Training within the walls of your own dojo in your own little
bubble of safety where you can control everything and slow everything down enough to
insert techniques in a combination is one thing. However, pulling them off in
the street is something altogether different. The former, more often than not hinges on pure fantasy, cosplay. The latter is rooted in the stone-cold reality
of a deadly Knife attack where being sub par, having fantasized notions and cosplay get you killed.
The following video was recently posted on Facebook
regarding Knife defense. The video demonstrates clearly what not to do when it
comes to knife defense. The five key points of a bad knife defense are demonstrated
quite clearly in the linked video below. I have added the quoted caption of the
video as well as the link.
"Facing an opponent with a knife is incredibly
dangerous, and avoiding the fight should always be your first priority. In this
video, we demonstrate one of our basic techniques for dealing with multiple
stabs. Always remember, knife attacks are chaotic, and proper training is
crucial to maximize your chances of staying safe. This video is for educational
purposes only and should be practiced under professional supervision."
https://fb.watch/u-S9APqW3-/
To the contrary of what Bret Gordon states by calling this a
basic knife defense against multiple stabs is a prime example of the 5 key
points of a bad knife defense.
5 key points of a bad
knife defense
1.) Overly structured, complicated motions
2.) “Redirecting Energy”
3.) Lack of agility
or footwork
4.) Always assumes you will be standing and un-entangled
5.) Assumes you see knife attacks coming
In his video Gordon claims these are basics however these “basics” aren’t remotely grounded in reality. Such ideas for a video for a knife defense like this come from the media’s presentation of violence. the fantasy is assailants make clearly toned down less violent actions and identifiable attacks. These attacks are dealt with in a clean and crisp manner, using definable defenses that have been created with such a specific attack in mind.
These sort of "experts" tend follow a step-by-step path to disarming and subduing an attacker. Overly structured knife defenses and those with complicated motions have been consistently shown not to work.
The attacker’s actions in the video are toned down so the defender can do whatever he wants. That does not come close to replicating what transpires in a actual knife attack. As hard as you try to grab that knife, the attacker is going to fight to keep it. His knife is his tool of trade and it is his lifeline as well and the one instrumental key to success. It won’t be taken from him easily. His actions will be frenzied and chaotic. He will use his non weapon hand, hitting repeatedly, grabbing, gouging your face and eyes, clinching, bear, hugging, tying you up etc etc.
I’ve spent years studying criminal behavior and spent countless hours watching surveillance footage and cellphone video of violent attacks, and videos uploaded to youtube and closed circuit TV. Whether it was a robbery in Brazil or a random stabbing spree on a New York subway, an overwhelming percentage of victims had less than a second or two to react from the time they saw the weapon to when the first attack was launched…IF they saw a weapon at all.
I can tell you first hand, most knife attacks that I've encountered, was called to, or dealt with, not one of the victims saw the knife. Several didn't even realize they had been stabbed until after they discovered they were bleeding and assailant had already walked away! The truth is the vast majority of knifing victims don’t even realize they’re being stabbed; they think they’re being punched.
The harsh reality of a knife attack;
A.) ambush type attacks - The first thing you should know
about defending yourself from a knife is that more often than not you will be
attacked without ever actually seeing a knife! That means you might be fatally
wounded before you’ve even started to defend yourself.
B.) are a continuous and often repetitive use of CHAOTIC force,
with each attack merging and flowing into the next,
C.) frenzied attacks - a knife wielding assailant stabs,
recoils and or stabs, recoils and slashes recoils from all directions and
angles.
D.) Not focused - meaning NOT focused on a singular target
like just the torso. This happens so quickly that it is impossible to
distinguish each stab from the next.
E.) Attackers forward committed motion doesn’t magically stop when rendering some sort of knife block
Gordon showcases no actual knowledge of proper training to survive such a violent encounter. He doesn’t display an understanding of an actual knife attack as he tries to imply in his rhetoric. If he actually had such a understanding or was capable of "professional instruction", he wouldn’t put such nonsense in his so called “basics” video.
The glaring difference between fantasy and reality
Criminals are not trained martial artists, they are predators who often hide their weapon until the last possible second, attack as quickly as possible so they don’t get injured or caught. Even a idiot with a knife can stab and kill someone who is trained. The only thing that's worse is teaching BAD knife defense.
Months ago, I spoke with the president of a judo organization, who is a sandan in judo and he personally relayed to me that he did randori against this particular “expert”. According to him, he threw this “expert”, who claims to hold a sandan in judo, multiple times. He added that the expert couldn’t even defend himself to stop from being thrown. So what is the point in this situation?
The point is this; this “expert” couldn’t defend from getting thrown in randori against a judoka in a dojo, knowing what was coming at him. Thinking his outcome is somehow gonna be different in a street encounter is pure unadulterated fantasy. He is certainly going to fare far, far worse against a knife attack in the streets.
