Defense against a horizontal knife slash

[FngSaiYuk]

What are some good techniques for defending against a horizontal knife slash? Left to right, right to left, blade tip pointed towards, blade tip pointed away, etc?

I've seen a lot of knife thrust, stab and vertical slashes defense techniques, but never any horizontal slash techniques (other than staying away).

Oh and what do you do if you're cornered (which is where I'm assuming is my most likely predicament if I'm facing a horizontal knife slash).

[yenhoi]

Many Options depends on many variables.

You can counter any angle with the same angle.

So you can counter right to left horizontals with right to left horizontal motions of your own.

Etc. Many others.

[rogue]

Start shooting center mass and walk them up to his head.

[Christopher M]

Many of the principles of empty hand still apply: you should be thinking in terms of intercepting early or late, and forming techniques around bump-hit-control.

The main difference, and it's a whopper, is that the knife wielder does not need momentum to attack you. This has some serious implications for what counts as control of the opponent's body.

[SPJ]

Get a bat or a short staff or a frying pan.

Or take your coat or shirt off and make a rope by twisting it and slap or whip the opponent's hand or use a thick belt with a buckle.

You need something to create a safe distance from the wielding knife.

A shoe or whatever.

Fake a high hit and then go down and sweep his leg or scissor cut his legs.

Use your prop to press on the opponent's wrist or forearm and take the knife away.

Aim for the wirst or forearm and hit hard so the grip is loose and falls the knife. or hit hard on the back of his hand.

Always get ready to move back a bit or half a step and get ready to kick his approaching knee. He has to get close enough to start slashing sidewise.

Call the cop or just run.

Do not engage the opponent with a weapon.

No hero stuff please.

Pepper spray or sand on his eyes. Use fire extinguxher, a desk phone, a chair, or something and hit his hands or forearm then his head.

on and on.

[Serpent]

The best defence against any knife attack is to run the fvck away.

[rogue]

Ditto Christopher M.
The problem using horizontal slash techniques, I'm assuming you're meaning the big extended ones, is that they leave the user at various points open and crossed with the blade moving away from the target. Somebody like knifefighter would know better if they are used, but I don't remember any of the pros that I know using that motion.

Oh and what do you do if you're cornered (which is where I'm assuming is my most likely predicament if I'm facing a horizontal knife slash).

Define "cornered". A horizontal slash is at it's worst when there are things in the way of the slash. What's keeping you cornered would also interfere with the slash.

[FngSaiYuk]

Originally posted by rogue
Define "cornered". A horizontal slash is at it's worst when there are things in the way of the slash. What's keeping you cornered would also interfere with the slash.

The scenario would be AFTER attempts at flight have failed, ergo the 'cornered' bit. Somehow your back is against a wall and you have an assailant weilding a knife and moving towards you in the manner of an experienced fighter.

No momentum and commited attacks, using the blade intelligently to cut at any limbs that may enter within range of the blade, no other weapons available other than the clothes and shoes that are worn.

I'm having a very difficult time coming up with a good and somewhat 'safe' defense against a knife weilder. Everytime I play spar with a rubber knife, we always all end up getting cut. So I'm interested to know if there are any decent techniques when unarmed against an experienced knife fighter.

[joedoe]

Well, IMO (though not very experienced in knife fighting opinion) if you are facing a knife you want room to manouvre. If you are cornered with no room to move, and nothing to maintain the distance with (e.g. stick) then you are pretty much screwed.

[FngSaiYuk]

Originally posted by joedoe
Well, IMO (though not very experienced in knife fighting opinion) if you are facing a knife you want room to manouvre. If you are cornered with no room to move, and nothing to maintain the distance with (e.g. stick) then you are pretty much screwed.

Which is exactly how my scenarios keep playing out when the horizontal slash is used. I'm able to deal with stabs and thrusts when I get my timing right... It's the slashes I'm having difficulty dealing with.

[joedoe]

I guess the only thing I can think of is to step inside and try to jam the slashing hand while attacking the wielder, but this sounds pretty low percentage to me. But then again, I think most knife defences are probably low percentage.

[rogue]

Everytime I play spar with a rubber knife, we always all end up getting cut.

Get used to that idea because that's what usually happens when you go empty hand vs knife. Think minimizing the damage from the cut you will get by protecting places that will cause you to bleed out fast or disable you. Still sucks but you're looking for the best out of options that are all bad.

So I'm interested to know if there are any decent techniques when unarmed against an experienced knife fighter.

No.
Also many experienced knife fighers will use their free hand and legs to make openings for the knife to end your life ASAP. In general if you're going up against someone experienced in h2h, knife, gun or stick and you are not, kiss your ass goodbye.

Maybe knifefighter will drop in. He's worked alot with this sort of thing.

[Christopher M]

Originally posted by rogue
Think minimizing the damage from the cut you will get

Eg. bridge with the backs of the forearms rather than their bellys; a habit you'll have to ingrain in your regular empty hands practice.

[blooming lotus]

against an experienced fighter, I definately agree with maintaining the distance if you can, but I think a well planted round to wrist and or back of hand you might get away with. If it didn't disarm them, it might distract him / her enough to give you a gap to close, then options widen. But you'd need to be quick on the close and hard on the kick.

What art are you studying?? Alot of styles have knife defences and ninjutsu and even tkd to lesser extent is awesome for it.

cheers

[FngSaiYuk]

Originally posted by blooming lotus
against an experienced fighter, I definately agree with maintaining the distance if you can, but I think a well planted round to wrist and or back of hand you might get away with. If it didn't disarm them, it might distract him / her enough to give you a gap to close, then options widen. But you'd need to be quick on the close and hard on the kick.

No matter what timing and speed I pull my kicks and strikes, off, my limbs inevitably get cut and the opponent is rarely disarmed or even put off balance enough for a safe followup.

Originally posted by blooming lotus

What art are you studying?? Alot of styles have knife defences and ninjutsu and even tkd to lesser extent is awesome for it.

Right now I don't have an instructor within my travel range who I could learn from. My current study sources are what I can find online and have shipped to me. I've been practicing mostly solo and trying scenarious out with my wife and a couple of my nephews who I'm physically training (for football and wrestling).

My previous experiences I'm drawing from are from varied instructors, TKD, shaolinish kungfu... All my previous instruction involved techniques against thrusting and stabbing. I don't have a difficult time with stabbing and thrusting - it's all in the timing in those cases... it's the defense against slashing and against an experienced knife fighter who DOESN'T commit to stabs and slashes that I have ZERO exposure to.

OK, so far here's where I'm at with the knife defense-

• Keep focused on the weapon and it's attack zone
• Attempt to draw the attacker into a position where I can flank the weapons attack zone
• Keep focused on the weapon and it's attack zone
• When flanking the weapons attack zone, attempt control of the weapon while occupying the opponents attention with repeated, quick strikes to vulnerable and distracting areas (eyes, throat
• Keep focused on the weapon and it's attack zone
• When any amount of control over weapon is gained, attempt to break opponents structure and attempt disarming
• Keep focused on the weapon and it's attack zone

Anyways, we've been kinda focused on the knife defense this weekend when we kept getting cut (virtually of course, using rubber knifes) when attempting to drill through scenarios.

Oh and I should re-iterate, this is against a worst case scenario, we're really into avoiding the fight to begin with, and handling possible armed conflict BEFORE weapons are drawn.