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Self defense with a pocket knife?
DarwinsFavoriteTortoise
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I've been carrying around a pocket knife lately and have been using it for all sorts of things...opening packages, cleaning my nails, pretty much everything imaginable.
Recently, my acquaintance made a joke about me fighting people with the knife. That made me wonder, how can I use this for self defense? How should I hold it? etcetc. I mean, I will obviously run at the first chance I get, either before the confrontation or during, but this is for worst case scenarios.
These are some of the tips I found online:
+Distract your opponent with the knife. Since his eyes will be focused on it, use it to distract him and then strike with the unarmed hand.
+If you have a jacket, wrap it around your forearm and use it as a makeshift shield to "bat" away any jabs or use it to counter any slices.
+Always keep the back of your arms to your opponent, considering the skin is thicker than on the inside of the wrist, and if you DO get cut, you won't bleed out quickly/lose control of your hand.
+Hold the knife in a fancy way (like with reverse grip with knife facing away from the body) as a way of making your opponent think you are a master fighter.
How valid/realistic are these? Do you have any basic tips to add?
P.S. Let me state again, all I want are basic tips for worst case scenarios. I'm not looking to be a knife master or anything. Oh, and this is the knife that I have, though I'm not sure if it matters (ignore the engraving and writing on the blade.
Recently, my acquaintance made a joke about me fighting people with the knife. That made me wonder, how can I use this for self defense? How should I hold it? etcetc. I mean, I will obviously run at the first chance I get, either before the confrontation or during, but this is for worst case scenarios.
These are some of the tips I found online:
+Distract your opponent with the knife. Since his eyes will be focused on it, use it to distract him and then strike with the unarmed hand.
+If you have a jacket, wrap it around your forearm and use it as a makeshift shield to "bat" away any jabs or use it to counter any slices.
+Always keep the back of your arms to your opponent, considering the skin is thicker than on the inside of the wrist, and if you DO get cut, you won't bleed out quickly/lose control of your hand.
+Hold the knife in a fancy way (like with reverse grip with knife facing away from the body) as a way of making your opponent think you are a master fighter.
How valid/realistic are these? Do you have any basic tips to add?
P.S. Let me state again, all I want are basic tips for worst case scenarios. I'm not looking to be a knife master or anything. Oh, and this is the knife that I have, though I'm not sure if it matters (ignore the engraving and writing on the blade.
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1) I don't want to seriously hurt the other guy unless he is intent on taking my life.
2) Don't you need a special kind of knife for that?
3) I'm not carrying a bunch of pocket knives, so I would rather not throw away my only weapon (assuming I mess up the throw, which I probably would).
Either he's unarmed, has a knife or has a gun.
If he's unarmed, well what crazy motherfucker would attack a guy with a knife while unarmed? If he's got a knife, well maybe he knows how to use it. If he's got a gun, well duh.
Did you read my post? I am aware of this. This is for worst case scenarios...like, I'm backed into a corner or something.
The entire idea of reasonable self-defense is putting enough distance between yourself and another person to get away, if you pick a fight in a bar or someone is trying to pick a fight with you and you can't avoid the situation you didn't try very hard.
I've never seen anyone get backed into a corner unless they were being robbed or jumped, and in those situations pulling a knife is probably still a bad idea.
Edit: I've carried a knife for most of my life, and only unfolded it twice in my pocket when I thought something may happen. Actually drawing a knife is a terrible idea. I would suggest you unfold it and don't actually strike with it unless you absolutely need to. Beyond that? Still a bad idea.
My advice? Don't let the fucker know you're armed. Don't threaten anyone. Do what he says. If you do all that and you can't escape, and it is literally a situation of extreme action or death, get your blade out quickly and unostensibly, then stab somewhere disabling, like the stomach or kidneys. Proceed to run, call police.
I've always felt the most effective way to defend yourself with a weapon is to absolutely avoid touting it. They shouldn't know you're armed until they are already bleeding.
If you really want to protect yourself, however, check to see if the state your in allows concealed weapons, get a license and buy yourself a gun, it's your right. Failing that, take some self defense courses or jujitsu. That will be far more useful to you than a pocket knife. Knowing disarming techniques is the only thing that could potentially save you if the guy has a gun and is intent on harm.
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If someone is mugging you and you pull a knife, it is very likely they will take it from you. And now they are mugging you with a knife. A friend of mine was stabbed twice this way.
If an unarmed man punches you and you stab him, you will very likely go to jail.
Best case in a worst case scenario? IMO - Keep the knife hidden. If they have a weapon visible, doubly so. If they have no weapon, and you are backed into a corner - bullrush if you can and do not look back. As many above have said, knives are dangerous. Amazingly so when in CQC and you are not trained. I would say you have a better chance surviving someone attacking you with a knife if you are unarmed, but I am no expert.
Better yet -- keep the knife inside your jacket pocket and pretend it's a gun. If you threaten the guy with an Italian accent and say something "Eh, I gotta gun over he'ah" you can make your opponent think you are a mafia killer for hire. Unless you're Asian, in which case you should try and conform with some sort of Triad stereotype. If you're Muslim, take it out of your pocket along with a cigarette lighter and make like you're trying to ignite it like some sort of clever suicide bomb. The words for "God is Great" are "Allahu Ackbar." Repeat these loudly.
Or you could not be an idiot.
Also, making sure you can quickly and safely unfold your knife would be something worth practising, if you ever think you're going to need to use it some day. It's no good if you can't get it unfolded in your pocket with one hand or if you stab yourself in the process.
Ok, lets say I'm going to be stabbed myself. If I am in a situation where I can not retreat, and he is coming at me with a knife, what should I do?
And to the thread: I understand everything that you're saying. Trust me, I'm the least confontational guy around. I know to run, and I know that I should cooperate. Like I said, though, assume worst case scenario, in which my death is imminent and the attacker is/will be close enough to attack with a knife.
How should I proceed then?
Just remember: if you're not trained, don't let anyone know you're armed until they are bleeding and you are calling the paramedics. Depending upon your state, it is fairly unlikely you'll receive prison time for causing any kind of non-lethal injury to an assailant.
[edit] I have been in a situation like that. Dodge like a retarded squirrel on methamphetamines; trust me, it's possible in a situation as tense as that. If you get an opportunity to wound them enough to make your getaway, take it. But seriously? Dodge. Duck. Run. Trip him up. If you're somewhere urban a confrontation like that lasts no longer then ten minutes before someone will shout, "Hey, what the fuck are you people doing?" and the person in the wrong will generally dip.
Don't be ridiculous.
Just run. You don't know how to fight with a knife, and fighting especially with a pocket knife, is only going to get you stabbed.
Those were tips that I read online. I was just running them past you guys to see how effective they might be.
Many of the disadvantages of knife fighting have already been listed. While i suppose you'd use it in in a positive way to quickly and safely end a confrontation, bear in mind that the guy you're trying to stab you is crazy enough to threaten you and would very well fuck you up for no good reason. Now imagine his reaction when he sees you up the ante. All of a sudden he's not just agressive, but he also feels threatened!
The knife you showed could pretty much only be used to stab, i guess. So if you were forced to use it (say being the unlikely victim/ star of a bank heist/ killing spree of blockbuster proportions) , it's pretty straightforward.. hold it like you normally hold it, wield it as an extension of your forearm and stab at all the soft bits you can reach untill the guy's down.
that said; don't. getting beaten up > risking getting stabbed.
also, legally your situation is much more worse. You, the victim, could stand trial.
only use your pocketknife for good, like macguyver did...
Look, I appreciate the advice, but you're not helping at all.
1) I know nothing about the psychology of criminals and how easily they would be intimidated, so I figured I'd run everything by you guys, no matter how stupid.
2) Am I asking how to fight a guy who's trying to mug me? Goddamn, did you even read the OP? Obviously, the first thing I am going to do is run. Let me repeat that:
The first thing I am going to do is run.
If that fails, then I would obviously drop my wallet and then run. I'm talking about situations of life/death.
If you'd linked to the appropriate King of the Hill clip, I would have reported your post for awesome like that.
Obviously. This is just on my mind because there are frequent muggings on my college campus.
I avoid these by taking day classes, but I am having to take a night class (gets out at 10pm) this coming semester because it is the only one available and I need it for graduation.
Not only that but, repeat after me:
A knife is not a defensive weapon.
No, stop and re-read that. A knife is a tool you use for cutting things and killing people. If the knife comes out, someone is almost definitely going to suffer a life threatening injury as a result.
Now consider this:
The person mugging you has probably done this before, and if they haven't, has probably had a pretty rough life up to this point and has been in enough scraps to know how to fight.
You are considering the use of a knife because you fear that they are a superior combatant to yourself.
How likely is it that you will be better at knife fighting than someone that you already believe to be so much better at unarmed combat that you feel it necessary to attempt to use lethal force in response?
Now how likely is it that someone who had no fear of you being able to defend yourself against them, who probably has a certain amount of contempt for you to begin with, how likely is it that they're going to react with such terror that they'll run away and no one will get hurt? Consider the very real (and I'd say likely) possibility that the other person is under the influence of either drugs or alcohol.
Pulling a knife does not give you an advantage here. It angers someone who was already willing to beat you up if you didn't do what they said. It dramatically increases the possibility of you getting hurt, very badly and potentially fatally.
It's not even a good idea to carry a knife around if you think the odds of being cornered by someone who might check your pockets are even reasonable.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Yeah see that's a mistake, too. You take your wallet out, you throw it at them, and you run in the opposite direction. This forces them to consider chasing you vs. taking the wallet. It's what gets you home safe. Nothing in the wallet is worth the alternative.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Okay. So you want to learn about situations of life or death...
...on a gaming forum more frequently used by people who want to know how to ask a girl if she likes him or what to do if your boyfriend cheats on you...
...and this was your second choice after apparently googling the words "how to fight with a knife."
For someone who wants to ask about serious things, you're not actually taking this very seriously. Either (a) take a self-defense class or (b) go read the Art of War and contemplate how much of it is actually about avoiding confrontations that you're not certain you can win.
Shut up.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
If he sees someone suspicious and isn't comfortable, he'll pull out the apple and his pocket knife and start slicing the apple up and start eating it. It gives the would-be mugger enough time to think it's not worth his time while he's still deciding on doing something stupid or not.
Don't look like a target. Wear black. No nice clothes. Don't have your car keys displayed in an ostensible area. Look pissed. If someone engages you in a potentially aggressive way, turn it around on them and respond without aggression. I have avoided any number of robberies this way.
Run. Scream. Shout. These are all things you should do, but are a lot goddamn harder to do then these people here seem to think when you're in a situation so elevated. Learn to dodge a lot. Learn what fucks with everyone, including criminals: making them think you are just as goddamn insane as them. Unless you are totally alone, outnumbered, or in a context similiar to the aforementioned your only option is not "drop your wallet and run".
I had a friend who dealt a shitload of drugs and walked around sketchy areas regularly. He wasn't a violent dude. Never steals, never fights, never hurts anyone. But he's tough, scary looking, and he put off an ambiance of comfort no matter where he was. Look like you fit in. He carried a big-ass bayonet off some military rifle; maybe a foot long, razor sharp, polished, and scary as all fuck. Five people tried to take his backpack (with about $5000 in it) and he pulled it out, told them to fuck off, and they did. Quick.
No, I won't advocate irresponsible conflicts.
So, your advice is to be a big, scary looking dude. How useful.
haha... that is pretty funny advice when you put it like that.
Salmon'd for retarded.
REALLY NOW?
But...
...I've only been mugged once in my life, I was about 16. Besides that, I've had 3 attempts done on me. I'm skinny and only 170cm tall, but just like Fandyien said, you have to show confidence and know what to do.
Firstly, to avoid being a target, I walk with confidence, and make it noticeable that I'm completely aware of my surroundings. A lot of people mugged are the ones that walk while looking at the floor or doing something else, like texting on their phone.
You can easily notice who's targeting you, they'll suddenly stop doing whatever they were doing and look at you, and start walking in your direction, most probably glancing several times around their surroundings looking out for friends, the cops, or someone who might try to stop them. Usually, if they see you notice this and you take proper actions, they will most probably back out and wait for an easier target, unless you've got something they really want, they'll run at you.
If you're engaged, many times they will start asking you stupid questions, and try to make you look elsewhere and that's when they grab you or pull out something so you "Don't do anything stupid". My would-be muggers all asked me what kind of cellphone I had, or if I had some spare change. They expect you to pull out your phone or your wallet. I fuck with them when I just smile and say "Of course man, have some" and I pull out some spare change from my pocket, and not my wallet, and immediately walk away with a "Good luck man, I'm in a hurry, sorry", as for the cellphone, I just show them my old p.o.s., I use my phone just to text and talk, so I don't want any fancy stuff.
Ok this is a pretty useless post maybe, tl;dr: Do not lose eye contact, always keep alert.