I took knife fighting training in the martial arts.
First of all, there is no guarantee you will not be killed if you are in a knife fight - it is all too easy to be critically wounded even if you are good at it. In practice sessions, being killed about 50% of the time is the norm against an equal opponent.
Unarmed you have only one advantage, the fact that one of his arms is occupied with the knife.
Basically you have to do two things: First, do not get cut by that knife, and second, get a hold of that arm and twist it. Use both hands, grab the knife arm, and twist it. Like a wrestler, or a judo move. You can then break the arm if you can stomp on the elbow, or dislocate the arm from the shoulder. Keep twisting until it breaks. I highly recommend this if you get the chance, just take it and break that arm.
Remember, like a boxer, a good solid punch to the head can stun him and give you the time you need to grab the knife. Many knife attackers are not ready to be attacked themselves and will leave themselves open. Their focus is usually fixed on attacking, not defending. Stay foremost focused on the knife when you confront him, but look for the opportunity to strike like a boxer would.
Bonus points if you can hit him from behind. Bend the knee from the back and he loses his balance, even sweep the leg, or kick the foot out from under him, his brain will lose voluntary control of the knife arm, he might even drop it in an attempt to break his fall. Watch out for the knife arm involuntarily flailing.
Remember - be faster than he is. Make a point of being faster than he is. If you can hit his head and stun him, keep him stunned if possible. He can't use the knife if his head is ringing like a bell.
Every minute you fight him might save another life, and a 50% chance of losing is also a 50% chance of winning.
If you get the knife, stab him in the neck with it, especially if he is down, unless he is already unconscious. He might have another weapon. Do not let up your attack until he is both down and out.
There's a saying from the old times: try not to let strangers get within knife range of you, and never from behind.
Basically you have to do two things: First, do not get cut by that knife, and second, get a hold of that arm and twist it. Use both hands, grab the knife arm, and twist it. Like a wrestler, or a judo move. You can then break the arm if you can stomp on the elbow, or dislocate the arm from the shoulder. Keep twisting until it breaks. I highly recommend this if you get the chance, just take it and break that arm.
Shit doesn't work against determined attackers. Might work in your McDojo with polite students complying with demonstrations. What you describe is "Just grab his arm and start twisting"- what's the attacker doing while you're doing this? Politely standing there, allowing you to break his arm? Fuck no- he'll probably try to switch the knife to his other hand, or punch/headbutt you in the face while you're trying to pull off a standing kimura or americana lock.
Do we have any record of such techniques working on knife attackers? Any footage? Any articles? I really, really doubt it. We do have data on knife attacks, though. For example, around 70% of 250 knife attacks on film begin with the attacker reaching out with their empty hand to grab their victim by the clothing. 90% of the time, it'll be their left hand they try to grab you with. 25% of the time, the attacker will use a "straight stab" aimed at the belly/chest.
Here, this guy actually tested thousands of techniques from various martial arts and analyzed their effectiveness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0Y6YG2BfE4
The approach of taking footage of knife attacks and analyzing them is brilliant. With over 200 videos, you have a good sample size which enables you to identify patterns in how knife attacks begin, how they unfold, and how they end. You'll see people effectively defending themselves, and you'll see people being cut to ribbons as they flail about helplessly. You probably won't see what you described, a man's arm being broken mid-attack while standing up.
Many knife attackers are not ready to be attacked themselves and will leave themselves open. Their focus is usually fixed on attacking, not defending. Stay foremost focused on the knife when you confront him, but look for the opportunity to strike like a boxer would.
That's really good advice. Typically, both the victim and attacker will get tunnel vision focus on the knife/gun/weapon they're fighting over. 90% of their focus is "retaining the weapon", 10% is "stabbing you". This absolutely leaves them open for punches and headbutts. The basic principles of Boxing can be applied to the initiation of a knife attack- attacker reaches forward with his left hand to grab you- he's now in the perfect position for you to slam a right hook/cross into the jaw or nose, while keeping your left hand ready to parry or take the cuts as they're thrown.
We wouldn’t still be using knives if they weren’t so effective.
Imo he's not advocating silly martial art techniques - when he suggests 'twisting the arm'. I don't take that to mean just one single twist but more like 'fighting' to prevent the arm from being used (twisting, grappling, wrenching etc). Maybe he should have used the word 'fight over' instead of 'twist it'. Majority of successful do or die knife defense on video or in real life (best gore, ASP, live leak etc) essentially follows what the poster described. Focusing on the arm and knife, preventing the attacker from cutting stabbing slicing, and getting the knife away and out of the hands by any means necessary. Just what he actually described.
I specifically contend that the "breaking the arm" bit is nonsense. In the videos you saw, I would wager pretty much anything that the attacker who ended up disarmed did not have a broken arm at the end. Maybe a busted up face, maybe some broken ribs if there was a lot of slamming around involved.
You may be right, that it's the way it's worded- makes it sound like the attacker will passively stand there while you're gradually twisting his arm to the point of a break. All of the knife attacks I've seen were ferocious, fast blitzes. Most stabbing victims don't even realize they've been stabbed until they feel the warm wetness- terrifying thought, isn't it?
I suppose my issue is more with people who make self-defense situations sound like "Just poke him in the eyes/kick him in the balls/break his arm, no problem!" This is silly. How many serial killers/rapists are missing eyes? You think their victims weren't desperately trying to gouge their eyes out as they're being manually strangled? Or they try to grab and squeeze his balls mid-rape? That'd probably just lead to the attacker getting pissed off and punching the shit out of the victim before continuing the assault. There is no "Just do this and it's over" technique- there are so many variables in fighting, that you must be versatile and have a variety of tools.
The movies make knife wielders look like an easy disarm. You are 100% correct - a man who knows what he’s doing with a knife can kill even a trained responder by landing a fatal swipe in seconds.
Yes. In a normal fight a trained fighter might concentrate on the torso, watching for the movements of shoulders and hips which can telegraph an incoming blow, but generally keeping your fighting attention centered on the opponent's center of mass.
Say attention 60% on arms, 40% on legs - or something like that. You also watch your range - footwork, etc.
In a knife fight you need to change that focus balance to more like 75 to 90% focused on the knife and the arm that wields it. Most likely the attack will come from there. You have to either block it, deflect it, or otherwise get out of the way.
It is by no means easy. Better if you are very very quick.
It's easier for someone else to tackle him whilst he is distracted or attacking someone else.
Quite right.
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