Lets say money is second to quality.

I am looking for a knife.  Lets say one that folds and one that does not fold.  

1)  The folding one for concealed carry?

2)  The straight blade?

I would say the knifes are for defensive purposes. also, does anyone know of courses or video tapes on lessons to use a blade in a fight?

Well, ask yourself the same question but substitute handgun and long gun for folder and fixed. They is just no right answer.

The world of knives is even bigger than the world of firearms so the choices are virtually unlimited.

The best thing to do is to get out and fondle as many different examples as possible. Don't forget that although you say quality is secondary to cost, there really are great yet inexpensive knives out there. You can get a pure production knife like MOD, CRKT, Kershaw or Spyderco for very little money. You can get a slightly better production knife from manufacturers such as Chris Reeves, Busse or Randall. Or you can get a fully custom knife and have exactly what you want.

I like and use Cold Steel knifes, good quality at a good price. www.coldsteel.com/

Yep, This is as big of a question as "What car do you recommend?" I have my personal favs most are semi-production custom and I'd say about 90% percent of my collection is fixed blade knives. I own a lot of knives and I still really don't have the "perfect" carry knife. I have some recommendations like the Active duty by Busse, and the Mountaineer by Chris Reeves. The pair are both suitable for carry and both are very durable for most applications. In my personal opinion one of the best defensive knife designs is the one seen here a few times made by Terry Primos.
When it comes to folders there are thousands of choices. As of late I wind up switching between the Emerson BT, and CRKT Mac. The Emerson BT has a wave on it which makes it fast, real fast. It instantly pops open when pulled from the pocket. The Mac is a little more beefy in the blade and is used more for its utility value. The SNG by Strider has gotten rave reviews from lots of people but I have yet to try one myself.

rhatland, I agree with what has already been posted.  There are a large number of companies out there who make superb knives, as well as those made by custom makers.  I have a strong preference for the Chris Reeve knives (when not carrying my own) and often carry a Sebenza folder, which is strong, fast and light, albeit expensive.  When out in the bush I prefer a Chris Reeve Shadow IV.  But, as also noted, I have never found the perfect knife.  I sometimes carry an Ed Caffrey or A.T. Barr folder.  I will often use a Ka-Bar, which given to me by my former Marine brother is one of my favorites, both for quality and sentimental reasons.  A lot depends on my expectations about where I will be and what I will be doing over a given period of time.  Look around and find something that you like.  See how it feels in your hand, on your belt or in your pocket.  If you find something you like and have other questions, we can offer a lot of insight.

For training, I think that this guy is pretty much considered second to none:

www.inosanto.com/