Use a Knife in a Combative Situation
Knife combat....it is one of the most scary and brutal things that anyone should ever have to encounter. This "How to" was written in order to teach the basics and fundamentals of using a knife in a combative situation. The overall theme of this article is to survive above all else.
Steps
- STEP ONE; If you want to know how to defend yourself then we recommend enrolling in martial arts because this may not be reliable and attempting to use only the knowledge learned from this article could result in death.
- #Learn the imperatives. The imperatives are simply 5 basic and fundamental principles that should always be adhered to in an engagement with an edged weapon. The five principles are as follows:
- Expect to get cut.
- Defang the serpent.
- Control
- Time is of the essence.
- Survival. Survival is the most important imperative.
- Learn how to stand. Stance is very important in knife combat; your stance is the foundation of which you are able to maneuver and engage. The forward fighting stance is a great stance for maneuvering. The weight should be more even between feet. The weight should be rested on the balls of the foot. The front knee is slightly bent and the elbows are in at the sides. and the hands are up for protection. The lead hand or "Checking hand is always in front. The checking hand is the hand that assists the cutting hand in combat by controlling the enemy's weapon hand, and or setting up an attack. The chin is tucked in as to protect the throat. Remember that this stance is a mobile stance. In knife combat mobility is important. Never pass up the opportunity for escape!
- Entering. Entering is nothing more than closing the distance between you and the weapon or you and the enemy. Stepping in is key in entering. often times instructors tell their trainees to sidestep and block. In this method of instruction we will do away with this idea of blocking and side stepping. The main point of entering is to close the distance and terminate the engagement quickly, not to narrowly evade and then re counter. Therefore stepping deeply and directly in is imperative. Remember, that the knife is simply an extension of the empty hand.
- Covering
- Close the distance
- Clear the weapon arm In this method we will utilize covering versus blocking. The term blocking often refers to deflection by pushing away. That is why we will not use the term block, but cover. Covering in this case the higher and lower gate is executed by taking the checking hand and covering across your upper gate with your palm facing out. The checking hand moves across the body in an arching motion and stops past the ear of the non checking side. The knife hand covers the lower gate, in an arching motion across the legs and groin. Once the lower gate hand reaches the opposite hip it continues the circle upwards till it is directly in front of your face. The act of stepping in and simultaneously covering is essential in setting your enemy up for the next technique in the series.
- Defanging the serpent. Feed the attackers weapon hand by using both your knife and checking hand (preparing to attack the wrist tendons).
- Attack the weapon hand
- Attack the arm
- Destroy the arm and puncture the artery
- Now that you have successfully closed the distance and covered, you can now focus on defanging the serpent. The knife is an extension of the empty hand, and the knife wielding arm itself can be likened to a snake or serpent. Snakes have fangs that bite and often times are deadly. If you defang the serpent it can not penetrate your flesh with its fangs, and therefore the advantage is taken from the enemy. Stepping and covering is a very important part of defanging the serpent, but you must also know how to control the weapon and how to attack the weapon hand / arm in order to make the attacker release the weapon.
- Where to attack the weapon arm: Joints ( Tendons and Ligaments)I.E. Above the elbow and the wrist. If the attacker can not physically hold the weapon; or utilize his arm because his tendons and ligaments have been slashed and render his weapon arm useless, he can not do much to cause harm with the weapon.
- Veins and arteries If you begin to slash into his veins and arteries located on the inner portion of his arm, he will begin to lose large amounts of blood. Losing large quantities of blood is demoralizing as well as it can make one pass out quickly and move them one step closer to expiration. The brachial artery on the inside of the Biceps and the axillary artery in the armpit are excellent targets to cause rapid blood loss and death.
- Just because you have defanged the serpent and are in control does not mean you are home safe. You must maintain control. Remember this attacker had a knife! If he had a knife that means he is bent on killing you. You must neutralize the situation by preventing him from any other further attacks. If you control the head the body will follow. In order to keep control you must be deep inside the grappling zone. Once you gain control of the attackers head by thrusting your blade into the hollow cavity below the jaw, take him to the ground. Do not lose control of the arm!
- Thrust
- Remove the blade
- Trap and control
- Where the head goes the body must follow
- Step deep
- Take down
- Following through
- Following through means to maintain control and neutralize the situation. Whenever given the opportunity, it is recommended to escape, however there are some situations here that may not be possible. For instruction sake we will cover finishing the enemy. This technique may be useful for soldiers in combat. For example a detainee or prisoner of war who may have to engage the enemy in order for Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape. The soldier has just engaged an enemy sentry and can not allow him to survive. This is not recommended for a street encounter however, it is important to mention that this guy just intended on killing you with a knife,and he may have friends nearby waiting to attack you. You may be able to justify this next course of action legally if you are convincing that you were in fear of your life and there was a possibility of further danger after neutralizing the first attacker.
- Maintain Control
- Finish
- Escape
- Here is an example of a similar series of techniques where the defender is unarmed and the attacker is armed with a knife.
Tips
- If anyone does happen to commit hate crime, aiming for the arteries shouldn't weigh too heavily on you.
Warnings
- Whenever you make the decision to engage another person in edged weapon combat, with the exception of Military combat; there are and will be legal ramifications. Remember it is always suggested to escape over anything else, but survival is paramount.
- Remember there is no such thing as a technique that works 100 percent of the time. Expect To Get Cut!
- Extreme control is advised, especially when attempting the head stomp and manipulating the head, neck or joints.
- When training it is recommended that you practice with rubber knives. Do not attempt to use real knives in training!
- Due to the lethality and brutality of these techniques parental advisory is advised
- The techniques demonstrated above were executed by trained professionals. When attempting this at home it is recommended that you are supervised by a professional.
Things You'll Need
- A training partner
- Rubber knives
- Rugged and durable clothing
Related Articles
- Throw a Knife
- Flip a Butterfly Knife
- Survive a Knife Threat
- Become Good at Knife Fighting
Sources and Citations
- Combat Application Techniques: Principles Of Destruction (Book of Knife and Hand to Hand Combat) by Andrew Curtiss
- S.C.A.R.S - Scientific Combat Reactionary System, by Jerry Peterson
- Army FM 3-25.150 - Combatives
