karate against weapons

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Which brings me onto my next question: who here has had experience with facing someone, for real, who has threatened you with a knife? How did it come about and what did you do? I'm just curious...

 

I had a guy about 5 years ago when I was doing security at a local bar, pull a knife on me. He held it up in front of his face with the blade pointing up. I did a quick disarm and takedown on him, my partner handcuffed him and the cops hauled him away. He never actually came at me, but pulling the knife was looked at as a threat.

 

As for the thread topic, anybody that pulls a knife on you MUST be considered skilled and potentially very dangerous. You don't know until he attacks you, or defends against your attack, if he's skilled or not. The nice thing about defending against a knife, baseball bat, or other weapon, is that they are limited in the angles of attack they can use, and if you understand those angles, it gives you advantages.

 

I've seen a lot of martial arts schools teaching some really stupid, "Hollywoodish" techniques against weapons, including trying to kick a knife out of someones hand or kick them in the head without doing anything at all about securing or neutralizing the weapon. Pure stupidity IMHO.

[Sauzin]

I'm sorry Waylander but the "preoccupied by the weapon" argument doesn't hold water. An untrained combatant without a knife is just as likely to focus on a single weapon (his fists) as an untrained guy with a knife. I really don't think you have seen some of the trained knife work that is out there if you think that a trained knife combatant doesn't have an advantage. I'm not saying that it is an insurmountable advantage, but it is a definite advantage. A guy with a knife can still grab, punch with the hilt, and perform any maneuver an empty handed combatant can. The difference is he has more options. Specifically ones that will disable or kill you with one swipe of a blade.

 

Think of it like fighting a guy with a paint brush. If you don't think you're going to get some paint on you, then you are in denial. Because it's not going to be as simple as block a swipe and he stops. Guys who know what they are doing don't stop cutting. You put your arm in the way they cut that, your chest, your other arm, your leg, and then right back up. Hitting every opportunistic target that is on their way. And I hate to disagree with Shorin-ryuu but getting in close doesn’t do much for you either. A guy who knows what he's doing will find even more targets in close quarters as the inside upper arms, torso, neck, and upper thighs become even more exposed. Controlling the weapon and disrupting the opponent (balance, structure, consciousness) are really the only options. And even then you are likely still getting painted. It's just a question of where.

[Dark Shogun]

I was once confronted by a guy with a knife, I ran like hell, and it worked. My 2 brothers were with me at the time. I told them to run first while I kept the gyu at bay by keeping a bush between us. When my brothers were out of sight I followed suit and ran.

 

This thread reminds me of a kyokoshin video I saw once where at a demonstration, a karateka catches an attacker's sword by 'claping' his hands on either side of the blade then pulling the sword away from him and kicking him in the torso. (this was all done from seiza)

[Shorinryu Sensei]

This thread reminds me of a kyokoshin video I saw once where at a demonstration, a karateka catches an attacker's sword by 'claping' his hands on either side of the blade then pulling the sword away from him and kicking him in the torso. (this was all done from seiza)

 

People that do that for real are usually nicknamed "Stubby"...or Lefty I think.

 

 

Catching a katana blade by slapping your hands together and catching it between your hands? Yeah..right!

[shotokanwarrior]

A man who has used a knife to cut a rope, gut a fish, poke ice and cleaned dirty toe nails has plenty of experiance to cut you.

[pineapple]

I always teach my students that if a person has a knife, run!

 

The reason that knife defense is taught is in case your opponent has blocked your exit and you have no choice but to fight. I also tell them to expect to be cut because if you don't and he does cut you, you'll go into a mental shock and be unable to try anything.

 

By the way, I was attacked with a knife and I did require stitches!!!!......

 

he ended up in the hospital too!

[June1]

Oh, geez! What happened, if you don't mind me asking, pineapple?

[pineapple]

Oh, geez! What happened, if you don't mind me asking, pineapple?

 

This person was coming after my friend and I stepped in front and he stabbed me in my side, I was able to hit him after he stabbed me and what happened next I have to omit because the police were investigating what I did to him since he ended up in worse shape than me.

[cathal]

I find our techniques adept at disarming anyone with a knife. The crescent kick is quite effective, in my experience.

[Sauzin]

A cresent kick can work agains an untrained attacker with a knife. Against a trained opportunistic attacker, it will get you killed almost every time. Why would you want to risk this when there are so many more effective and comparitively safe ways of getting control of the knife and/or disarming the opponent?