Have you EVER felt the need to use your knife for self defence?

Unfortunately on more than one occasion. One such occasion, I happened to meet up with my mom and little brother on a busy shopping street one day. This was purely by chance that I ran into them. I had noticed a kid lurking around the area that just looked out of place. He was pacing around and scoping people out. My instincts told me to watch him and sure enough, just as my mom and brother were at the corner about to cross the street, with me behind them, he crept up and started fumbling with a small caliber pistol in his jacket pocket, looked like a .22 or .25. He was eyeing my mom's purse and he was about two steps behind my right shoulder. I flicked open my knife and turned towards him with the knife placed flat against my chest and slightly concealed by my jacket but I made sure he saw it. We locked eyes for about 5 seconds (it felt like eternity) and he decided to look for easier meat. Waiting for him at the end of the street were his fellow homies in the getaway ride. He got in and they drove off. Afterwards I flagged a cop and explained what happened (without telling him about my knife) and they turned and went in their direction.

There have been other similar occasions and all of them were instances where the aggressor had a weapon of some sort. I would never pull a knife on an unarmed assialant unless I was with my family and in over my head.
 
Yes, I've felt the need even in unfounded situations (am i evil or what, lol), but never acted on it. Usually talk my way out of a situation, no matter how loud the guy's screaming. I've found that when I'm calm the spazzy guy calms right down, probably realizing how stupid he looks doing all the yelling. I've guess I've been pretty lucky *knock on wood*.

My papa used to say if talking don't work, and they continue to yell and try a swing or grab, hit 'em in one of the vitals to bring the volume down and walk away. He did just that as a bus driver. Dude wouldn't pay the fare, told to get off, pulls out a blade, dad controls the blade with one hand and squeezes dude's testicles (closest vital in range to where he was sitting) with the other hand - dude faints. The guy even tried to sue pops...the nerve.
 
Last edited:
J_Curd said:
I would never give anyone the opportunity to beat me in a "fair fight". If it is justifiable self-defense, don't pull any punches.
Click to expand...

I see what your saying, but case in point...a friend of mine was mugged and used a small pocket knife in self defense. My friend had one arm in a cast and his assailant had him in a head lock. My friend was able to get to his legal sized knife and plunge it into the guys side several times before he released him. The guy bled pretty bad and almost died. My friend was the one convicted in court and treated like the criminal for...get this...use of excessive force with a deadly weapon. Never mind this thug had a criminal record and was mugging my friend who had an arm in a cast, they chose to prosecute my friend. He was lucky enough to get off with probation and community service, but it was a shitty example of how things can turn against you in court even when you are in the right.
 
I do not carry a knife because it can be used for self defense, but that would not prevent me from using it as such if I were forced to defend myself. It's better than nothing, but there are far better improvised weapons that tend to present themselves in most areas.

The best sword is the one never drawn, and the Nike defense is the best one. :D
 
"Mother England" has a lot to answer for - the land of the maple leaf made the same mistake we did and didn't boot the poms out so it's the same deal in Oz. No 'Bill of Rights' , nothing enshrined in Constitution - not allowed to have any sort of weapon for SD - I think we're just supposed to bend over and pass the vaseline across. However if you just happened to have a knife in your hand because you were about to peel an orange (dang - must have dropped it in all the excitement) and some crazy dude decides to run up and stick his chest in it then it's OK because the knife wasn't carried as a "weapon". When I was driving cabs we often had a 6" flat blade screwdriver in the drivers door handle (in case the handle came loose of course - silly!)
 
Masteroffajitas said:
Have you EVER felt the need to use your knife for self defence?
I've always heard of people carrying steel for protection. Have any of you felt threatened and had to pull one out on a dude? I hope this never happens to any of you.....but have you?
Click to expand...

I have never carried a knife for self defence. To me it is always a tool for cutting.

In almost 50 years of carrying a knife, I have never felt the need to threaten anyone with any knife I have ever carried.
 
coolhand68 said:
He was lucky enough to get off with probation and community service, but it was a shitty example of how things can turn against you in court even when you are in the right.
Click to expand...

Location: Boston, MA

Nuff said. They only help criminals in the "old 13" these days.
 
Actually it was NYC...but six of one, half dozen of the other. It's a shame that the northeastern cities frown upon honest citizens wanting to arm themselves for protection.
 
From my post count you can see I'm a newbie in this forum but I hope it's ok to express my point of view just for discussion sake.

I learnt Silat as a child, an ancient martial art that's practiced in the Malay Archipelago (Phillipines, Indonesia and Malaysia). My father taught him, just as his father did. Silat involves a lot of grappling, lock and of course knife work with the kris (both long and short versions). I still practice once a week to but more to keep the custom alive and to keep my fitness, agility and flexibility. My son show's little interest but humours his old man as he knows I believe strongly in boys being able to defend themselves.

As a young man in the merchant navy a knife in the back pocket was a given because of the nature of my work. It gave me a sense of security especially during shore leave in foreign ports, especially since I'm a pretty small guy. Have I ever needed to use it? No, not really, I've had a close shave in the Phillipines but I've always believed in running away as my first option and fight only when you've got your back against a wall. In that incident I ran. As a police officer my mindset changed, someone packing a knife is viewed as the aggressor rather than someone defending himself. I've a deep respect for knives, the krises in our family are named and has been part of almost all ceremonies (births, deaths and marriages) but thats about it. If I'm carrying a knife its because it is a tool. Of course Singapore's crime statistics are very different from that in the US and as such I do not think less of those who do carry knives for self defense. It's pretty safe here and the police do a pretty good job of keeping it that way. Knife laws are pretty strict here, carrying a knife without legitimate purpose counts as possession of a scheduled weapon (3years minimum, 3 strokes of the cane). Now that I am an elementary school teacher I still carry a knife around but I also have a pack rod and reel in my bag at all time to legitimize the knife.

Best regards
Azad
 
Last edited:
I have never carried a knife for self defense or had to use one, and I hope I never will that said. If I was getting my ass kicked or had my life threatened by some one I dont know, its better to have a knife to defend me than risk serious injury. As for the legality issue, Its better to be judged by 12 than carried by six. In the typical friendly(I use that term loosely) fist fight I would not use a knife though.
 
I don't carry a knife for self-defense...I carry a knife (or two) as tools. If I'm in a SD situation, I'll use whatever I have at hand (including the knife I'm carrying as a tool) to defend myself and my loved ones....


Mindset is the most important component in self-defense.....training and weapons are useless without mindset....
 
More than once,I've taken it from my pocket & palmed it(ie: walking into area with multiple undesirables & didn't have gun on me),but NEVER had to use it.
 
Never drew a knife in self defense and I never intend to. A knife would be my last choice of defensive weapon- too easy for it to be reversed on me.
 
The problem is people keep thinking a single weapon will solve all your problems. I could give my grandmother an AR-15, but if she can't figure out how to flip off the safety she may as well be wielding her famous apple crisp recipe (knock down dead lethal as well, but not much use in a fight).

I have been in martial arts for about 3 years now, and know how to fight. But ultimately once you pull that knife out (especially if its a small edc) if they're staying put you might just have more luck sticking your foot someplace where it hurts. As soon as you pull it out, that's where the attention and focus goes, which can be a tremendous help, if you know how to use it.

I have never been in a balls out fight, but I have been in places where merely the look in my eye that said don't screw with me, has been enough.

No knife (or even gun) ensures you beating the bad guys, but it certainly won't hurt.
 
Well I have no expereince (nor do i want it), but my cousin pulled a knife on a small gang of teens once. (hes around 23-24)

He was walkign from his college to his dorm in arizona one night I think and got attacked by 5-6 people according to what he said. He's lucky he didnt get it takend away from him since they managed to get him on the ground. I'm not sure if he injured any of them, but apparently he did succesful fend them off since all they got from him was a cellphone.

Surprisngly, the cops at the scene told my cousin to cut them next time to "mark" them or something, if he had any more trouble with them, but of course that won't happen now since he done foolishly dropped out.

As for as me, the only position where I felt threatend was at school, so I didnt' have any knife on me. With that being said, I threatend the guy back with a set of keys in between my knuckles instead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top