Dear Reader,
There’s an old saying when it comes to knife fighting…
If you’re more skilled than your opponent, you live and they die. If your opponent is more skilled than you are, they live and you die. If both of you have the same skill level, then you both die.
This means there’s a two-thirds chance you’re going to die in a knife fight, which is why you want to avoid one at all costs.
Of course — none of us would ever choose to be in a knife fight, but in the unpredictable world we live in, sometimes the choice isn’t ours.
I recently stumbled across a piece on PJmedia.com about the terrorist group ISIS:
“ISIS Calls for Random Knife Attacks in Alleys, Forests, Beaches, ‘Quiet Neighborhoods’”
The article asserts that “A new magazine issued by the Islamic State advises lone jihadists to get over any squeamishness about using knives and embrace sharp objects as “widely available” weapons of jihad in nighttime stabbing campaigns.”
The article continues, “Jihadists were advised to target teens playing sports after school or even flower sellers hawking blooms on the street.”
Disgusting, I know.
Right now we’re seeing more and more (and more) stabbings taking place across Europe. And there’s no doubt in my mind they will start occurring more frequently here in the U.S., as well.
In fact, just last month, ISIS claimed responsibility for the stabbing spree at a Minnesota mall that left 10 people wounded.
This is why it is vital to maintain situational awareness — no matter where you are.
It’s also a good idea to know how to protect yourself in the event you’re shopping at the grocery store one day and suddenly, a knife-wielding maniac begins stabbing people.
How to Walk Away From a Knife Fight
The first thing you should do in this situation is run. If you’re far enough away from the assailant, get to the nearest exit as quickly as you can. Once you’re safely out of immediate danger, call 911.
But what if you’re cornered and there’s nowhere to run?
See if there’s anything you can hurl at the attacker’s face to distract them. This includes your car keys, wallet, change or anything else you might have in your pockets. By catching them off guard, you’ll have an opening to flee.
If you don’t have anything to throw — and if time permits — take off your belt or jacket to use as a guard.
Hold the belt or jacket between your hands in the same position as if you were going to choke someone. Then you can use the belt or jacket to hit down on the knife and block it from striking you.
If you can’t run or create a distraction and you don’t have a jacket or belt or anything to put between you and the attacker, here’s what you need to do:
Extend both of your hands straight out and try to grab the wrist of the hand holding the knife as the terrorist lunges at you. If you can successfully catch hold of their wrist, you can control their hand.
Click on the video below for a demonstration of this technique.
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You would use the same approach if an attacker tried to stab you overhand. Put your hands up and block their wrist as it strikes downward. The only difference is instead of your hands being low and making contact with the top of their forearm, your hands will be high as you grab the underside of their arm.
In the blur of the moment, this will be difficult to do — and there’s a high chance you’ll get cut on your hands. But it’s the best way to ensure your survival. Plus, it’s a lot better to get a few cuts on your hands than to have a major artery sliced open.
Once you’ve got a solid grip on the terrorist’s wrist, you can knee them in the groin, head butt them, kick them in the shin or anything that will disorient or disable them.
The good news is you don’t have to make these counterattacks perfect as long as you keep holding onto the terrorist’s wrist. Because as long as you’ve got two hands on their wrist, they can’t stab you and you can buy yourself time to bring them down. And hopefully, others will help you.
Above all, the most important thing to remember about a knife attack is do not freeze. You must do something — anything. People who freeze get cut up quickly and end up dying.
But if you’re able to run or distract the attacker or grab their wrist and kick them in the groin, you’ll live to see another day.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
