How to survive a knife attack

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Most real-life knife defense techniques are ineffective. We will tell you why this happens and how you need to defend yourself if you are attacked with a knife.

While conducting training on defense against knife attacks, Chad McBroom discovered several common problems in the very approach to training.

It turned out that common techniques are ineffective in real life, especially for less trained people. Having reconsidered his approach to training from the point of view of a person who is defending himself, and at the same time taking into account all the possible actions of an attacker, McBroom created his technique of defense against a knife attack.

Before considering its features, you need to talk a little about the general drawbacks of common techniques.

Disadvantages of most knife protection techniques

Reaction time is of the utmost importance in real combat, and during training it is almost always overlooked.

Many knife defense programs include techniques designed for unrealistic time conditions. Usually they are something like this: the partner attacks in a very slow pace and at the end locks the arm in an extended position. The person who is defending himself performs a series of movements attacking an outstretched limb or body exposed by an outstretched arm.

Such techniques work well in training, but as soon as a person in real life encounters an aggressive opponent who will not open up so shamefully, the learned defense techniques will not help him. They will not work against a quick attack from the enemy.

Taking into account the conditions of the time does not mean doing the entire workout at a fast pace, as in a real fight. This means that the training should be based on the real possibility of deflecting the opponent's blow or blocking him at a pace corresponding to the speed of the attack.

When training is done at a slow pace, both opponents should move equally slowly. The attack should not be prolonged and freeze at the highest point.

Both attack and defense must be performed in the same manner as they would be done at a fast pace in a real situation.

Also, many programs for protection against knives do not take into account the fact that, unlike a blow with a hand or foot, a knife does not need a large swing and the distance between opponents is minimal. In addition, the angle of the knife strike can be changed at the last second.

By ignoring these features, you get an inflexible and ineffective defense that is easily broken through as soon as the enemy makes an unexpected maneuver that you have not learned during training at a slow pace.

Things to remember

There are several recommendations, applying which, you will increase your chances of survival when faced with an enemy armed with a knife.

1. Stay mobile. Range is your best defense against melee weapons, so move and stay as far away from your opponent as you can. Run if you can.

2. Fence off the enemy. Anything can become a barrier - anything that your opponent has to bypass to get to you. Go behind static or moving objects (benches, trees, cars), fence yourself off with a chair or a bag of things.

3. If contact with the knife is unavoidable, protect vital organs and arteries. Raise your arms and protect the center line of your body: pharynx, neck, lungs, heart, and arteries.

4. Don't focus on weapons. Learn to look at your opponent's chest, because any movement of the arm is born in the upper torso. Follow the movement of the blade itself with peripheral vision.

5. Keep fighting. You may get hurt, but you can't think about it. We must fight to the end. You are not dead until the doctor states it.

Reflect, interrupt, capture, neutralize

Defense against melee weapons includes four stages that allow you to respond to attacking actions from start to finish. Depending on how the situation develops, any step can be skipped except the last one.

Reflection

Reflection is used to intercept an attack when it is impossible to dodge the blow completely. Take a neutral position, with your hands between your chin and sternum, palms facing away from you.

When the opponent attacks, deliver a quick short blow with the palm of his hand, between the wrist and forearm. You can use both hands - this will increase the area of impact and will not allow the enemy to escape from the blow.

After contact, return to neutral position and prepare to repel the next attack. Try to get out of the line of attack as much as possible.

Many blade defense experts advise using only the outside of the forearms to stop or deflect a knife attack. This is necessary in order to protect the veins and arteries located on the arms from damage.

This is not a bad tactic, but practice shows that in a critical situation, most untrained people find it difficult to use only their forearms. They always use brushes - what they are used to doing in everyday life.

Interrupt

Rhythm interruptions are actions that can disrupt the rhythm of an attacker's movement and reset his OODA (Observation, Orientation, Decision and Action) cycle. One of the quickest and most effective actions to interrupt the rhythm of an attack is to punch your opponent in the eye.

The purpose of the interrupt is to allow movement and control of the hand with the weapon. You may need to deflect a blow several times before you get a chance to interrupt the rhythm of the attack. In the process of training, you will learn how to perform reflection and interruption at the same time.

Capture

As soon as the opportunity arises, grab the opponent's attacking hand to control the weapon. Always strive to take a position in which you are out of the reach of the enemy's weapons.

There are several ways to do this, depending on the situation and your skill level. Below is a general method that can be used by everyone.

Grab the wrist of the armed hand using the thumbless grip. With the other hand, grab the arm above the elbow. This will give you control over the attacker's arm, as this grip will prevent the opponent from pulling his elbow back and freeing himself.

While in this position, try to unbalance your opponent.

Neutralization

The final step to defend against an enemy armed attack is to neutralize the threat. If you have grabbed the attacking hand, it is best not to let go of the opponent until he is disarmed.

From the position described earlier, move the arm that is blocking the opponent's elbow higher so that the attacker's triceps is under your armpit. Keep your other hand on the opponent's wrist to control the knife hand, and begin to pull the elbow of the first hand towards the ground.

From this position, kneel down on the knee of the leg that is closer to the opponent, and continue to pull your hand down, as if you wanted to touch the ground with your elbow. Try to place your weight on your opponent's shoulder.

In this position, you can block the opponent's wrist with the thigh of the outside leg, using it as a lever to disarm the attacker.

Conclusion

Above are the basic principles of surviving a knife attack. To use these techniques in a critical situation, you need a solid amount of training.

But even for a trained person, the best defense against a knife attack is retreat. Unfortunately, this opportunity is not always available. Train your body and mind, and you will be ready for anything that can happen to you.