When confronted by someone with a knife, you have a chance of being wounded or killed. Fighting is the last option because any mistake could be deadly. If you're being confronted by someone who only wants money or other property, it's best to cooperate. If their intent is to hurt you, your priorities should be:
1. Get away
2. Use your environment (ie get a car between you, or find a weapon)
3. Fight
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| Your opponent surprises you from behind, placing the blade of a knife against your throat with his right hand. | Quickly grab your opponent's knife hand with your right hand, so that his hand and possibly the knife are pressed tightly to your shoulder blade and throat. The purpose of this is to prevent the blade from slicing across your throat. |
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| Reach your left hand behind your opponent. Follow the direction of your arm to escape the hold. Continue to hold the blade and/or hand firmly against you. | As your head follows the rest of your body, you will pull the blade with you. As your head escapes the hold, drive the blade into your opponent. Again, don't use real knives. |
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| With your opponent doubled over on the blade, sweep forward with your left leg while pulling back on the shoulder for the takedown. | Finish with a reverse technique to the face or just get away. |
The most important factor in this technique is keeping the blade in
one position. Some pressure from a real knife may cause a little cut, but
if you allow the knife to slice, you may not survive the encounter. Once
you control your opponent's knife hand, you are holding on for your life.
If the technique falls apart, hold on to that knife hand, modify, improvise,
and do whatever it takes to disable your opponent.
It is especially important to practice knife techniques quite a bit
because mistakes are costly. It's also very important that your opponent
try to cut you, so you can have realistic practice for these techniques.
Do NOT practice these techniques with real knives, and don't do the takedowns
unless you know what you're doing..
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