Self-defense instructor showing what to do against an attacker with a knife

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Really, as soon as I saw the knife, he would get a low kick from my right leg to the back/side of his left knee..in a downward chopping motion. It keeps me away from his knife hand, and I don't have to be that fast or accurate. On his way down, kicks to his ribs and head would continue until he relaxed the grip on that knife.

My first kick (to the knee) would either cause him to collapse (lose his balance in the direction of the kick, or at least (if he was much larger than me) spin him around, so his back is to me.

Hey -- this sounds like my kinda cop show.

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Synnuh

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

95% of knowing how to defend yourself is knowing where not to be, and how to not escalate a situation.

Actually running away was a bad idea. If the guy with the knife is faster than you are, you can't defend your back.

Really, as soon as I saw the knife, he would get a low kick from my right leg to the back/side of his left knee..in a downward chopping motion. It keeps me away from his knife hand, and I don't have to be that fast or accurate. On his way down, kicks to his ribs and head would continue until he relaxed the grip on that knife.

My first kick (to the knee) would either cause him to collapse (lose his balance in the direction of the kick, or at least (if he was much larger than me) spin him around, so his back is to me.

But never grapple with a guy with a weapon.

The self defense moves you see in the movies? Never ever ever ever ever do any of that.

Remember; He can always move faster than you can react to his movement. but you can move faster than he can react to your movement.

My spinning low kick:

I don't like physical confrontations, either.

Thanks

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ThomM

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

95% of knowing how to defend yourself is knowing where not to be, and how to not escalate a situation.

Actually running away was a bad idea. If the guy with the knife is faster than you are, you can't defend your back.

Really, as soon as I saw the knife, he would get a low kick from my right leg to the back/side of his left knee..in a downward chopping motion. It keeps me away from his knife hand, and I don't have to be that fast or accurate. On his way down, kicks to his ribs and head would continue until he relaxed the grip on that knife.

My first kick (to the knee) would either cause him to collapse (lose his balance in the direction of the kick, or at least (if he was much larger than me) spin him around, so his back is to me.

But never grapple with a guy with a weapon.

The self defense moves you see in the movies? Never ever ever ever ever do any of that.

Remember; He can always move faster than you can react to his movement. but you can move faster than he can react to your movement.

Great advice Claude. As for going at the knee. I've been shot in the knee before so I understand the value of taking a knee out of an attacker. I've also been hit in the knee by a horseshoe. Both of those were the only times I've every been dropped to the ground

I currently don't have any guns in my house but I do have various bats and other clubs spread around along with some sharp objects. A friend asked me once what I would do if someone broke in. I said grab a bat, get low and aim for the knees.

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yukon Banned 8 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

I've also been hit in the knee by a horseshoe.

Never stand behind a horse...

Horse kick - YouTube
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- ThomM 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by yukon
  
  Never stand behind a horse...
  
  Horse kick - YouTube
  
  I grew up in the country. There are a whole bunch of animals I won't stand behind
  
  [ 1 ] Thanks
  
  Signature
  
  Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
  Getting old ain't for sissy's
  As you are I was, as I am you will be
  You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.
  
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Joe Mobley 8 years ago

Of course there are other alternatives.

Flashbang bra holster demo. Fast, safe and...

Joe Mobley
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- Claude Whitacre 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Joe Mobley
  
  Of course there are other alternatives.
  
  Flashbang bra holster demo. Fast, safe and practical. - YouTube
  
  Joe Mobley
  
  I think girls with incredibly large breasts, wearing a T shirt... will find this useful. But how in the world do you distract the attacker?
  
  This guy is poised to sell dozens of these across the world.....dozens!
  
  Thanks
  
  Signature
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- Princess Balestra 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Joe Mobley
  
  Of course there are other alternatives.
  Flashbang bra holster demo. Fast, safe and practical. - YouTube
  
  I see two problems here.
  
  First, if yr a real big girl, it's gonna take more'n 1.5 seconds to whip anything out from under yr squidos.
  
  Yr gonna need an accomplice with a wrench.
  
  Second, if yr flat, evryone gonna see yr packin' a weapon, an' I figure the whole point of this product is the concealment factor.
  
  Skinny girl goes into a gym wearin' onea these, some barechested guy in shorts gonna come at her with a knife, tellya.
  
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  1 reply
  
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  Lightin' fuses is for blowin' stuff togethah.
  
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  Joe Mobley 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Princess Balestra
  
  I see two problems here.
  
  First, if yr a real big girl, it's gonna take more'n 1.5 seconds to whip anything out from under yr squidos.
  
  Yea, I see yr point... it takes me more than 1.5.
  
  Joe Mobley
  
  Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
  .
  Follow Me on Twitter: @daVinciJoe
  
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  Princess Balestra 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Joe Mobley
  
  Yea, I see yr point... it takes me more than 1.5.
  
  With or without a bra?
  
  [ 2 ] Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
  Signature
  
  Lightin' fuses is for blowin' stuff togethah.
  
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  Joe Mobley 8 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Princess Balestra
  
  With or without a bra?
  
  Ha! That was good!
  
  ...
  
  And... I really don't care if she has a bra or not.
  
  Joe Mobley
  
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  Signature
  
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HeySal

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

95% of knowing how to defend yourself is knowing where not to be, and how to not escalate a situation.

Actually running away was a bad idea. If the guy with the knife is faster than you are, you can't defend your back.

Really, as soon as I saw the knife, he would get a low kick from my right leg to the back/side of his left knee..in a downward chopping motion. It keeps me away from his knife hand, and I don't have to be that fast or accurate. On his way down, kicks to his ribs and head would continue until he relaxed the grip on that knife.

My first kick (to the knee) would either cause him to collapse (lose his balance in the direction of the kick, or at least (if he was much larger than me) spin him around, so his back is to me.

But never grapple with a guy with a weapon.

The self defense moves you see in the movies? Never ever ever ever ever do any of that.

Remember; He can always move faster than you can react to his movement. but you can move faster than he can react to your movement.

More pain, damage, and accuracy to come down on the FRONT of his knee. Why throw him off balance when you can break his knee and cause pain too excruciating for him to be able to follow you? When under attack, you use the most violent means of defense you can. At the point you have to counter-attack, you can be sure the creep isn't any too worried about your health.

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Sal
When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
Beyond the Path

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Claude Whitacre

8 years ago

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HeySal

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

You must have taken a self defense class at the YWCA.

Have you ever tried to hit a knee with your foot from the front, at the right angle, while your assailant is moving? If your angle is wrong, it won't work. If your balance is off, it won't work. If the mugger's knee is bent, it won't work. If your foot slips off the knee, it won't work. And you are still in front of the guy with the knife in his hand.

There are reasons I said what I did.

All true - however if you know strike points, you will still knock the guy off balance if you hit wrong. Women, because of our lesser strength, have to do things a little differently. I can hit a man pretty hard with my foot in the back of the knee without budging him - just as to the front (angled to side) of the knee if I don't hit exactly right.

Basically - for a woman, if she misses a knee, she's trained to scrape her foot with as much weight as possible on it down his shin and the land en force on his instep. The pain is excruciating even with an adrenaline rush will shock them enough to slow them down, if not completely disable them. Of course, you still have to have your hands moving to block the arm - and that's, at least at my size a lot harder to balance to get a rear knee kick in. In this situation - I would lock on that arm and use it for balast to do some kicking. At my size, it's easiest to use the perps size and strength as a prop. They don't expect it, either.

Men and women are taught to fight differently in some circumstances because of the size and strength factor.

One thing I totally agree with you on is - you better be able to haul *ss if you're going to run. I can't run that fast. However, if you can get the guy to run, you can trip him up, possibly.

As for "who taught me". I had private home sessions with a Modern Arnis master because I'm 100 freaking pounds and can't do the arts that call for strength. Then later - Al Dacoscos - I'm sure you've heard of him - he was in the popular martial arts magazines in the late 50's - known as Mr. Kung Fu, and a friend and sparing partner of Bruce Lee. I have no clue whether he ever held classes at a YWCA or not. If I told you what my exact move would be -- especially at my age - you would not believe me.

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When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
Beyond the Path

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bizgrower

8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

95% of knowing how to defend yourself is knowing where not to be, and how to not escalate a situation.

Actually running away was a bad idea. If the guy with the knife is faster than you are, you can't defend your back.

Really, as soon as I saw the knife, he would get a low kick from my right leg to the back/side of his left knee..in a downward chopping motion. It keeps me away from his knife hand, and I don't have to be that fast or accurate. On his way down, kicks to his ribs and head would continue until he relaxed the grip on that knife.

My first kick (to the knee) would either cause him to collapse (lose his balance in the direction of the kick, or at least (if he was much larger than me) spin him around, so his back is to me.

But never grapple with a guy with a weapon.

The self defense moves you see in the movies? Never ever ever ever ever do any of that.

Remember; He can always move faster than you can react to his movement. but you can move faster than he can react to your movement.

Hey, I just saw those moves on Walker, Texas Ranger. Chuck Norris also sings the opening song. What a man. LOL

A long time ago there was this retired cop who had a TV show about surviving attacks. An example he gave for being mugged for money is to have two stacks of money. One "decoy" with maybe a $20 on the outside. You drop that to distract the mugger, and then run like hell. Making a lot of noise would not be a bad idea either I suppose.
Dropping the decoy money gives you a bit of a lead. It was not a self-defense course and in the example, the robber was not armed - at least not visibly. His career in law enforcement had taught him that if a bad guy is trying to abduct you, it means that he will probably try to kill you - so get away by all means possible.

I've seen some YouTube videos, maybe it was an email list thing, by a US military hand to hand combat trainer
that give some easy to implement moves that will disable somebody fast. Not a lot of training involved. (Just throwing it out there in case a dear reader is facing something now and there is not time to train.)

I used to frequent a certain convenience store. One of the employees. a woman, had been a sheriff's deputy
at the Denver jail. She was taught, because woman's hand are smaller, to use dime rolls instead of quarter rolls
if you have to make a fist. And, if there is not a weapon, to go for the nose because it is usually the surest way
to begin to disable an attacker. If you miss, you still get their eye... A blow to the crotch can easily miss any pain point and if on target, does not always hurt enough fast enough to disable an attacker.

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Claude Whitacre

8 years ago

Originally Posted by bizgrower

A long time ago there was this retired cop who had a TV show about surviving attacks. An example he gave for being mugged for money is to have two stacks of money. One "decoy" with maybe a $20 on the outside. You drop that to distract the mugger, and then run like hell. Making a lot of noise would not be a bad idea either I suppose.
Dropping the decoy money gives you a bit of a lead.

Actually, for the vast majority, the best idea. A robber is different from someone attacking in anger. A robber just wants money. I'd just give them money (most likely).

Originally Posted by bizgrower

It was not a self-defense course and in the example, the robber was not armed - at least not visibly. His career in law enforcement had taught him that if a bad guy is trying to abduct you, it means that he will probably try to kill you - so get away by all means possible. .

Yeah, if you're being abducted, you'll probably die. The best bet is to be the most unattractive abductee. Scream, bite, throw up, anything to make it not worth the guy's time.

Originally Posted by bizgrower

if you have to make a fist. And, if there is not a weapon, to go for the nose because it is usually the surest way to begin to disable an attacker. If you miss, you still get their eye... A blow to the crotch can easily miss any pain point and if on target, does not always hurt enough fast enough to disable an attacker.

There is a phenomenon I see in martial arts instruction. Phenomenal martial artists, who train for decades, decide to teach a short course at a community college or YMCA. For some reason, they teach the same techniques you find in every other self defense course, and most of them will get you killed.

If you are going to teach a non-martial artist how to defend themselves, you have to stick with the few techniques that do not require balance, speed, timing, knowledge of anatomy and power.

Hitting the nose from the side will cause the eyes to tear up. and will disorient the attacker.

Kicking at the groin is a bad idea, because all men protect it reflexively. And people hit it from the wrong angle. A hit just above the groin, in a downward direction will hurt worse than a groin shot, and drain the body of all will to fight.

Trying to hit someone in the eyes is usually not going to work, because we reflexively protect the eyes, and it takes accuracy to hit them.

Here's an example;

A kick to the outside of the knee, with your shin, at a 45 degree angle downward, requires almost no skill at all. Your body is out of the attacker's reach, it takes no aim, and little power. The knee is built to take a lot of power from the front or back while bent, but not from the side. And kicking downward collapses the knee sideways.....tearing tendons in the knee. It's impossible to miss. Anywhere along your shin can be effective to kick with, and the collapsing knee forces your shin to hit the correct spot.

You can use that technique when you are drunk. You need no power.

Kicking the inner ankle (about 4 inches above the ankle) at a 45 degree angle downward, forces the ankle to collapse sideways, probably breaking the ankle. In any event, the attacker can't follow you.

A blow of any kind to the neck, between the side muscles and the adam's apple, will cause the guy to pass out. we don't reflexively protect the neck. In fact, if the guy sees your hand coming, he'll likely pull his head back, exposing the vegus nerve in the neck. Yum.

You know that bump at the back of your head on each side? Hit that in an upward motion, and the guy falls.

That's what I would teach a person with no skill.

The main problem is that most people freeze when threatened, and can't remember anything they have learned. So you need to know a few things that will always work, no matter how big the guy is, or if you have shoes on or not.

Anyway, enough of that.

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yukon

Banned 8 years ago

Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre

Yeah, if you're being abducted, you'll probably die. The best bet is to be the most unattractive abductee. Scream, bite, throw up, anything to make it not worth the guy's time.

...or take the Mel Gibson approach & be crazier than the crazy guy.