Self-defense from a knife attack is not a comfortable subject… which is why most people don’t talk about it. Many martial artists avoid the topic, too!
That’s because knife defense is very difficult. The fact is if you train with a knife, you’re going to lose… a lot! And since most people train in martial arts to feel empowered, not vulnerable, the subject is ignored.
Nick Drossos is not most people. Nick is the founder of Code Red Defense and a very popular self-defense instructor on YouTube.
I got a chance to shoot two videos about knife defense with Nick the other day, so I hope you’ll take some time to check them out. If the videos don’t play, I wrote down some tips below.
Stay safe, my friend!
Self-Defense from a Knife Attack
The first thing you should know about defending yourself from a knife is that you may be attacked without ever actually seeing a knife!
It’s a frightening thought, but if someone knows what they’re doing, they will likely conceal the knife and ambush you. That means you might be fatally wounded before you’ve even started to defend yourself.
See why no one wants to practice knife defense?
But all is not lost. Here are six strategies to keep in mind to stay alive in a knife attack.
- Pay attention to the people around you. Don’t let anyone walk up to you without permission or get behind you.
- If you see a knife, control the distance between you and the attacker. If the bad guy can’t get close to you, he can’t stab you. That means if you can run, RUN. If you can move behind an object, MOVE.
- Watch the hands. If someone gets close to you and you can’t see one or both hands, presume he’s holding a knife. If you can’t keep them out of your personal space, don’t get distracted. Watch their hands at all times.
- Keep your hands up. Always put yourself in a position to attack first if necessary, block, or trap the weapon. Keeping your hands in your pockets, down at your side, or behind your back just makes it easier for someone to stab you.
- Prepare for a struggle. Movies and bad self-defense teachers can make self-defense from a knife seem easy. They follow a step-by-step path to disarming and subduing an attacker. Don’t believe it! As hard as you try to grab that knife, the attacker is going to fight to keep it. So, hang on and don’t give up!
- Pin the knife to either your body or to his body. Allowing the knife to swing freely while you chase after it is a recipe for death. Trap the weapon and pin it down as fast as you can.
Wait! There’s one more strategy that can save you—improvised weapons. That brings us to our next video.
Self-Defense from a Knife Using a Belt
Fighting fire with fire is a good idea when facing a knife. But if you don’t have a knife of your own, picking up something else—anything!—is better than nothing! Grab a chair, a book bag, a shoe, whatever, and put it between you and the attacker.
One weapon many of us carry every day is a belt. Of course, a belt will only be effective if you have time to take it off, so again, pay attention to your surroundings and try to spot trouble before it starts.
If you can’t escape a dangerous situation, then grab the end of the belt and swing it like a nunchaku. You can also fold the belt in half and use it for quick strikes. Either way, that will let your attacker know that you’re not going to go down without a fight.
To make sure the belt doesn’t slip out of your hand or get pulled away, it’s a good idea to wrap it around your wrist once or twice.
As for fighting techniques, keep it simple! Whacking the attacker’s hand or face might be all you need to do to stop the attack or buy enough time to get away.
Please don’t forget that the belt is not your only weapon… you can always add shouts, kicks, and palm strikes to your strategy. That way, even if you do drop the belt or it gets pulled away, you can stay on the attack.
One more tip. If the thought of a knife attack terrifies you, good. That’s normal! But to be more effective in self-defense, we can’t just learn techniques… we also need to address our emotions.
So, make some time to address your feelings about the knife. If you can make peace with it, you’ll have a better chance of controlling it.
So, now you know the basics of self-defense from a knife. The only question is whether you’ll allow yourself to lose in practice or not. I hope you will, because losing in practice might mean surviving in the real world!
