a championship round,

so they're gonna
throw everything at us.

- This time,
I'm worried about everything.

I just have to worry
about making all my cuts

and getting to the end.

That's what I'm really
concerned with.

I would love
to get another shot

at anything
that's fruit-related.

- 3 for 3, penalty-wise.

- He is so gassed right now.

- I've been working
on my cardio.

Gassing out
is everybody's worry

that's committed to something
that's taxing on you.

Honestly, I don't think
about my competition.

I think about it
almost as a band of brothers,

and the enemy is the course,

- Welcome
to the "Knife or Death"

grand champion showdown.

In order to succeed today,

every swing,

every cut,

needs to be perfect,

or you're going home.

At the end of the day,
I see a group

of blade-wielding
badasses in front of me,

and that's good,

'cause you're gonna need it

to get through this.

Knife Fight.

You've all taken on
the Knife Fight course once,

but not like this.
Some of you will face

different obstacles than you
did last time,

and the difficulty
has been ratcheted up.

One thing to keep in mind:

Decapitator is now
a sudden death obstacle.

To move on, you have to cut

through just one row
of targets

in only one swing,

but you have three chances
to do it.

Get one, and you can move on.

Only if you miss
all three rows

does your time
in Knife Fight end.

The two that make it
the farthest the fastest

will move on to our second,

even more grueling,
course challenge,

Dead Run.

I am honored
to introduce to you

US Army veteran

and Special Forces Green Beret
Tu Lam.

- Welcome back, competitors.

Your ability

to generate speed,

power, timing, and accuracy

are some of the attributes

that led you here today.

If you fail to execute,

if you're not on point,

you're done.

Good luck.

- This is for
all the marbles.

Go get your blades ready.

- I want to win
this competition.

I've met my fellow competitors.

I would love
to put my best

against their best
and see who comes out on top.

- First up:

48-year-old Earl Culver,
from Tampa, Florida.

Martial arts instructor,

Marine Corps veteran,
and bladesmith

- I expect this course

to be completely different
than what I ran through,

but it's cutting,
and cutting is cutting.

Now, I am concerned
about this blade.

This is more
of a chopping blade,

just because of the geometry.

It's only 16 inches
of cutting edge.

- He was concerned
about his cardio,

in the first time
taking up Knife Fight,

but he got through
with flying colors.

It's the first time
he's faced Trifecta.

Here we go!

He's gonna take on
the 2x4.

Tell you what:
He is ferociously chopping.

Okay, right through
that 2x4,

moving on to bamboo.

He's coming in straight on
right there.

- If he doesn't be careful,

this blade's gonna bend
on him.

- Yeah, he's about
to take down the bamboo.

Right through.
Now steps up to the rope.

Boom!
One strike through there.

He stepped up,
and he absolutely

destroyed Trifecta,

but at the same time,

it started whittling down

on his blade.

Stepping up to Box Cutter,

and this is the first time

he's facing Box Cutter.

- Wow.
- Nice. Look at the power

that he is generating.

He is compromising
the corners,

no question about it.

Whoa!
- Whoa, that's right!

- That's what I'm
talking about!

He's moving on
to box number two.

Another beautiful strike.

- He needs to control
the target.

It's spinning out of control
on him.

- Yep.
I don't like

watching him watch
that box spin.

He's gotta do something
about it and steady the box.

Frustration is setting in.

Now he's lodged in.
It's very disheartening

to watch competitors
get hung up

and continue losing
valuable time on the clock.

There we go!

And he's moving on.
- You got it.

- And he is searching
for some air.

- And air is what
he needs right now,

because he needs clarity.

- Remember, Decapitator

is now
a sudden death obstacle.

You slice through one of them,

and you can move on.

If you don't get it
in one swing,

you have two more chances

on two more rows.
Miss all three,

and your time
on the course ends.

Boom!
Right through.

He should move on quickly.

Beautiful job.

Spent no more
than a couple seconds

there at Decapitator.

Moving up to Thrice Pick.

Question is,
is he too gassed?

Oh, my--one slice,
all the way through

Wow!
Another single slice.

Uh, he wasn't doing it
on that big one,

but three slices,

and he makes it
right through the big one.

Moving on
from Thrice Pick.

Made up a lot of time there.

Next up, Lifeline.

- This one strike
has to slice through

two chickens.
He has to hit this thing

with speed and velocity
at an angle.

- Beautiful job.

Earl Culver goes
through the double chicken.

Next up, the fish.

Right through the double fish.
Moving on to the rope.

This is the big one.

- It's all about angles here,

and speed, and sharpness
of the blade.

- He's concentrating.
He's getting ready to strike.

Oh, no!
What happened?

- He rushed it.
He came in at the wrong angle,

and also, that blade
is probably dull

after going through
the ice

and the box.
- So Earl...

- Let me go ahead
and take a look at that knife.

So now, we picked up
a bend.

- A bit.

- Where do you think
you picked up this bend?

- Boxes.

- So something that
a person goes to swing,

and that just totally
screws up

your indexing.
- Yep.

- So this could be interesting
if this is far enough

and you made it here
fast enough

to put you outside
in Dead Run.

- Thank you, sir.

- Good luck.
- Thank you.

I don't know that there's
anything that I could've

done differently
on this course.

If I make it to Dead Run,
I'm not worried

about taking that blade.

I can make the adjustments

in my angles of attack.

I don't see it being an issue.

- Young gun Joel Rice,

security officer,

campus supervisor,

and martial artist.

- The last Knife Fight,
in Decapitator,

I was still a little hyped
from the previous obstacle.

I should've re-angled my blade

and followed through
a little bit more.

This blade was built
for this competition,

and today, I fully intend
to bury my blade

in the stump.

- The edge on that blade,

the geometry on his blade,

and the length of this blade--

he needs to plan it right.

- On his first try,
Joel completed Trifecta

in just 24 seconds.

Let's see how he does
against the thicker rope

and the harder bamboo.

Is he taking the proper angle?

- No, he's not coming in
at an angle this time.

He's coming in
overhead strike.

- Oh!
He's through.

He's cracked it.
He's compromised the bamboo.

He sees light
at the end of the tunnel.

Yes, he's done!

To the rope next.

- Yeah, he has to slice.

He's more of a chopping.
- Okay.

- He's through.

Not enough strategy.

- He just didn't hit it
at the right angle,

and that--that started
destroying his blade.

- Next up, Box Cutter.

- Those are powerful blows.

He's pretty accurate
in his blows.

- Great footwork, though.

Trying to compromise
those corners.

There he goes
through box number one,

and on to box number two.

Let's see if he can adapt
his style.

- He needs to come off-center
of that box.

- And he does.

He's almost through that box.

Okay, there he goes.

Box number two, done.

Crossed the finish line.
Joel Rice

moves up to Decapitator.

Ah, we may have
an injury here.

- Got an abrasion
on his left knuckle

from smashing the box.

Do you want a--
- Please.

- Okay, medical asked Joel
if he wanted to continue,

and he said yes.
This guy's tough.

Next up, Decapitator.

This is a sudden death
elimination challenge.

Cut completely through one row
of targets with one slice.

He had a little bit of trouble
last time.

Let's see how he does.

- Wow.
- Went right through.

Made up a lot of time.

Next up,
Thrice Pick.

Now that busted finger
may come into play.

- Absolutely.

- One slice, and he's through
the first one.

- Nice.
- And one slice

through the second.
Wow.

Using both hands
with that busted finger.

This dude's tough.

Takes down the last

crosses the finish line,

It seems that busted finger

was not a problem
whatsoever.

Next up, Lifeline.

Here's where we got
a problem:

the edge on that blade.

- Edge on that blade,
the geometry on this blade,

and the length
of this blade

is only 13 inches
of cutting edge.

He needs to plan it right.

He needs to use
the blade real estate.

- Here he goes.

Boom!

Nice shot right
through the double chicken.

Next up, the double fish.

Back strike.
Bam!

Here we go.
- Look at those angles, Bill.

That is a practitioner
in Filipino martial arts.

- Next up, the rope.

- There's no doubt
this guy has power,

but he just has
to hit it the right angle.

- Right through!

He pushed the rope!

- Unfortunately,
I think what happened

was in Trifecta
and how he swung

towards the hard objects,
like the bamboo.

It further dulled his blade.

- This was
a much tougher course.

I did underestimate
the difficulty of the rope,

but I'm so excited

to possibly be going

to Dead Run again.

- From Garden Grove,
California,

36 years old,
checking in at 6'6" tall,

the sword fighting attorney,

Eric Hardeman.

Kill Shot took him down
the first time

and made sure that he did not
complete Knife Fight,

so can he do it
his second time around?

- I had the fastest
overall time on Dead Run

out of any
of the competitors today,

and I didn't get
through Knife Fight.

I know what I did wrong.

I'm gonna make
the adjustments.

This is the endgame here.

- Eric,
the great white knight,

comes today
with a European longsword.

I do have a little concern
about this blade.

There is a slight bend

16 inches from the guard.

- That might be
the determining obstacle

right there, when we got

two harder targets
to go through

at Trifecta.

Here he goes.

Eric Hardeman.

- The problem
is he's impacting that blade

towards the tip.
- And it's bending.

He is very close
to getting through.

One forward slice
right through.

Now next up, 2x4.

He's doing a vertical strike.

He needs to notch the wood

and then cut
vertically through.

- I mean, you could
power through this,

but it's going
to destroy your blade.

- Well, he's definitely
trying to power through it.

Right through the 2x4.
Next up, the rope.

He thought he was gonna
get through with one strike,

but it took two.
Eric Hardeman

completes Trifecta.
Next up, Box Cutter.

And he is lodged in that wood.

- He needs that distance
to generate that power.

- Whoa!
Destroyed it.

Moving on
to box number two.

He's again embedded
in that box.

Wasted a lot of time

waiting for it
to settle itself.

- Hit it!

- Yes.

- Destroyed it.
Cross the finish line.

Next up, Decapitator,

and remember, this is
a sudden death obstacle,

but Eric only needs one row
to move on.

Yeah, right through.
- Nice.

- No problems whatsoever.

Very quick time
at Decapitator.

Next up, Thrice Pick,
and we talked

about the bend in that blade.

Does he have enough
of the edge left?

- If he impacts this
during the bend,

it could bend the blade
even more.

There it goes.

- Two, three,

I see it rolling a little bit.

Five strikes.
He's through.

- Nice.
- For three.

- Oh, look at four, man.

Made pretty quick work
of Thrice Pick.

Next up, Lifeline.
We talked about the bend

in that blade.
Does he have enough

of the edge left?

- Yes.
- Yeah, right through

the chicken.
Great job.

Great line of attack.
Next up, the fish.

- I like how he's studying
the objects.

- Absolutely.
Beautiful.

No problem whatsoever.
Next up, the rope.

One area where he does have
an advantage.

He has been through
that rope before.

Can he do it again?

Yes, he can!
- Yes!

- Eric Hardeman gets through

Lifeline.
Next up, Kill Shot.

Could be a bit of redemption,

as this is the obstacle

that prevented him
from finishing Knife Fight,

but this time,
he only has two swings

to get through six straps.

Well, he only got
through two of them.

Can he do it?
One final swipe.

- Oh!

- Oh.
- He did not!

It looks as if Eric Hardeman
was gonna make it.

Unfortunately, he did not,
again.

- That is so close.
Look at that, Bill.

I don't think
that he applied

the proper slash.

He went more
of an impact swing.

- I didn't finish Kill Shot,

but that happened
on my last episode,

and I ended up
ultimately winning.

I-I don't think
I incurred any penalties,

so I think I'm right in it.

- Tom Mombert,
28 years old,

Vernon, New Jersey,

chemical operator
bladesmiths.

When he went
through this course before,

we watched in awe.

We saw a combination

of power and a blade
we have not seen before

on "Knife or Death."

- My blade's small
compared to some people's here,

so I have to really put
a lot of body into it,

and I really want that win.

I want my name out there

as grand master,
so bring it on.

- Today, he brings
what he calls

the big-ass Bowie.
It was amazing,

seeing what he can do
with this thing.

- Guy only had one penalty
going through Knife Fight,

but it's one hell
of a lot harder course

than it was before.

Let's see how he fares.

Tom Mombert
taking on Trifecta.

Watch the power,
ladies and gentlemen.

But a vertical strike's
not gonna get it done.

He needs to notch it.
- No, he needs to get

more of an angle.

There it is.
There it is.

The thing about this, Bill,
is he can muscle through,

but he's gonna destroy
that blade.

- Boom!
Right through.

Now he moves on
to the 2x4.

You want to create that notch,
then a solid vertical strike.

- Yeah, I like how he shifts
his weight forward.

- All upper body, though.

Oh, and he's through
the 2x4.

Next up, the rope.

- Nice!
- Oh, one swipe

through the rope.
Next up, Box Cutter.

- You have 16 inches
of Bowie blade.

He stays forward
of the target

and meets that force head-on,
he should be all right.

- There he goes.
Last time, he did very well.

I'm expecting
the same performance

here from Tom.
- Yep.

Like how he's hitting
in the corners.

- Missed that strike there.

- He's almost short-stroking
these swings.

Not followed through.

- He does look
a little gassed.

- Nice.
- Okay, moving

to box number two.

- Notice how he's hitting
the corners now.

- Great strategy chain.

Making quick work of it.
- Wow.

Well, he figured out
on the first box.

- He did.
He adapted,

he overcame,
and he changed his strategy.

Second box destroyed.
- Nice!

- Moving on.
Next up, Decapitator.

He excelled with the peppers
and the pineapple,

but did not go through
the cauliflower.

Definitely looks
a little nervous.

Let's see his job.

Oh!
Did go all the way

through the celery.
- He did, he did.

- He's moving on
very quick.

- That was close, though.
- Very quick at Decapitator.

Next up, Thrice Pick.

- This is his arena.

He knows how
to generate power.

This is the right geometry
to hack

through these ice blocks.

- There he goes.
First ice block.

- Nice!
- Two swipes, and he's on.

Up to the second lar--
- Wow.

- Four swipes, he's on,
on to the last one.

Two swipes, he's on.
- Made up some time there.

- Quick work of Thrice Pick.

Next up, Lifeline.

It is
a single-elimination obstacle.

He will go home

but he's definitely got
the right power.

- Let's see if he's got
the right angle.

Beau--right through
the double chicken.

Big swing--got it!
- Oh, no, there he goes.

- Oh, right
through the double fish.

That rope is very difficult.

Oh, right through the rope!
- Nice.

- Great job.
Next up, Kill Shot.

Only two shots

to get through all six
ratchet straps.

- It took him three slices
last time,

but he knows how to create

a slashing type of swing.

Oh...
- Uh-oh.

He's in trouble.

There's a lot of straps

to get in one swing.

Tom Mombert taken down
by the ratchet straps.

- That's what happens
when you rely too much

on strength.
You need to slow it down,

assess the situation.

- Well, he relied
too much on strength

and none on strategy.

- Tom.

- Yeah.

- Up until this point,

that was a phenomenal run.

This is a little tougher
than the first time

you saw Kill Shot.
- Yeah.

- Well, you put on
a phenomenal performance.

- Thank you, sir.

Overall,
definitely tougher run.

I'm not happy
at my performance at all,

but, you know, hey,
if it gets me

to the next round, it gets me
to the next round,

but we'll see.

- Okay, here we go.
Keith Hill,

53 years old.

Blacksmith,
martial arts training,

20 years on SWAT,

nine years
with emergency service unit.

- Wow, look
at that blade, Bill.

He's coming in with 18 inches

of cutting edge,
heavy mass.

It's gonna allow him
that chopping power

he needs here.

- First time that I went
on the course,

the blade got
a tiny little roll

on, uh, the one edge

when I went to hit
one of the obstacles

that had concrete and rocks
in it.

It's the only thing
that I'm really concerned about

is, uh,
getting all the way through

whatever it is
that I'm trying to get through.

- He is attempting
to be the first

"Forged in Fire" winner

and "Knife or Death" champion,

but it will be the first time
he's faced Trifecta.

Okay, here we go.

Coming in
with the angled strike.

Another angled strike.
Great strategy.

- Nice.
I like it.

He's creating that gap.

- And he's one of two guys
to get through--

boom, right through
the 2x4.

- Perfect technique.
- Next up,

bamboo--great.
- I like the angle.

- Angled strike.
- Once you create that notch,

power through it.

- Wow!
Beautiful job.

Keith Hill moves on...
- Come in at an angle.

- To the rope.

Two swipes, right through.
Next up, Box Cutter.

- Keith is a seasoned veteran

in chopping competition.

He can generate some power.

- Keith Hill takes it on.

- I like how he's attacking
the corners.

- Me too, and man, he is
doing it with some speed

and violence.
- He needs to stop spinning.

Nice backswing to stop
that spin.

- He was making quick work
of that first box.

- Wow, he is through!

- One strike and he's through.

Boom!
- Nice!

- He's moving on to number two.
Great job.

- Oh, this guy means business.
Loo--

- Got something
in his eye.

I don't know if it was
his time in SWAT.

Whatever it was,

he's come
with a badass blade.

one--as we see it now,

Box Cutter.
- Wow, I like his footwork.

- Okay, moving on.
Next up, Decapitator.

Remember,
he has to get through

one set of the objects,
and he can move on.

If not, you've got to move on
to the next target.

And he doesn't need
to move on,

except for past Decapitator.

Next up, Thrice Pick.

Oh, he goes right
for the big one.

- Look at that swing.
That's a lot of power.

Seems like that blade
is a little bit dull.

- It does.

Two strikes,
and he's through this one.

Stepping up now.
The Lifeline,

one strike
through each object.

- This is where his experience

is either gonna shine through
or not.

He needs to hit this thing
at a proper angle

with the proper speed.

The blade geometry is there.

- Okay, look at his breathing.

He's taking control
of his breathing.

Beau--right through
the double chicken.

Right through the double fish.
- Nice.

- Now the biggest test:
a hanging three-inch rope.

- Yes!
- Right through the rope.

That was one hell
of a display right there.

He didn't take his time,

but he didn't need it.

Next up, Kill Shot.

Two shots and only
two shots

to get through
all six ratchet straps.

- He has 18 inches
of cutting power here.

both: Whoa!

- That's what
I'm talking about!

Nice!
- Two strikes,

and he's through.

- Look at that.

- Wow, Keith Hill,

with an extremely
impressive performance,

and he is
our first competitor today

to make it all the way
through Knife Fight.

- I really hope
that my time is good enough

to get at the Dead Run.

I already have
two championships

underneath my belt,

and I can smell the third,

and...
I'm almost there.

Whoo!

- Checking in
at 42 years old

blade designer
and professional chef

Zeke Menacho.

He did have the slowest time
on Knife Fight

compared
to other competitors today.

- There was a couple of parts
that I could've done better on.

On the Decapitator, I glanced
off a couple of targets.

Uh, I should've came across
with a backswing

instead of, uh, trying
to go forward with it.

- Look at the size
of this blade.

This thing is a monster.

It's the hooligan cleaver.

That's what he calls it.
He grew up

on the wrong side
of the streets.

What I like about this blade

is the recurve handle

and the straight edge
on his blade.

- First up, Trifecta.

Nice angle of attack there.

- Oh, nice.
- Right through.

Now he moves
to the bamboo.

- He needs to come in
at an angle

to create that gap.

- That big, deep breath.

- Oh!

Powerful shot.
Next up, the rope.

- He's coming in angles--nice!
- And he did--

came at an angle.
Yes, he did.

Zeke Menacho
makes it through Trifecta.

Next up, Box Cutter.

Okay, his last time up,
there was a lot

of spinning with the box,

and he wasted a lot of time.

Let's see
if he can correct that,

and wow,
what a powerful strike

that first one was.

He is stuck in the box.

Again--
- Nice.

- Y-you know, he's making
good progress here.

- Whoa.
- Oh, boy,

that was a powerful strike.

Moves on to box number two.

- Should've figured out
how to do this

on the first box.

Let's see if he employs
on the second one.

I like how he's
adjusting the box,

how he's keeping everything
under control.

Nice!
- Whoa!

Wow.
Zeke finished Box Cutter

in a full minute faster
than last time.

- Last time,
he did not do well

at Decapitator.

In fact, he accumulated

penalties on all three.

- He's gotta get through
with one chop.

Then he can move on,
and here he is,

up to the celery.

Okay, looks like he got it.

- He went through
the salaries.

- The salaries?
What is he, getting paid?

Okay, here he goes.
Zeke steps up

to Thrice Pick.
- Whoa.

Look at that power!
- Oh!

Right through.

One slice,
right through the second.

- Oh, he made up
some time there.

- One slice through the third.
He is pissed.

Zeke Menacho is taking it out
on the course.

Next up, Lifeline.

You see he is taking note
of that double chicken.

Here he goes.

Right through the chicken.
Next up, the fish.

Can he do it?

He's moving
to the proper side.

Boom!
Powerful strike

right through the fish.
- All right, he needs

to slow down.
- Take his time.

- Yes!
- Oh, right through!

Next up, Kill Shot!

Two chances to cut
through a wall

of six different
ratchet straps.

- He need to maximize
the use of a 14-inch blade.

He needs to adjust that angle

and go more
of a slashing swing.

- Nice!

- Here he goes.
Here he goes!

One more.

- Boom!
He's all the way through!

- Yes!
- Zeke Menacho

takes on Knife Fight,

defeats it.
Tell you what.

He had a stumble
here or there,

but that is perseverance.

- I like how he extended
his swing,

how he opened up
his hip line

and swung
through all the ratchets.

- Knife Fight was brutal.

I didn't know if, uh--

if I was gonna make it,

um, but I'm hoping to win,

because I would--
I would just love

to be the champion.

Whoo!

Yeah!

- Zach and Keith, you are
the only two contestants

to make it all the way
through Knife Fight.

Keith,

you had the fastest time

of two minutes
and five seconds.

- Thank you, sir.

- Zeke,

you weren't
that far behind, dude.

Three minutes and 12 seconds

was your time.

Looks like
you're the underdog again.

- I'm okay with that.
- You've got

to be comfortable there.
- I am.

- Done one hell of a job
out of that role.

- Thank you.

- You are both one run

away from victory.

Outside, Dead Run awaits

with a $20,000
grand prize on the line.

- I feel like i--I got
one run left

and, uh, all I gotta do
is max effort on that.

My level of confidence
is ten out of ten.

- Gentlemen,

please prepare your blades.

- Dead Run--I'm anticipating
for it

to be three times as hard,

throwing everything
that they have at us,

so bring it.

- For the grand championship,

the Dead Run course
has been enhanced

to put speed, timing,

accuracy, and precision
to the ultimate test.

First up, Gauntlet.

From inside
the circular platform,

you must cut each
of the heavy-duty

rotating targets in half.

Ball Buster.
Cut 12 rolling balls,

including balls that are
much smaller than last time.

Flying Target.

Cut the ropes, release
the different-sized meats,

cut the meat
on the downswing,

and land it
on the metal grate.

Miss the grate,
or it bounces off,

it's a penalty.

Free Fall.
You cut each piece of fruit

as it drops.

Fire & Ice.

Cut completely through
the 400-pound block of ice

in two hacks
to trigger the flames.

- Hey! Hey!
- For every swing over two,

it's a penalty.
- Hey!

- Next, Crash Landing.

Cut completely
through the flying targets

as they zip past you.

Then cut the surprise objects
that will block your path.

Cut the ropes,
ascend the stairs,

and make one final chop
to stop the clock.

Remember, in Dead Run,
the clock never stops.

For every challenge
not completed,

a 20-second penalty
will be added.

Now let's talk
about these two blades

and how they stack up
against each other.

- Keith--he has a hybrid
between a kukri

and a machete.

A lot of cutting edge here,
a lot of power,

but I tell you,
Zeke's hooligan cleaver--

this blade is heavy-ended.

It's gonna allow it
to chop.

- Standing in the ring
of fire,

53-year-old Keith Hill.

Former "Forged in Fire" winner.

He is trying to become
the first dual champion.

- Oh, he's definitely
well on his way.

He comes today with a hybrid

machete, 18 inches.

This thing has a forward mass.
It's made for chopping.

He knows
how to generate power.

- Having the grand championship
within grasping reach

is just an amazing feeling.

This is
the championship round,

so I-I'm anticipating
them throwing

everything that they have
at us.

Bring it.

- Let's see him
take on Gauntlet.

Wow!
- Ni--

- What a start!

Second one down!

He's got his head
on a swivel.

- He does.
He does.

- Boom, through the third one.

Wow, look
at these powerful swings.

- A lot of power.
Nice.

- Oh, no problem
right there at all,

and another one

like a hot knife
through butter,

or like a whirling dervish.

Dominating the Gauntlet.

Ooh.

- He doesn't have
a lot of range here.

- Can he get it?

Ah.
Wait for it to come back.

There he goes.
- Nice!

- This is all about
taking advantage

of target opportunity.

Beautiful job!

Oh, he didn't get
the bottle there,

but he's moving on!

One penalty.
Next up, Ball Buster.

More balls this time.

We got 12 balls coming down,

all different sizes.

- Last time he went
to Ball Buster, Bill,

he went for 4 for 9.

This definitely is not
his strong point.

All right, he got
the first one.

Look at his angle.

- 2 for 2.
- He is on it, Bill.

- Oh, missed that one.
- Spoke too soon.

- Oh, a little one.

- Accuracy.
That's what I'm looking for.

- Clear that deck.

Cut the wrong ball.

More balls,
more in his way.

Got that one.

Got another one.

He missed that one
by a mile.

Got that one.

- Hit it!

- Oh, he's stuck in the ball.

Pushed it.
- Penalty!

- He gets the red one.
He moves on.

Four penalties
on Ball Buster.

Now Flying Targets--

it's much more difficult,

much smaller objects, okay?

We got chickens coming
right at him.

- His accuracy
has to be dead-on.

- It sure does, and that
was strike one.

When it was Extinguisher,

he didn't get any of them.

Does he have enough momentum?

Nope.
- No, not enough.

He has to hit
a downward swing.

- Boom!

- Nice.
- Okay, 1 for 2.

- This is hard.
A chicken.

- Can he get it?

Good job!

One penalty
on Flying Target.

Okay, Free Fall.

Needs to cut each piece

of fruit as it drops.

Got that one.

It's all about setting up
that blade.

- That's a miss!
- Too much motion

on that blade.

- Another miss!
- He's cocking it,

and then having
to swing forward.

Good job.

Beautiful slice.

- Gotta track those movements.

- Miss.
Gotta be quick.

Got that one.

Got another one.
Upward swings!

That's quick hand-eye
right there.

Final one, miss.

Four penalties!

Moving on to Fire & Ice.

Two chops to cut through.

Every other chop
is a penalty.

Okay, he's through.
- Wow!

- Two chops.
Now he moves on

to Crash Landing.

We've changed it up,

added two hanging targets

next to the box.

- Nice.
- He got the first one.

Got the second one.
Needs to move up.

Okay, here he goes,
working that big badass blade.

Got that one.

And he got that one.

He is accurate,

and he is destructive.
- Wow!

- Destroyed both
of those two tubes.

Moving on to the box.

He needs to release
the red ball.

- This guy's on a mission.

- He is compromising
the corners.

Whoa!
That's destruction.

He released the ball.

- He needs to move.

- On to Fire Storm.

- Great run by Keith Hill.
- Wow.

- That was
a championship performance.

He was a whirling dervish,
man.

He was destructive.

- Fast run time.

- So only time is gonna tell

whether it was good enough.

Let's see how many penalties
Keith had.

Ten penalties.

Okay, that was one

hell of an impressive run.

Zeke truly is the underdog,
just like he's always been.

42 years old,

the Long Beach chef,

Zeke Menacho

steps up to Dead Run.

- Zeke comes tonight
with 14 1/2 inches

on a hooligan cleaver.

This blade is heavy-ended
to handle--

it allows him to double up
on the grip.

- Let's see what he
and his creation can do.

- I'm stoked.
I didn't think

I was gonna make it.
I think I'm just gonna hit

everything that looks
the toughest the hardest.

- He was
the second-slowest time

on Dead Run last time.

- Yeah, he's gonna have to do

a lot better than that
to beat Keith.

- Here he goes.

Steps up to Gauntlet.

- The recurve handle
should give him

the hacking power
he needs here.

- We've got a lot going on
at Gauntlet.

Boom!
Right through.

I like his backhand technique.

Wow, he is making quick work
of Gauntlet.

One slice apiece.

He is on a roll right now.

Ooh, that was one hell
of a slice right there.

So was that.
- Nice.

- Anything within his reach,
he is cutting in half.

- That's a sharp blade, Bill.

- Uh-oh!
One penalty

because he broke the apparatus
holding the tube.

Good job.

- He's taking targets

of opportunity right now.

- He's almost
all the way through,

but he's moving on.

Another penalty.

Didn't slice all of the tubes.

Next up, Ball Buster.

Hey, Zeke struggled
on Ball Buster last time.

He only got three
out of nine.

Here come the balls.

Okay, got the first one.
Got the second one.

- I like where he's positioned
that blade.

- Missed the third.

Small one.
- That's a miss.

- It's so hard
to drop your blade level

to get the small one.
Got it.

Missed that one.
He needs to clear that deck.

Got that one.
- It's a very light blade,

very fast in his hands.

- Got the little one.
Great shot.

Strike four on that one.

Got that one.

- Building up again.

- Missed the small one.

Red ball goes through.

Zeke moves on.

Six penalties

on Ball Buster.

Moving on to Flying Target.

- He had three penalties

on Flying Target last time.

Hit it on the downward slope.

- Boom!
Nailed it!

- Nice!

- Great job.

- Great timing.
- Great technique.

Number two.

Oh, strike one.
- Oh.

He needs to study the angle.

- He cut the rope!
That's gonna be a penalty.

- A little bit too early.

- Final one,

the dreaded chicken.

Got that one,
but not enough of the meat.

Two penalties
on Flying Target.

Next up, Free Fall.

- Oh, he needs to set up
this blade.

- Got that one.
Little wasted motion there.

- Nice.
- Got that one.

He's tightening it up.

Got it.
- The advantage of this blade

is it's easy to wield.

- Got that one.

Got it!

Ooh!

That's a miss.

Nice.
He got that one.

- Nice!

- Got it again.

Oh, no, he missed
the last one.

- He only missed two on that.

- Moving on.
Next up, Fire & Ice.

- He needs to generate
some force here.

Only has two swings.
- Yep.

Every other swing past two,

and you get a penalty.

He does not need
one of those now.

But he's gonna get one.

One penalty there.

Okay, next up, Crash Landing.

Good hand-eye coordination.

Let's see if he can display it

again here.

Cut the first one.

Let's see
if he can keep it up.

Got the second one.

No problem whatsoever.

Moved up.

- Nice.
- Got the third one.

He is on point right here.

- Got it.
- 4 for 4 so far.

On to the tube.

Oh, one slice.

- Ah!
- Oh.

Two slices there.
Moves on to the box.

Remember, gotta release
the red ball.

- Wow, look at that power.

- Boy, that blade
is doing its job.

Boom, beautiful job.

He released it.

Okay, Fire Storm.

Heading to victory.

Will it be enough?

- Yay!

- Wow.
- Final cut.

Time stops.

- Ooh, this is close.

- Zeke Menacho, with one hell
of a run.

How will it stack up?

Zeke had...

13 penalties.

Well, he is the underdog,

and now it's time to see

if the underdog has his day.

Zeke's time with penalties
was...

7 minutes and 24 seconds.

Keith's time with penalties
was...

5 minutes and 39 seconds.

- Whoo!

- Congratulations, Keith.

You won $20,000,
and you won the title

of "Knife or Death"
grand champion.

Not only that, but you're
the first "Forged in Fire"

and "Knife or Death" champion.

- Whoo!

I'm the grand champion

of "Knife or Death"!

- How the hell does it feel,
Keith?

- Awesome!
- Yeah!

It is an honor and a privilege

to have you
as our champion, sir.

- Thank you.

- What are you gonna do
with the money, Keith?

- Don't know yet.
I'll discuss it with my wife,

'cause she'll tell me
what to do.

- Oh, you're a good man,
and a smart man.

- On top of the world
right now.

Th-this is absolutely

an incredible feeling.

I pushed myself to my--

to my limit,
and I love it!

Whoo!

- I am the champion!