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

Your opponent faces you with a knife in his right hand. By guarding your face, you can increase the likelihood of your opponent striking towards your midsection.	As your opponent lunges towards your midsection, execute a low cross block. Be sure to hop back as your opponent lunges, drawing your lower body away from the strike.
Pivot your opponent's arm clockwise, rotating into a wrist lock. Your thumbs should be on the back of your opponent's wrist to ensure control of your opponent. Hold your opponent's wrist close to your body (closer than this picture shows).	Do not bring the blade up by your face as you pivot your opponent's arm.
Force your opponent to the ground with an arm bar. Again, maintain control of the knife at all times. You can soften up your opponent with a few kicks before this takedown if you wish.	With your opponent's face in the dirt, keep his shoulder pinned to the ground. Pulling up against the elbow while tightening a wrist lock should encourage your opponent to drop his knife.

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 stab 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..

Return to Move of the Week index