Knife Fighting, Knife Fighting Lies

[Darrell]

Rummel has a couple of good posts up over at Hell In A Handbasket--the first is about the downside of getting in a knife fight (better to defend yourself with a gun):

http://www.hellinahandbasket.net/2008/1 ... a.htm#more

The second is a link to an interesting article about knife fighting lies, sounds like the best thing to do is run away! run away!:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifelies.html

[Highspeed]

I've been stabbed in three seperate incidents, once in the face. Every time I didn't realise I had been stabbed until after the fight was over. It didn't hurt much and it didn't slow me down. Obviously I wasn't cut anywhere vital, but I'm very cynical about the self defence value of knives.

I've read that Folsom Prison knife fighting book and you can boil it down to " hide the knife until the last minute, run up to your opponent and stab him as hard as you can, as many times as you can " - which seems like good advice if the Aryan Brotherhood want to arse rape you in the shower block

[Aglifter]

When I got cut in an accident, I didn't even feel it -- I actually remembering thinking I got lucky, and was fine*, until I looked down at my leg. I still didn't feel anything, but remembered thinking, "Dang, I'm going to need stitches." And, briefly, tried to think of a way to not get stitches... This was on a cut that went to the bone on my calf for about 6" down, then turned and went along for 3"

*I forgot I was no longer a strongman, and tried to lower a commercial meat saw on my own out of the plastic bedliner bed of a pickup, on a damp morning, in slick bottom boat shoes... Not one of my smarter moments..

[SeekHer]

My observations concur with Mac:

There is one factor to a knife fight that you have to accept if you're going to be carrying a knife for self defence and that is YOU ARE GOING TO GET CUT--Get past that and you can be formidable because like a CCW handgun if you pull it, you may have to use it, and if you use it you may have to kill--If you can't accept that and prepare yourself for that possible outcome then don't bother packing a weapon...

Stab hard, fast to the kidneys, throat, eyes and groin...Slash deep across the wrist, elbow, knee or forearm--blood loss, theirs, slows them down both physically but more importantly mentally...Never stab to the chest for an attempt for the heart unless you have a 12 lb rifle behind a 12" blade because the chances of getting the blade stuck is great...Go for soft flesh and blood loss...

Oh, if you throw your knife and it sticks in right to the hilt in the other person's chest you have probably lost because they now have your knife and unlike the movies, they don't go down dead instantly...They can last for three, four minutes after the heart is punctured and that is more then enough time to kill you as well…

[First Shirt]

I've always believed that throwing a knife for any reason other than entertainment is the height of foolishness. Don't throw it unless you're ready to lose it, and if you don't care if you lose it, why are you carrying it in the first place?

I'm not an expert, by any means, but I've been cut more than I like (it's like the broken nose thing: I've never broken my nose -- I have, however, had it broken for me several times, once professionally.) Getting cut is a lot like getting shot, in that it has very little to recommend it, and is to be avoided whenever possible.

[Cybrludite]

My knowledge of knife fighting is thankfully all theoretical. I will cheerfully defer to anyone with applied knowledge on the subject.

I tend to agree with the Romans, though, that if you want to make a bloody mess, then cut. If you want to kill a man, then stab. Now, a Phillipino who's trained his whole life in cutting tendons and arteries would be an exception to that rule, for you average guy with a blade it holds true.

Were I ever to find myself in that sort of situation, the main thing I'd be using the edge for would be to carve downward during the withdrawal of the blade following a stab to the lower torso. "Assisted Seppuku", if you will.

[Darrell]

The guy at the knife fighting lies link made the point that what most people consider knife fighting is actually duelling with knives, while most real knife attacks are attempted assassinations.

[FelixEstrella]

Favorite quote from the "Lies" article:

The truth is, it is incredibly difficult to "corner" someone who is determined to leave. Basically because he will use your face as traction or squirt through the smallest of holes. However, if the person's desire not to engage in physical violence is stronger than his desire to leave, it is very easy to corner someone. If you ask any experienced LEO, corrections officer or mental ward orderly which they would rather face, a person who wants to fight them, or someone who will climb over them to escape, to a man they will tell you the former. They know the latter will hurt them more and be harder to defeat. That's because that person is fully committed to a course of action. Whereas a person who has allowed themselves to be "cornered" will still be of a divided heart and therefore not able to fight at full capacity. And that is exactly what it will take in order to survive such a "no win" situation that they have put themselves into.

[Whirlibird]

We had what ended up being a self defense stabbing here, the victim stuck his attacker and himself and neither knew they were cut/stabbed until the fight was over.
The victim cut two of his own wrist tendons, the perp had a nice stab over his kidney.
Neither knew that they had any damage until they noticed the blood.

Unless you do "damage" to tendons, blood supply and or major physical areas, knifes are a poor weapon. That doesn't mean that it won't kill you.

Best answer, use the biggest knife you can find, I think they were called swords. Remove the offending appendages before they do the same to you.

Better yet, shoot the idiot who brought a knife to a gunfight.

[Jered]

What about a knife on a stick, aka a spear?