Knife Fighting

Knife Defense: A Dangerous Classical Move

by Keith Pascal

With the U.S. being now awake to acts of terrorism, there is a desire for martial artists to start practicing knife defense techniques.
Understandable.
The question is, which techniques are more likely to get you out of a knife encounter alive, and which are deceptively dangerous?
Imagine that your attacker has a knife. He (or she) is holding it with the blade pointing down, extending through the bottom of the closed fist.
He stabs down toward your head, from above.
A standard reaction is to block with both hands. The good guy (or gal) crosses the hands a bit above the wrists and blocks upward, catching the knife-stabbing hand in the "V" formed by your wrists.
So, what's wrong with that?

1) With a slight twist of the knife, and a quick retraction
     of the blade, your attacker can slice either or both of
     your wrists.

2) Some folks accidently lock both their hands up.If you
     can't drag the attacker's hand down to the side, because
     one of your wrists is in the way, you are locked -- either
     go the other direction, or start with the other wrist on
     top -- if you decide to go ahead with this dangerous move.

3) By raising both hands in the air to block, you are exposing ...
     well ... everything!!! Your attacker could attack with the other
     hand simultaneously, or kick you. So, why didn't you kick
     your attacker first?

4) If your attacker wasn't really committed with the downward
     stroke with the knife, then you have just been faked out. If
     that's the case, you will get cut.
Don't get me wrong. The theory is good. I do approve of taking a knife to the side. It's just how you get there that concerns me. And be careful -- getting the knife to the side, doesn't mean you are safe. The knife could still come up and bite you from a different direction.
So, if you accidentally find yourself blocking up, what do you do?

1) Practice so this is not your natural reaction

2) Don't stay in that position -- flow into a control quickly,
     like a wrist lock

3) Combine it with another attack made at the same time.

4) Check higher up on your attacker's arm. Many people
     feel that a check above the elbow is a more controlling check.
Above all -- experiment. Much better to learn of wrist vulnerability now, than to get cut later, in a real, self-defense situation.

If you are looking for specific ways to defend against ice-pick attacks, try 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting.
There is an entire chapter devoted to dealing with committed stabs downward.
"10 Days to Better Knife Fighting" helps you to counter downward strikes WITHOUT the block.
Read more about 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting ...

Does knife-fighting theory fascinate you?
Sometimes loolur Smithking at principles will help you to define your techniques. Read a story, and get a feel of what practical knife fighitng entails.
Better yet, combine the techniques found in 10 Days to Better Knife Fighting with the principles found in Blur Smith.
Check out "Blur Smith: The Greatest Knife Fighter in the World".....
Read more about Blur Smith: The Greatest Knife Fighter in the World ...

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Knife Defense: A Dangerous Classical Move

by Keith Pascal

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"In order to defend yourself from a knife, you have to know how to fight with a knife."
-- Keith Pascal