Defending against knife attacks

Ben Cartwright SASS

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I was telling a buddy of mine that the guy who killed 6 family members in Penna yesterday went to carjack a guy by pulling a knife on him.
The person he attacked pulled a gun and shot at him [laugh2]

I said it was a good thing that he had a gun.

My buddy said "it is easy to defend against a knife attack" he feels you don't need a gun to do it. Myself at an out of shape 61 with very bad knees (I can't run anymore) if I was attacked by a 6' 2" 22 year old indent on doing me harm with a very sharp tactical knife I don't think it would be "easy" to defend myself.
I know for a fact that this guy has never been mugged or attacked but he knows it all, I don't think he has even gone to self defense classes or knife fighting classes, oh and he is 67 and not in the best shape.

What is the feeling of NES'rs to my mind it is not that easy to defend against a knife attack especially if the person wants to hurt of kill you and isn't just using the knife to scare you.
 
I was telling a buddy of mine that the guy who killed 6 family members in Penna yesterday went to carjack a guy by pulling a knife on him.
The person he attacked pulled a gun and shot at him [laugh2]

I said it was a good thing that he had a gun.

My buddy said "it is easy to defend against a knife attack" he feels you don't need a gun to do it. Myself at an out of shape 61 with very bad knees (I can't run anymore) if I was attacked by a 6' 2" 22 year old indent on doing me harm with a very sharp tactical knife I don't think it would be "easy" to defend myself.
I know for a fact that this guy has never been mugged or attacked but he knows it all, I don't think he has even gone to self defense classes or knife fighting classes, oh and he is 67 and not in the best shape.

What is the feeling of NES'rs to my mind it is not that easy to defend against a knife attack especially if the person wants to hurt of kill you and isn't just using the knife to scare you.

Go buy a foam knife and perform a scenario whereby you show him how easy it is for you, at 67 to "hurt" him with the foam knife. Then let him imagine a young 18-30 years old in prime physical condition with the same knife. Alternatively, go find a grandson in the same age group to perform said scenario.

A knife is deadly anywhere between 0 and 21 feet.
 
In martial arts training I would have the students used sidewalk-chalk (various colors) instead of a rubber knife and mark up the white uniforms to signify a "cut". Within a few minutes, everyone was standing there like rainbow bright.
 
"My buddy said "it is easy to defend against a knife attack" he feels you don't need a gun to do it."

Your buddy's woefully and totally wrong. If an opponent with a knife gets close to you you're almost certain to get cut up. With a gun they might miss, with a knife that's not going to happen. If you're well trained and/or very lucky you might not get hurt, or badly hurt, but the odds are against you. You can use a knife to stab or to slash, and a nice slice across your fingers will make it tough for you to retain your weapon... If someone pulls a knife on you, your best bet is to leave. If you can't leave, shoot them. If you're not carrying a firearm, look for something to extend your reach, (stick, chain). Last/worst option - close on them and disable them as quickly as possible - you're almost certainly gonna get hurt or killed depending upon a number of factors, (skill, luck, strength, age).
 
At the academy our edged weapon defense training involved shock knives. Each time you got "cut" you'd receive a 7500v shock. It was pretty painful and made the fights very realistic in terms of inducing stress and whatnot. The lesson learned was, as had already been mentioned, bring a gun to the knife fight.
 
My martial arts instructor regularly teaches us knife defense techniques. He has also said on many occasions that they are the absolute last resort. Knowing that several of us in the class carry, he has said many times: If you have a gun, shoot him. If you can run, run! If you have no choice but to defend yourself, you are going to get cut but these techniques might just save your life.

We have also practiced fighting with a dulled and rounded knife. Felling that cold steel against my skin was one of the biggest adrenaline dumps I have ever felt!
 
Depends on the guy holding the knife.. If the person is your martial equal or better, that knife will make a huge difference. I am pretty capable in a hand to hand situation ,and I'd rather have a gun in my hand than nothing any day.

I can speak on this pretty well.. as its happened to me quite a few times. In fact one was in the news about 3 weeks ago ;). Good ol Springfield!
 
When I first met my wife's brother, he was a hot headed brown belt from a terrible karate "school". He said, trying to impress that he was the alpha male of the family, "come at me with a knife. No, like this. No! Come at me like this! You have to come st me this way! Dude you are doing it wrong!"

Then I drew an imaginary gun and shot him in the face after he got frustrated with me stabbing him over and over.

He carries now.
 
I was telling a buddy of mine that the guy who killed 6 family members in Penna yesterday went to carjack a guy by pulling a knife on him.
The person he attacked pulled a gun and shot at him [laugh2]

I said it was a good thing that he had a gun.

My buddy said "it is easy to defend against a knife attack" he feels you don't need a gun to do it. Myself at an out of shape 61 with very bad knees (I can't run anymore) if I was attacked by a 6' 2" 22 year old indent on doing me harm with a very sharp tactical knife I don't think it would be "easy" to defend myself.
I know for a fact that this guy has never been mugged or attacked but he knows it all, I don't think he has even gone to self defense classes or knife fighting classes, oh and he is 67 and not in the best shape.

What is the feeling of NES'rs to my mind it is not that easy to defend against a knife attack especially if the person wants to hurt of kill you and isn't just using the knife to scare you.

One thing I learned from years in the martial arts is that with training, it's not difficult for an unarmed person to defend against a guy with a knife as long as that guy wielding the knife has no combat training with knives. If that same knife wielding attacker has just 20 minutes of combat instruction with a knife, it's a completely different story.
 
At the academy our edged weapon defense training involved shock knives. Each time you got "cut" you'd receive a 7500v shock. It was pretty painful and made the fights very realistic in terms of inducing stress and whatnot. The lesson learned was, as had already been mentioned, bring a gun to the knife fight.

And keep proper distance and control of situation...?
 
I've been studying martial arts for 10 years, so longer then some, still not nearly as long as others.

Here is my take on knife defenses: I'm going to get cut

My job is to not get cut in a vital area, and use the small window of opportunity i have to stop the threat.

Knifes scare the shit out of me when it comes to self defense.
 
To my mind he sees himself as some super-ninja even carries one of those blunt trauma batons on his key chain (I think they are illegal in Mass) but I am pretty sure he has never been in a situation where he had to defend himself.

I sent him an email asking why he thought it is so easy to defend against a knife attacker and has it ever happened to him, no reply yet
 
recently saw a photo of a LEO with super deep slices the length and width of his back because he decided to not shoot or taze a knife wielding suspect. Against someone with a knife, I am not taking any chances because "I think I can disarm them"
 
To my mind he sees himself as some super-ninja even carries one of those blunt trauma batons on his key chain (I think they are illegal in Mass) but I am pretty sure he has never been in a situation where he had to defend himself.

I sent him an email asking why he thought it is so easy to defend against a knife attacker and has it ever happened to him, no reply yet

Kubotans are legal in MA, but like anything else, unless he knows how to use it effectively, he's asking for trouble if he tries to use it on someone who knows what they're doing.
 
My old martial arts instructor had scars all over his fore arms and legs... Grew up knife fighting in gangs in LA, he always said give em an arm and hope they dont hit anything vital... I'll keep my gun.
 
Of course it's simple to defend against a knife fight. Everyone except maybe Stephen Hawking can do it. It's surviving that's hard.

Sorry... Peeing on someone with a knife seems like a good way to lose something you don't want to.
 
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