Anyone actually used a knife for SD?

joe90

joe90

Joined
Aug 17, 2001
Messages
346
I hear a great deal of discussion about which knives are "tactical" and which aren't, as well as discussions about SD applications etc.

Can anyone relate any personal incidents of having to actually use an EDC for a SD purpose, as opposed to the old "Nike" plan? ie What the situation was, what options were immedidately available, what was done, which knife and perhaps just as importantly, what the outcome was.

I mean the last time I got "caught", I was cycling along a main road on a Sunday afternoon. I noticed ahead of me some guy/kid starting to run diagonally across the road, in my cycling direction. ie we were both travelling in the same direction, but with an 'impact' collision ahead of me .. like an arrow-head. I was kinda confused. Quiet Sunday afternoon, and he's running across the road on a collision course. No other traffic around. Anyway, I did not "cotton-on" to his plan and he managed to 'catch me'. I (stupidly) thought he might be wanting to know the time or something. Anyway, he reaches into my shorts pocket .. looking for ??? I was shocked. "Was I being mugged" I thought. I hit the foot-gass a little and left him behind. All I had was some keys in the pocket anyways, but house keys all the same.

As I continued along, I kept thinking "whats the deal here?". I had absolutely no idea what was going on till it was too late. I never had any "weapons" on me, but daresay that by the time I would have reacted, it would have been too late anyway. I guess my mind was just not on that level of anticipation. But then, what d'ya do? As I looked back I also noticed there was a whole crowd of them lurking at the corner from which the perpetrator had "appeared".

Not perhaps the best of neighbourhoods, but I'd never had any problems before ... but perhaps this was because I had travelled the same route during office / working hours, when more people were around. Who knows. Later on I read that this kind of "cycle-mugging" is quite prevalent in the town area. Strange thing is, when you are out cycling you never have many valuables on you - what for? The bike is generally worth more than anything else, and they bypass that option completely.

So, back to my intial reason for writing this thread: anyone actually used a knife for SD?
 
Well, the last time Collucci slashed at me with a new ATCF, I fended him off with a butterknife ... :p

Self-defense is amostly in your mind. Pulling a knife on that kid would have slowed you down enough for his friends to run over and beat the cr@p out of you. What you did was your best option -- get away from there. What's a bike for anyway but moving faster than he can run? Your reflex was right.

But an attack is a bad time to start thinking. You will probably get lots of advice on this thread. Listen carefully to the ones who help you stay away from trouble. Knives do require some training if they're going to be any serious kind of effective. You could end up in more trouble than the kid if the law comes down on you for using a weapon when 'all he did' was run up to you.

But what knives can you carry? Every jurisdiction differs. If you can justify it, I would recommend a small neck knife. A quick stab in the hand or arm, and your attacker is better off leaving you alone. Full combat mode will just get your bike trashed -- you can't ride and fight.
 
I've used a weapon in self defense a few times through my life. I'm sure that numerous other forumites can say the same. I'm not sure too many would be willing to go into much detail, myself included. I've trained long and hard to protect myself and my loved ones, not to have graphic anecdotes to share with the boys. Let alone, it's not comforting to think of the times in my life that I have been in harm's way. Please don't think in any way that I'm slamming your post or anything. What you've asked is a very valid question. If this were merely a poll, answering would be a simple yes or no. But to elaborate, that's something else.

Dayuhan
 
I've learned some blade fighting techniques for years, and the thing that I learn is : only take my knife out if I really want to end someone's life.

By taking my knife out, the bad guy might feel threatened and shoot me instead of running away.

So far, I've been fortunate for not having to use my knives in SD situation.
 
No, everytime I've had to defend myself it was when I was carrying a gun, fortunately. All the years working the streets and it's only happened twice with a gun. Thats 28 years and two ocassions when the feet were not an alternative to surviving.

Train to defend with a knife, train others to defend with a knife. can defend with a knife well enough for my needs, I think.

Brownie
 
the only case I know of personally where a knife was used for SD was when my father opened his door after parking and it bumped into the SUV next to him (no damage). The owner, a very big guy in his 30s, got out and began screaming, spit-flecked and red-faced, down at my 60-ish folks. Enraged, intimidating and advancing. In a very busy commercial area with people all around. My dad thought "this guy is completely nuts" and didn't dare turn his back on the guy, so he pulled his Swiss Army knockoff out and opened the 3" blade without saying anything. The guy didn't acknowledge it, just shouted for a second more, then turned away, got in his car, and left.
 
Originally posted by J-man_the_jet
I think this belongs in Practical Tactical?
Click to expand...

I agree.

Also...how many people really want to get into whether or not they've used a knife for defense in an online forum? I know I sure don't.

I am pleading the 5th on this one.

PAUL
 
joe90,

If you live in Capetown, South Africa you shouldn´t have any problem getting a license for a gun. I´m not sure I remember the right procedure, but don´t you guys over there only need to register it at the shop and then you´re good to go?

Sorry if this is a bit off topic. I have heard a lot of awful stories about the type and level of crime in some areas over there, so I´m a bit curious.

/Colinz
 
Originally posted by Esav Benyamin

But what knives can you carry? Every jurisdiction differs. If you can justify it, I would recommend a small neck knife.
Click to expand...

He's from South Africa. He can carry anything with an edge.

A gun is a good idea since you should have no problem getting one there. Might be cumbersome to jog or cycle with so you could probably clip a Delica IWB or something.

My answer to the original question is no.
 
Just to clear things up, registered guns are rarely involved in crimes by their owners.
 
Originally posted by J-man_the_jet
I think this belongs in Practical Tactical?
Click to expand...
doesn't your avatar belong on white chicks with nice asses dot com?

i never visited prac tac, so this post is welcome to me.

i've "defended" myself many times with my bare hands, but in each instance, i can imagine some way that i could've put my ego aside and avoided physical combat.

however, in the event that my life or the life of a loved one was threatened, i can see myself using a nice sturdy EDC to end the life of the attacker's without much concern. by the grace of God that hasn't yet happened to me.
 
Thanks for the responses guys .. always great to hear others opinions and comments to a question that has been floating around your mind for some time. :)

ColinZ: As far as I can determine ... anything goes over here. I guess, if you wanted to, you could even walk around encased in armour like the "knights of old" :D

[I suppose 3rd world has its advantages .. sometimes :))

Joe
 
Was I mistaken, or are you folks?
I could have sworn that South Africa had gone the way of England, Australia, Cuba, Jamaica, Brazil, Germany... and made it difficult or impossible to legally carry a gun.

I thought I had read about that in the NRA's magazines. What's the fact on handgun purchasing / concealed carry in S.A.?

---Jeffrey
 
As I understand it, S.A. was quite leniant on CCW licenses for people they liked (white people and maybe some blacks).

Lately, I too had heard (don't remember from where) that things were "going south." The end of apartheid was great. However, there are many forces at work which may not have everyone's best interests at heart.

Joe, the first thing you need for protection is awareness:

-Awareness to your environment

-Awareness of the possible threats

-Awareness of yourself (your capabilities, beliefs, etc.)

Where you live crime is probably only going to get worse. Keep that in mind. At the very least, you need to start studying up on crime in your area, and any areas you may visit. Then decide what to do about weapons, training, and/or moving somewhere else.

Karl
 
The only person I've ever known to use a knife was a friend. He was hitchhiking in Mass in the late '70s. The guy giving him a ride reaches over and put's his hand on his knee. My friend opened his swiss army knife and laid it on the seat. Then he asked the guy to get his hand of his leg. No problems for the rest of the ride to Boston.
 
I have never had to actually use a knife for self defense, but I think that having one made a difference one time. Being aware of what was going on was probably more important, though. This occured about 35 years ago.

I had just moved to a large city, and being a country boy, had not yet got my routines established, learned where not to be, etc. Also being a country boy, I had not been without a knife at hand since I was 10 years old.

I found myself after work with a dead car battery, after dark, standing on a deserted street on a railroad overpass behind my office building, waiting for my wife to pick me up. I noticed a tall, vagrant-looking guy walking up the street on the other side. He noticed me standing there, and very deliberately crossed the street and started walking my way. I slipped my 4 inch trapper out of my pocket, opened it with one hand, and slipped the blade down into my wallet in my hip pocket. I then placed my hand on the wall behind me, near my knife handle, as if I were propped against the wall, while keeping my center of gravity over my feet. He never saw the knife. He walked up to within three feet, stopped, and asked me if I had a light. I told him no, and a staredown ensued. He finally turned and silently walked off. If he had anything other than a light in mind, I think that the confident attitude engendered by having a weapon and a plan may have made the difference. Being a young, healthy, 6'8", 260 pounds may have helped, also.
 
Originally posted by Paul Janulis
No....but that avatar needs to transform into a real chick right here in my office....pronto! :p
Click to expand...
long as you don't work in a cubicle, you won't get in trouble when she shows up :D!
 
I'm 17 and I've only resorted to using my fist 2 times in my life, on one occasion I could have easily left but the other started it and would have pestered me all year if I had busted his nose then and there.

Then the other occasion A guy was just bothering me endlessly, I tried to walk away but he cornered me and would not let me go, So I thrust into him and hit him as hard as I could, he fell back and I kicked him in the ribs and left immediatly.

I also was corned by 3 guys once and I pulled out a knife when I was 13 I regret doing it, I think I was trying to be cool, but After I think about It I must have been an idiot, luckily a neighbor threatened to call the police If we didnt leave.

Luckily for me I've had no more confrontations, and I know the moment I need to pull a blade of anytype for Self-Defense (non-animal related) Im gonna be judged by 12 and not carried by 6.
 
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