Conclusion: Always bring a gun to a knife fight.

Well, If you have the option ALWAYS try to open the distance.
Since the assumtion is that you can´t run, I think that the better think is to control the attacking arm at all costs. Bear in mind that I meant the arm, not the knife. Trying to grab a wrist or making a disarm attemp will kill you. If you have a chance for a disarm, take it, but don´t seek it! Try, in an agressive manner to a) control/defang the arm or b) while controlling the arm attack the body, so you can defang the arm. Your priority is always to remove the greatest threat, which is the knife.
I would try to attack and control his arm first simply because of the range involved, which is a little more than the range needed for attacking the body/head while controlling the arm.

Hey a year old thread revived! :)

Interesting to re-read what I posted before. I still think the same thing in general, grab the knife wielding limb with both hands to ensure a better chance of success and start head butting.

Yup, I'm still a clueless n00b. Flame me. ;)

I find giant robots help in knife fights. Other than that I think i would be pretty much owned. Ive practiced with a piece of wood...and basically it got me all the time. Id rather just get the **** out of there, or let him cut my arm to gain control of his and break it then just get the **** out. Is this a situation where sacrifice of a small limb could keep you alive? I think so...my life for a cut hand or arm, sure. Last resort of course.

Ronin I think a better explanation of "don't ever back up" is "don't ever back straight up." There's a reason for practicing triangle footwork - don't throw it out the window when it's needed most.


Having said that, I don't want to prolong a knife fight at all. We did the old "knife sparring with lipstick on the training knives" drills. After fighting my instructor and two senior students, it was quite obvious to me that even the "winner" is going to be in a world of hurt if two people with any training at all start slicing.

I'll back up for range but it's not going to be my primary strategy.

Fighting a guy with a weapon, any weaopn is always a last resort/worst case scenario.
But they must be trained for to increase your odds of surviving.

A buddy of mine does DeCuerdas Eskrima, and one of the drills they did involved them fighting in just shorts and nothing else with a marker in their hands to be their 'knife', then did their best to 'slash' each other. Seems like it might make a good idea for a drill, never got to try it yet but I'd hate to try to fight either of them in a knife fight after watching them go at it.

That drill is very old, I am surprised it seems "new" to you.

We do a lot of knife defense training at Krav. The instructor is a realist. He says that if someone comes at you with a knife you are probably going to get stabbed. The techniques we are taught will, most likely, lessen the extent of the knife damage and to limit the number of kife strikes that you recieve.

There are different techniques for different situations, threats and actual attacks.

Attacks are generally dealt with by stopping the attack, trapping the arm and disarming. During this you are punching, elbowing and kneeing to get the attackers attention off the knife.

You always try to avoid getting stabbed at all, however, it's a bit like entering an unarmed fight and expecting that the other guy won't be able to hit you.

We practice the 'text-book' technique and then try to apply it in a live situation. You might get lucky and pull it off perfectly but this is seldom the case. Most importantly you KEEP GOING NO MATTER WHAT.

I don't think training with a real or even wooden knife is a good idea if you are going to train at full intensity and if you are not going to do that then why bother.

Youneed to rpogress to a point where the "fake weapon" can cause some damage, though a real knife is NEVER a good idea.

FLAME **** OUT OF THIS AS THIS AS YOU WILL (EDIT)...IF YOU WANT TO ACCOUNT FOR WEAPONS, TRAIN IN AN ART THAT IS BUILT AROUND WEAPONS AND NOT ONE WHERE WEAPONS ARE A BULLSHIT "OPTIONAL EXTRA" TO WIN ARGUMENTS ON THE INTERNET.

Great points all. As already stated, it is key to treat any knife encounter as an attempt on your life. Neutralize your attacker as quick as possible. My knife training has not included to many "de-fanging" drills, so I was always currious if practictioners of FMA might be more inclined to first attempt to "de-fang" as opposed to trying for the quick kill. That being said, if escape is not possible, controll the knife weilding limb. Some hard core knife guys may carry multiple blades, so you should drill that in your scenario training as well.

Youneed to rpogress to a point where the "fake weapon" can cause some damage, though a real knife is NEVER a good idea.

The knifes we train with are rubber, firm enough to be uncomfortable if someone sticks you hard in the ribs but will not pierce the skin.

Its a bit like being hit repeatedly with a 15 inch black rubber dildo, and we ALL know that can smart!

If he ask's you For A last Request. Say " I am going to teach you to Teach you how to take a knife" When he hand's it over. Stab the bitch!!!!!!!!!! :)

I think it's important to eventually perform some techniques slowly with a hard-edged (though not necessarily "live") blade to see if you 're going to inadvertantly stab or cut yourself, but it's not going to be "alive" training in any sense. Given that you ought to expect to recieve defensive wounds in the fight it follows that truly alive training will give you these wounds, which makes it categorically unsafe.

Otherwise, I'd just note that it's important to move and act decisively. It's a whole different fight than a kickboxing style engagement where you can wear and probe with jabbing and moving in and out of distance. I came from the "control the weapon first" style of training, but I'd say than an FMA practitioner would probably be better educated.

What styles out there besides the Philipino Trinity, deal with weapons, especially the knife. I know the knife techs taught at my school is bullshdo. While the chance of me getting into a knife fight is unlikely, knife defense and offense is something I'd like to add to my repertoire.