Gun vs knife
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Interesting video but that man is something I will never be and that is agile. Being honest with myself, with my disability I move like a glacier.
I pocket carry and try to keep my head on a swivel on the few occasions I am out. That's about the best I can do.
I pocket carry and try to keep my head on a swivel on the few occasions I am out. That's about the best I can do.
Me too . . .
bearfoot
US Veteran
when out we watch around us. barely go out at night to shop. like others, age has slowed me down. just took down a fan/light in 2ed. bedroom, and put up a single globe. on ladder, reaching up, didn't realize how weak/ sore rewireing/ mount light,putting up a fixture could make ya. plus the street elements assume we are old, and an easy target.
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Echo40
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The problem is that not everyone can be as good with a knife as they can be with a gun. There is a degree of simplicity when it comes to gunfighting with is often overlooked or ignored. Sure, training is required to handle a firearm with proficiency, but no matter how you slice it, it's easier to point and shoot someone with a gun than it is to fight someone off with a knife, especially when it comes to folks who aren't necessarily in peak physical condition.
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Old rule, “ don’t bring a knife to a gun fight”…
It is not necessarily effective to bring a gun to knife fight, either, but if that's all you have, do the best you can with what you have.
The silly part of all of this is that the situation requires that you pick a fight with somebody that already has a knife drawn while you play high noon quick draw after the fight already started.
Do NOT pick a fight. Period.
If anybody wants to start a fight, you leave. If they pull a knife, you RUN.
If anybody gets the drop on you, you don't get to quick draw them like clint eastwood. They won the draw, you get to try to not get shot.
Make sure you have a glock 18 machine pistol with 5 extra 30 round mags for self-defense because you live in fantasy land where 20 ninjas attack you at once for the $20 in your wallet.
Bronson only needed a 5 shot .32. if you can't do it with a 5 shot .32, then you are it really an action movie star and will probably die in the gang fight you started.
Do NOT pick a fight. Period.
If anybody wants to start a fight, you leave. If they pull a knife, you RUN.
If anybody gets the drop on you, you don't get to quick draw them like clint eastwood. They won the draw, you get to try to not get shot.
Make sure you have a glock 18 machine pistol with 5 extra 30 round mags for self-defense because you live in fantasy land where 20 ninjas attack you at once for the $20 in your wallet.
Bronson only needed a 5 shot .32. if you can't do it with a 5 shot .32, then you are it really an action movie star and will probably die in the gang fight you started.
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A few thoughts….
I had a guy try to mug me once with a knife. It was mostly my fault that it went that far. I was in Arlington VA at the time and had just finished 12 hours at work and got off the metro to get cash at an ATM and then make it to the AT&T store before it closed in about 5 minutes to swap out my non functioning phone.
I got $300 from the ATM and failed to notice someone watching watching from across the street. It was dark, raining and the streets were virtually deserted. I proceeded at a very fast walk in the direction of the store, but turned a block too early. About 10 ft past the corner I realized my mistake and turned around - rings into a guy with a hoodie with one arm coming up for my neck and the other coming out of his pocket with a knife. I’d turned to the left, so I was leading with my left foot and had my right foot back in a very stable position for a palm strike with my left hand to his chest followed by a large step forward driving him back. He’d been startled by my sudden turn and had checked his momentum putting him off balance. The palm to the chest and the step into him pushed him further off balance while I bladed my body and started lifting my jacket to draw. At that point he got both feet under himself again and turned and ran.
Horrible SA let him get close enough to be a threat. I got lucky in terms of turning to the left as it let me engage him and put him off balance with my left hand, creating time and space to draw with my right. I would not have been able to maintain the momentum and still draw if I had turned to the right.
I also got lucky as he was a “smart” criminal who wasn’t interested in potentially getting shot.
I’m not sure a knife would have had the same effect in that situation as he may have seen it was more or less even odds.
That said, none of this was anything other than a conditioned, aggressive, gain the momentum, response to a sudden threat. That doesn’t usually happen naturally unless someone has had a fair amount of training in defensive techniques. The assailant clearly wasn’t expecting that response. I think that had more of an effect on the outcome than any particular type of weapons.
——
There’s also a psychological advantage in a gun that isn’t present with a knife. Attacking someone with a knife, even in self defense, is a much more personal action and most people are much more tentative in a defensive situation with a knife than they are with a gun.
——
That higher psychological barrier in using a knife is also something the anti gun crowd plays on in banning guns, thinking a knife is both less lethal and less likely to be used.
They extend that logic to assault weapons as well, even though about 3 times as many people are beaten to death with hands and feet each year than are killed by all types of rifles combined.
——
However, because of this incident I did change my every day carry knife to a fixed blade Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter knife in an Armatus Carry sheath that fits in a front pocket.
It can be drawn and employed one handed with no requirement for any fine motor skills. It also arguably has more psychological impact on an assailant as a fixed blade knife.
I had a guy try to mug me once with a knife. It was mostly my fault that it went that far. I was in Arlington VA at the time and had just finished 12 hours at work and got off the metro to get cash at an ATM and then make it to the AT&T store before it closed in about 5 minutes to swap out my non functioning phone.
I got $300 from the ATM and failed to notice someone watching watching from across the street. It was dark, raining and the streets were virtually deserted. I proceeded at a very fast walk in the direction of the store, but turned a block too early. About 10 ft past the corner I realized my mistake and turned around - rings into a guy with a hoodie with one arm coming up for my neck and the other coming out of his pocket with a knife. I’d turned to the left, so I was leading with my left foot and had my right foot back in a very stable position for a palm strike with my left hand to his chest followed by a large step forward driving him back. He’d been startled by my sudden turn and had checked his momentum putting him off balance. The palm to the chest and the step into him pushed him further off balance while I bladed my body and started lifting my jacket to draw. At that point he got both feet under himself again and turned and ran.
Horrible SA let him get close enough to be a threat. I got lucky in terms of turning to the left as it let me engage him and put him off balance with my left hand, creating time and space to draw with my right. I would not have been able to maintain the momentum and still draw if I had turned to the right.
I also got lucky as he was a “smart” criminal who wasn’t interested in potentially getting shot.
I’m not sure a knife would have had the same effect in that situation as he may have seen it was more or less even odds.
That said, none of this was anything other than a conditioned, aggressive, gain the momentum, response to a sudden threat. That doesn’t usually happen naturally unless someone has had a fair amount of training in defensive techniques. The assailant clearly wasn’t expecting that response. I think that had more of an effect on the outcome than any particular type of weapons.
——
There’s also a psychological advantage in a gun that isn’t present with a knife. Attacking someone with a knife, even in self defense, is a much more personal action and most people are much more tentative in a defensive situation with a knife than they are with a gun.
——
That higher psychological barrier in using a knife is also something the anti gun crowd plays on in banning guns, thinking a knife is both less lethal and less likely to be used.
They extend that logic to assault weapons as well, even though about 3 times as many people are beaten to death with hands and feet each year than are killed by all types of rifles combined.
——
However, because of this incident I did change my every day carry knife to a fixed blade Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter knife in an Armatus Carry sheath that fits in a front pocket.
It can be drawn and employed one handed with no requirement for any fine motor skills. It also arguably has more psychological impact on an assailant as a fixed blade knife.
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That's the reason I carry a J frame in my front pocket. A knife is arm reach dangerous but the J frame can get personal and dangerous at longer than arm reach. Larry
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21’ rule or more. Swivel head when in “bad” areas.
Note Doug's comment about not letting the knife be seen until it's about to cut/impale you. There is a "knife culture" of folks who not only carry, but may carry multiple knives and are very, very good with them. I've seen a couple and I've been cursing myself for decades for not getting full IDs in case I needed a subject matter expert sometime. Might want to bookmark the video in case you might need the segment.
Many of the non-experts display the blade, may wave it about, and expect fear to do all the work. Most times it works. My personal mugging experience featured one of those types. He was older, larger, stronger and obviously had done this before. I was just over 21 but fortunately, he decided that a 1911 and an obvious willingness to use it trumped his blade. He apparently didn't realize I set him up with a brick wall as a backstop before he produced the blade.
Many of the non-experts display the blade, may wave it about, and expect fear to do all the work. Most times it works. My personal mugging experience featured one of those types. He was older, larger, stronger and obviously had done this before. I was just over 21 but fortunately, he decided that a 1911 and an obvious willingness to use it trumped his blade. He apparently didn't realize I set him up with a brick wall as a backstop before he produced the blade.
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Like many others on here I am now in my golden years at nearing 77 and am in no shape to get in a knife fight. A knife is a backup to your gun, period. And as said above the knife needs to be capable of being drawn and used with one hand. This means fixed blade period. I think those who carry small folders with supposed one hand opening with a thumb stud are fooling themselves. And there is no denying the deterrent effect of a decent sized hunting knife with at least a 3.5 to 4” blade. There’s something in your brain when you see one that just says that thing is really going to hurt if I get stabbed with it.
I usually carry, but yesterday was out for a walk near our vacation home, SC beach area, and the trash pick up team was on the street. I was walking and looked down and saw a cell phone on the pavement, and picked it up, and turned around and about 20 feet behind me was one of the sanitation workers pulling a big trash wheeled cart. I showed the phone to him, and he came and took it, and we then noted it had been run over, and was crushed.
I was attacked by about 8 thugs one night about 30 years ago, was saved by an undercover police officer who just happened to be there. Since then, I have committed, if attacked with no escape, to hit back with all the energy and force I can, hoping the energy of my reply will surprise the assailant with my response.
When the sanitation chap realized his phone was crushed, he turned and yelled and pounded and hit the top of the trash container he was pulling with violent powerful smashing hits. several times, I expressed my regrets and moved on
Afterwards, I realized my self defense plan would have been no match for someone as violent and powerful and explosive as him. Some people can instantly flip into a sort of super powerful violent assailant. Someone like him would be capable of killing with his fists, and my self defense plan of response would be feeble and hopeless.
As I walked on he kept shouting and crushing the big plastic trash roller.
I would have been no match for someone like him. If meeting up with someone like him, and he hits first, it is unlikely I would be in any condition to draw a firearm or knife.
All the best... SF VET
I was attacked by about 8 thugs one night about 30 years ago, was saved by an undercover police officer who just happened to be there. Since then, I have committed, if attacked with no escape, to hit back with all the energy and force I can, hoping the energy of my reply will surprise the assailant with my response.
When the sanitation chap realized his phone was crushed, he turned and yelled and pounded and hit the top of the trash container he was pulling with violent powerful smashing hits. several times, I expressed my regrets and moved on
Afterwards, I realized my self defense plan would have been no match for someone as violent and powerful and explosive as him. Some people can instantly flip into a sort of super powerful violent assailant. Someone like him would be capable of killing with his fists, and my self defense plan of response would be feeble and hopeless.
As I walked on he kept shouting and crushing the big plastic trash roller.
I would have been no match for someone like him. If meeting up with someone like him, and he hits first, it is unlikely I would be in any condition to draw a firearm or knife.
All the best... SF VET
A word to the wise is sufficient.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFNdkNTljBQ[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFNdkNTljBQ[/ame]
A knife is always "loaded" and dangerous.My dozens of scars will testify to that. 
I held off as long as I could.
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kQKrmDLvijo[/ame]
[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kQKrmDLvijo[/ame]
As has been said many times before, if you really expect trouble to come your way the best place for your gun is in your hand. Don’t wait until you are already under attack to arm yourself.
Stay away from fights and, if you can't, then hope your mugger is NOT A PROFESSIONAL.
But if you can avoid any such situations you'll have a more harmonious outcome.....
But if you can avoid any such situations you'll have a more harmonious outcome.....
