I was taught many years ago basic rules for weapon defense that seemed to always include a weapon disarm.

1. Clear yourself from the line of fire (or danger)
2. Control the weapon(or the arm controlling the weapon)
3. Deliver a quick stunning blow
4. Disarm the attacker

When you read that it sounds like a 123, ABC method, where one step naturally follows the other in a nice smooth manner.  I will tell you that is not the case.

Before we get started on edged weapon defense, I would have you  give a magic marker (make it a dry race marker) to any kid.  I would use a teenager but even an 8 to 12 year-old will be able to open your eyes to the reality of edged weapon defense.

Give that kid a magic marker and tell them you're going to give them $10 dollars  every time that they can put a mark on you and not to stop for any reason. Have them come at you for 15 seconds and see how many magic marker marks you have on you, anywhere.

You are not allowed to run or to strike your training partner (it's a kid).  You can move, block, and try disarms while they swing wildly at you for the allotted time.

Be prepared to pay that child for their hard work.

Better make it one dollar for each mark.

Now that we have that lesson under our belt lets talk about a real way to practice edged weapon defense.

If you read anything about self protection that I have written, it's all about situational awareness.  Keep yourself safe by not being there in the first place, or seeing the situation start to unfold and fleeing the scene.

Basically there are a three types of knife attacks out there.

A knife threat, a non committed attack, and  the committed attack.

The Knife Threat:  This is when the knife is held out toward you, it may even be touching your neck, face, or stomach.

Non committed attack:  This is when the knife is moving around in a menacing way, such as light jabs or slashes toward you.  But they are not trying to cut you yet.

Committed attack:  This is when the attacker is trying to cut and stab you!  They are trying to kill you!

Dealing with the knife threat is what this article is intended for.

Now the weapon defense continuum:

1. Clear yourself from the line of fire:

Our first response is to RUN. Get distance between you and the edged weapon.

Position barriers between you and the attacker.   Get behind a table, move around a car. Pick up a chair and keep a chair between you and the attacker.

Several World War II combative books that I have studied, showed picking up a chair and using it as a lion trainer would to keep the attacker at bay.

Then, when you get the window of opportunity to escape, take your opportunity and escape.

2. Control the weapon:

Control the weapon only if you have to.  If you're outside of the range of a knife they can't hurt you, so use rule number one and RUN!

To control the weapon, I really want you to control the weapon arm. 

Place your hands up in a submissive posture near the weapon.  Lower your chin and raise your shoulders.  This looks normal for the situation, and it helps to protect your neck from the knife.  It also places your hands near their arm controlling the weapon.  Ask them what they want, look scared (it shouldn't be to hard). When you feel the opportunity is right, grab and or push the arm so the edge of the knife is being moved away from you.  When this occurs try to escape.  RUN!

If during the event you can't escape: as you are controlling the weapon arm move your body toward their elbow.  This will put you on the back side of the weapon and away from their other arm.  Making it harder for them to hurt you with the knife.

At this time you can choose to run.  Or you can continue to control the weapon arm and push their wrist into their belt buckle while applying constant pressure shoving the weapon hand into their body.

Their elbow should be in your chest or stomach aria, and at this time you should have their arm sandwiched between your arms, pushing the weapon into their belly.   This is not to use the weapon on them!

This is to put you in a safe zone during the Malay of the attack.

Now you can violently push them away and run!

OR

3.  Deliver a quick stunning blow:

From the safety zone position you can deliver a stunning blow to aid in your escape or in a disarm.

The strikes I will discuss are few and effective.

Using your outside hand, deliver a palm slap (Bear Paw) to the attackers face, then immediately re grab the arm.

With your front side leg, deliver a knee strike to their low level.  Don't worry about the target, just knee hard to the low level.

From your safety zone position you can bite them, or head but the side of their face.

Any one of these stunning blows will cause a reaction from your attacker, and will give you a window of opportunity to escape, or to perform a disarm.

4.  Disarm the attacker:

The disarm that works best from this position is a wrist fold technique, or a gooseneck.  You simply fold their wrist the natural way it normally bends.  However we are folding it much farther.  I want you to fold their wrist toward their stomach and put so much pressure on it that it will cause them to lose control of the weapon.   This can break the wrist.  The pressure can cause extreme pain, and they are unable to maintain their grip when the wrist is bent to this position.

Once they lose control of the weapon you can let it fall to the ground and run.

OR

You can strip the weapon from them, get rid of it and run.

A knife is a very dangerous weapon that is carried by most of us everyday.  To defend against a knife threat remember the following:

Situational awareness is your BEST TOOL! 

Do Not Be There!

Now the Defense Continuum:

1. Clear yourself from the line of fire (or danger)

1. RUN, throw things at the attacker, position barriers between you and the attacker
2. Push/grab weapon arm and move knife away from you, move yourself to the elbow, shove the weapon into their stomach
3. Palm slap, bite, knee violently
4. Use the wrist fold (gooseneck)

1. Control the weapon(the arm controlling the weapon)

1. Deliver a quick stunning blow

1. Disarm the attacker

1. RUN

It does not always have to go from 1 to 4 to work.   Train in the continuum to run whenever there is an opportunity for escape.

See what works best for YOU, and use it!

Get outside your Comfort Zone!

Win The Day!