Why carry a knife at the gym?

[bomber258]

I personally don't carry a knife while I'm working out. I've been associated with the fitness industry in one way or another, even coaching at the college level, since the early 90s. I have a knife in a small duffle(SRM 710) nearby with lifting gear (towel, water, chalk, etc). If I happen to be running at night (which is rare as I hate running) I'll have a keltec p32 and a boker escape in a kydex neck rig.

As for the gentleman who confuses preparedness and vigilance with fear...try being mugged a time or two. Try having to draw a pistol and prepare to defend yourself with it. You'll change your tune in a hurry. I've had to draw on someone before. It still bothers me that even though I didn't fire, I had to point a weapon at a human being. There are bad people in thise world, you must be lucky to have lived 42 years and not encountered any.

I was an LEO for 26 years and got to 'point my gun' at many.
I also had 2 shootings in 2 different gyms in this small city.
So since I dont keep the gym bag next to me [ I did at one point while still on the job ].
I wear an ankle rig with a super light Ruger LCP with a laser sight.
Hope I dont even need that,but I am not going to cower and die if attack should come.
mall or gym ninja - not really.
Survivor ,period.
I am sure y'all will do as you please,allow me the same.
btw,back when I was working - the mutts I locked up the night prior were in the gym a few hours later,yes with me.
They are still there and they still remember me !.

 

[Spontoon]

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[stabman]

With all the socialist anti-gun and weapon laws Canada has, I'm suprised they even let you own Swiss Army knives up their.
You don't need me to give you what you need for your problems, thats what the Canadian government was put in place to do.

Forget what you hear on American television and radio.
The Canadian government does the same thing as the American: nothing other than take your money.

But I have tons of knives, and several guns. The guns have to stay at home, and I don't go around carrying huge honking knives, other than in the woods.
I just don't want some junky jerk stealing my pocketknife and wallet while I'm working out, so I wear something with pockets now while I'm there.
And if someone attacks me while I'm there, they'll get a weight in the face, and the knife will stay in the pocket.

 

[cbr6fs]

Cbr6fs,

Uh, yeah, don't quit your day job.

Your attempt to psychoanylize me from a few brief postings on the internet fell way short. You're right, you don't know me. Perhaps you should have tried to get to know me a little first before passing judgment. Maybe ask me a little about myself and my background. But you didn't bother. Personally, I try to get to know a person before forming my opinion of them. But that's just me.

Coincidently, I too am 42 years old. I too have been around awhile and have experienced much.

Though it's not something I like to talk about (I've been here over nine years and never mentioned it), I have been trained in the defensive use of a knife (as well as un-armed and pistol) and unfortunately, I have also found it necessary to use a knife to defend myself. A most horrible experience.

Now if you were a friend of mine, or someone I respected, I might have been inclined to share the details of my background, my history, my experiences. But you chose to jump to conclusions. That's not a trait I look for in my friends. Not a trait that I respect.

Good-bye, have a good life, It's a shame we didn't actually get to know each other.

I'm pretty much retire these days so not really much of a day job to give up

Your response has really only deepened my concern, as it seems to me you have read what you wanted to read, skipped the bits that didn't piss you off, then blew everything up out of proportion when i very clearly stated i was not having a go.

I am talking 100% about civilian life here, armed forces and policing is a completely different thing.

If your experience was in civilian life and you were not in jail, then you are the first person i have ever spoken with that successfully used a knife to disable a armed attacker.

where again do you live and which gym do you go to? If you really dont care then you wouldnt mind if everyone knows where you like to hang out.

It should be on left under my user name, if not though i currently live in Athens (the Greek one) :thumbup:

I mean your such a bad ass that you have been to everywhere and dont even sweat when someone takes you hostage. you obviously can either talk your way out of any situation or disarm anyone with your super internet kung-fu skills even if they are armed with guns. you must be related to chuck noris!!! I mean god damn, your one impressive SOB!

Funny post, but a jump of epic proportions from the little info you had to go on.
It was Africa of course i was sweating

P.S. It would be impossible to get your laces stuck in a stationary bike's gears/pedals right? I mean that has never happened before on earth.

Been a regular gym user since i was around 15.
Not once have i ever got or seen anyone else get their laces caught in a stationary bike.

But then i tend to be prepared for such dramas.
i.e. i toe my laces

cbr6fs - Being constantly fearful and being constantly prepared are not the same dude. If you are not able and/or willing to use a knife as a weapon it doesn't reflect on others. People have been using them as such for thousands of years. A jack ass can whip out a knife and put himself in more danger than he was before, but another person can have a bad guy going to the morgue faster than you can sing the ABC's.

There are other emergency uses for a knife besides being used as a weapon and couple, quick definition look-ups show "A serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action" and "an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action" - zombie apocalypse might happen while you are on the treadmill

Just a general observation, sure knives CAN be used as weapons.
But to be honest a chair leg would make a better weapon against a armed assaulter.


Thing is to be honest i don't really care if, where and why someone carries a knife, if they're an adult it's up to them to think responsibly and make an informed decision.

In my opinion though formed over years of various experiences and thought anyone that carries a knife in civilian life for self defence purposes is at best seriously deluded and at worst has criminal intent.
They are simply not a reliable method of self defence, even something as simple as a can of wasp killer spray would be more effective.

It also makes me smile when these folks come up with implausible and down right unlikely stories as some sort of justification

Please guys as civilians don't use knifes for attack or defence purposes, all your doing is giving these "anti knife" politicians more ammunition to make or hobby a million times more difficult.

 

[WJC01]

What kind of emergency do you expect to find while doing laps in the swimming pool?

I dunno but I'll be ready!

They are also handy for sharpening a pencil if you log your workout.

 

[Magnaminous_G]

Carry a switchblade to the gym during peak hours. Then, when someone steals a machine you need to use, you flick that switch blade out, "click" and sort of hold it at your side, look at them and say, "You got three seconds to finish your set..."

 

[Picksmith]

A sharp knife is a convenient thing I try never to be caught without. There are so many lightweight options. If you have one that can be comfortably concealed during a workout routine... that's one more to consider for the EDC rotation. If it's only dedicated to carry during a workout, what's wrong with a dedicated EDC? Even if it's only to trim a hangnail between sets.

 

[Mud Shrimp Moe]

A sharp knife is a convenient thing I try never to be caught without. There are so many lightweight options. If you have one that can be comfortably concealed during a workout routine... that's one more to consider for the EDC rotation. If it's only dedicated to carry during a workout, what's wrong with a dedicated EDC? Even if it's only to trim a hangnail between sets.

As the OP here, I have not been questioning "what's wrong" with carrying in the gym. I'm not implying anybody shouldn't carry. I'm asking, without judgement, why you decide to.

I've read a lot of interesting responses. The shoelaces in the stationary bike was perhaps the most convincing need so far. But there have been others.

Honestly the main reason I do NOT carry is that I'm afraid I'll lose a knife. Even a clipped knife could fall out with all the movement I do.

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

Just a general observation, sure knives CAN be used as weapons.
But to be honest a chair leg would make a better weapon against a armed assaulter.


Thing is to be honest i don't really care if, where and why someone carries a knife, if they're an adult it's up to them to think responsibly and make an informed decision.

In my opinion though formed over years of various experiences and thought anyone that carries a knife in civilian life for self defence purposes is at best seriously deluded and at worst has criminal intent.
They are simply not a reliable method of self defence, even something as simple as a can of wasp killer spray would be more effective.

It also makes me smile when these folks come up with implausible and down right unlikely stories as some sort of justification

Please guys as civilians don't use knifes for attack or defence purposes, all your doing is giving these "anti knife" politicians more ammunition to make or hobby a million times more difficult.

My experience and training says the opposite but there is room for all opinions. I've been attacked by baseball bats (head and shoulder) and knives (wrist, forearm, and thigh) and much prefer a bad guy have a large stick or club than an edged weapon. If they knew what they were doing more and/or I didn't have training then I might have been less lucky and disfigured, permanently handicapped, or dead. When you have the right training to go along with awareness and ability to be aggressive then a blade at close range is only second to a firearm.

For me personally, I think every grown man should carry a weapon at all times and not have naive dreams that the multi-level law enforcement businesses around the world are actually going to protect them or their family in an emergency.

 

[kniferbro]

Fine. I won't argue the semantics of what "gym" is versus "activities."

I also lift weights often. Honestly, power yoga is one of the hardest and most productive workouts I do, however.

Agreed. Many people don't consider yoga of any kind a real "workout". My 60 year old father can bend forward, touch the ground and raise his legs to a full hand stand and hold it, just from yoga. I bet no one here could do that...

 

[killgar]

Back when I frequented a gym I carried a small gym bag (duffle bag) around with me. It contained water bottles, towels, phone, wallet, and a fixed-blade (not a "tiny folder"). I didn't trust lockers for valuables and I never found it to be an inconvenience to carry and occasionaly move a little bag. And with all the other stuff I had in the bag, it wasn't exactly a chore to add the fixed-blade.

Now I never said a knife was some super miracale weapon. It's just something I like to keep handy, in case I need it and because I can. In a threat situation I seek to obtain the best weapon available. In a gym setting I would prefer a long weight bar or maybe a heavy metal chair or stool. However, not all gyms have free weights, and anyone with a firm grasp of reality knows that we don't always get to choose what "improvised weapons" are available to us at any given moment. Sometimes our only option is what we have with us.

I was taught the following principles-

When you need a weapon, any weapon is better than no weapon.

Also-

When faced with an immediate threat, the weapon that is close is better than the weapon that is far away.

Now if anyone can convince me that these principles are wrong I would greatly appreciate it as I have been following them for most of my life and would not want to continue doing so in error.

I don't try to convince people of the importance of being able to put up an armed defense. And I don't bother trying to explain that a threat can happen anywhere at any time. Either you get it or you don't. And what others choose to do is of no importance to me.

 

[Stainz]

An SAK could be useful in a gym. You'd have some tools to tighten loose equipment screws... the awl or blade to rapidly deflate a rubber excercise ball, should it get 'stuck'... the blade could cut your dues check from the checkbook... the can opener could open a can of tennis balls... the bottle opener could open a beer - or a Monster drink... tweezers for those wayward floor splinters... toothpick to get the dip from between your teeth...

A pocket knife has many uses. I won't leave home without at least one. That excercise ball problem is frightening...

Stainz

 

[AfghanWarrior]

I think the OP's question is a good one!:thumbup:

 

[bobusx]

The level of condescencion in this thread is pretty incredible. Reminds of how anti knife people talk about knife nuts in general. Pretty disgusting...

 

[cubegleamer]

I wear a diver's knife strapped to my ankle when I'm doing laps in the gym's indoor pool. Sure, I get some funny looks once in a while. I hear a few laughs now and then... but who'll be laughing when all hell breaks loose in the shallow end? This guy!

 

[ThePharce]

I was an LEO for 26 years and got to 'point my gun' at many.
I also had 2 shootings in 2 different gyms in this small city.
So since I dont keep the gym bag next to me [ I did at one point while still on the job ].
I wear an ankle rig with a super light Ruger LCP with a laser sight.
Hope I dont even need that,but I am not going to cower and die if attack should come.
mall or gym ninja - not really.
Survivor ,period.
I am sure y'all will do as you please,allow me the same.
btw,back when I was working - the mutts I locked up the night prior were in the gym a few hours later,yes with me.
They are still there and they still remember me !.

To be clear, my statement was intended for cbr6fs, not you.

 

[ThePharce]

I'm pretty much retire these days so not really much of a day job to give up

Your response has really only deepened my concern, as it seems to me you have read what you wanted to read, skipped the bits that didn't piss you off, then blew everything up out of proportion when i very clearly stated i was not having a go.

I am talking 100% about civilian life here, armed forces and policing is a completely different thing.

If your experience was in civilian life and you were not in jail, then you are the first person i have ever spoken with that successfully used a knife to disable a armed attacker.




It should be on left under my user name, if not though i currently live in Athens (the Greek one) :thumbup:




Funny post, but a jump of epic proportions from the little info you had to go on.
It was Africa of course i was sweating




Been a regular gym user since i was around 15.
Not once have i ever got or seen anyone else get their laces caught in a stationary bike.

But then i tend to be prepared for such dramas.
i.e. i toe my laces



Just a general observation, sure knives CAN be used as weapons.
But to be honest a chair leg would make a better weapon against a armed assaulter.


Thing is to be honest i don't really care if, where and why someone carries a knife, if they're an adult it's up to them to think responsibly and make an informed decision.

In my opinion though formed over years of various experiences and thought anyone that carries a knife in civilian life for self defence purposes is at best seriously deluded and at worst has criminal intent.
They are simply not a reliable method of self defence, even something as simple as a can of wasp killer spray would be more effective.

It also makes me smile when these folks come up with implausible and down right unlikely stories as some sort of justification

Please guys as civilians don't use knifes for attack or defence purposes, all your doing is giving these "anti knife" politicians more ammunition to make or hobby a million times more difficult.

Yes, instead we should just let the assailant kill us? I guess you think that crime doesn't actually exist and they make up all those stories on the news? I take it you have never had a gun or knife pointed at you in a threatening way? I'll bet ONE such experience would change your views. This isn't the 50s...such crimes now happen in even small towns.

Wow....for you to tell people that they cannot defend themselves when attacked...the sheer arrogance.

 

[ThePharce]

My experience and training says the opposite but there is room for all opinions. I've been attacked by baseball bats (head and shoulder) and knives (wrist, forearm, and thigh) and much prefer a bad guy have a large stick or club than an edged weapon. If they knew what they were doing more and/or I didn't have training then I might have been less lucky and disfigured, permanently handicapped, or dead. When you have the right training to go along with awareness and ability to be aggressive then a blade at close range is only second to a firearm.

For me personally, I think every grown man should carry a weapon at all times and not have naive dreams that the multi-level law enforcement businesses around the world are actually going to protect them or their family in an emergency.

As my buddies in law enforcement have told me...you can draw your weapon much faster than they can get there to help you.

 

[Picksmith]

As the OP here, I have not been questioning "what's wrong" with carrying in the gym. I'm not implying anybody shouldn't carry. I'm asking, without judgement, why you decide to.

Weighted dips? Seriously though a Spyderco pen knife that matches my workout threads. I might switch the gryphon to a G clip and IWB carry, or even a Voyager just because. Same reason I carry a microstream light really. If I need it and have to walk over to the locker room that's not nearly as quick or handy as I prefer.

 

[jimnolimit]

I try to work out every day at a gym. Since I'm a single dad, there are days I can't. But I average >5 days a week.

I love knives, but at the gym they stay in my pants, hanging in my locker.

If I need to cut a thread on my gym shorts or whatever, I can do it when I change back into street clothes.

i do the same as you. i go to the gym 5-6 days a week and my knife stays in my pants, in a locker.