Does Running Away From A Knife Wielding Attacker Always Work?

Does Running Away From A Knife Wielding Attacker Always Work?

        You hear an awful lot of people claim that learning to defend yourself against a knife in martial arts is useless and will never work. They have this belief that somehow the only viable method of self defense against a knife attacker is to run. Is this always true? I disagree.

Learning to deal with weapons in martial arts is very important. That is why I train in and also teach Ensayo Kali which is a Filipino martial art that primarily focuses on bladed weapons. We also focus on sticks and empty hand techniques.

I do not believe that the only method of self defense against a knife is to run. I think that is for the weak minded and people who give up, as well as the arrogant people who love to discredit martial arts. I will list a few reasons why this view is for the ignorant people with no sense of self defense or fighting spirit. Many only do sport oriented martial arts or some urban soccer mom version of combatives. I think that if you are not learning to deal with a bladed weapon coming at you with intent to kill then you are doing yourself a disservice.

A very common weapon used by criminals to kill people is a knife. One of the most basic weapons used throughout the entire world’s history. Criminals use knives in armed robberies, rapes, muggings, random killing, planned murders, passionate crimes and more. If you have been in such a situation, or thin it is a possibility d you want your ONLY option to be to run away? How dumb!

Of course any good martial arts master will tell you to run. It is sound advice. I recommend that your first thought should be to back off and run if you know you can get away. If someone pulls out a knife and brandishes and shows you he has intention to fight you with it or attack you then you should run!!! How dumb it would be to walk up to him and try some Kung Fu move or something. You should run! But this is not the case of most criminal attacks! Most often you do not even see the weapon until it is too late. If you practice fast reactions and have drilled certain techniques and concepts thousands of times you have a much better chance at surviving and even ending the attackers life instead of your own. Most criminal who use knives are also not even trained in martial arts. It is obvious that a trained martial artist would have better skills than the attacker and have a better chance as winning a fight. A knife is a great equalizer, but not totally. I have seen video footage of lunatics and terrorists using bladed weapons to attack people on the streets and many times the people using the weapon are slow and predictable. The victims however have absolutely NO training in the combat arts and are utterly helpless. It is time the regular law abiding citizens stop being helpless! Learn a martial art that deals with blades like Kali!

A criminal usually pulls a knife out right before he stabs. You won’t be ready to run. You may not even know he will attack you. He might hide behind you and attack you. He might jump you from the side. He might be talking to you and then pull out a weapon and try to stab you immediately. How can you run away? You can’t! You must deflect!!!! An if possible disarm. You won’t be able to run until after he has stabbed you if you don’t have training. If you have training you have a high chance of making the situation be that yo deflected the knife and then were able to escape, or you deflected the knife and then disarmed him or used his own knife against him and killed him instead.

Also, even if you do decide to square up to a knife attacker if he as brandishing he knife it does not automatically mean you will get stabbed and lose. You could win possibly, but the chances of you getting cut are very high. Nothing is impossible though. I recommend not doing this unless there is no choice.

When would there be no choice? When you are surrounded or walls are behind you and there is only 1 exit door and he is standing there. You may have to square up and fight. No situation is impossible.

The best method of learning to defend against a knife is to learn how to use a knife first! That is why Kali emphasizes students to learn how to use a knife as a weapon. Not only to defend but also to be the attacker and learn how to use it as a deadly weapon of war. Once you learn how to use a knife to attack and how it can kill then you will know how you can defend and protect life.

Martial arts were created as methods of warfare and self defense for citizens. Only in our modern times have they been given the focus of sports first, or completely neglect the self defense side of martial arts. We really need to get back to the primal reasons we do combat arts.

So no, you should not always run away from a knife, you cannot always run away from a knife, and you may have to square up against a knife attacker. This is the real world we live in and only the ignorant people who want to be in their sport safe spaces think otherwise. If you get the right martial arts program and the right instructor you will have confidence that if it is necessary you can defend against a knife attack successfully, and you can also use a knife against a criminal effectively. Ensayo Kali Tactical System is a martial art from the Philippines based on ancient and modern Filipino techniques. Such techniques used by warriors of old, soldiers, and very tough men of the Philippines in history. It is a true martial art. EKT was founded by Guro Gerald Pilapil fro Malabon City.