What to do if someone tries to rob you with a knife?

[ZrowsN1s]

"Look man you don't want to do this... What is that 30dps and .08 behind the edge with a .3" spine? Does that say Surgical Stainless? What's the HRC on that thing......"

[Bloke]

I've never thought much about this before

[lonerider1013]

Awesome movie! Brings back memories...

[vivi]

"Look man you don't want to do this... What is that 30dps and .08 behind the edge with a .3" spine? Does that say Surgical Stainless? What's the HRC on that thing......"

Haha this brought someone to mind.

[Woodpuppy]

Still surprised that anyone is worried about hurting an attacker. They signed away their life when they chose to commit violent felonies. It’s only a matter of time really. That said, I prefer to avoid the whole experience. Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk around with your nose buried in your dadburn phone. Be aware that compliance won’t necessarily save you. My actions will depend on whether or not my kids are with me. I’ll run if I can, or if I can’t I will pull the CCW.

[Bloke]

I’ll run if I can, or if I can’t

[Woodpuppy]

That’s what I’m talking about. HK made a briefcase with an MP5 inside, which could be fired from within the case.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Would anti-blade body armor work in such a situation? I have seen that in catalogs and on the internet.

[VashHash]

Would anti-blade body armor work in such a situation? I have seen that in catalogs and on the internet.

Are you going to walk around in full "swat/riot police" gear every time you leave the house? The situation could have a lot of variables. If the attacker sneaks up behind you it's totally different than a confrontation a few feet away. Ever seen dumb and dumber? "what if he shot you in the face?"

Also there's an old thread where someone was demonstrating a "cut proof shirt" and someone just so happens to have a spyderco civilian or matriarch. It didn't work so well for the demonstrator. Just food for thought.

[koenigsegg]

If you get in a knife fight you're going to get cut. I would run or go full on crazy

[Bloke]

in such a situation

[VashHash]

in such a situation

Hope it doesn't rain when you're wearing that hahaha.

[Naperville]

Are you going to walk around in full "swat/riot police" gear every time you leave the house? The situation could have a lot of variables. If the attacker sneaks up behind you it's totally different than a confrontation a few feet away. Ever seen dumb and dumber? "what if he shot you in the face?"

Also there's an old thread where someone was demonstrating a "cut proof shirt" and someone just so happens to have a spyderco civilian or matriarch. It didn't work so well for the demonstrator. Just food for thought.

Do you have the link to the "cut proof shirt" failure?

I've researched bulletproof and cut-proof jackets, and vests. The only thing preventing me from having them is the cash. As soon as I get the cash, I'll be buying them.

[ShaneInDenver]

Do you have the link to the "cut proof shirt" failure?

viewtopic.php?t=72657

[ZMW]

Look into a class of not being a victim at your local Community Center / YMCA / Sheriffs Office. I don't know the resources available to you.

Anything you read is out the door when your adrenaline rises after initial contact with this bad guy. Proper training, properly practiced, is what gets you through an engagement like that.

You would not believe how much I wrote, to narrow it down to the above two thoughts :) I'm a 20yr Army Retiree and a Handgun Instructor for the State of TN and the NRA.

Back to lurking now <grin>
~Roy

I agree about adrenaline and everything getting thrown out the door. Unless you are highly trained (and still training) individual, any weekend course is not going to make a difference. Any training is good, but doing a few trainings and watching videos will not help when your adrenal gland dumps and fight or flight happens.

Some training is good, but training A LOT is the real answer. When in doubt - RUN

[bagsnatcher]

So I've never thought much about this before, to me a knife is a tool, but today someone got robbed in a crowded parking lot within a block of my house in broad daylight at knife point, as far as I know this type of thing has never happened recently in the small town where I live.
It makes me wonder, do any of the more self-defense oriented people have any suggestions as to what to do if that or something like it happens? Given the lack of previous such events in the area I'm assuming it is an anomoly, but I' also assuming it is foolish not to at least consider a worst case scenario since I go thru there a lot, on foot and by bicycle, day and night.
Obviously on a bike I have the advantage of getting away from them, I have sprinted up to nearly 30 mph before from stoplights (for short distances), so i don't fear someone chasing me down on my bike, but if I am stopped or on foot it is different.
Presumably running away is safer but I don't run very fast afoot and to do that I'd have to turn my back to the assailant.
Being unarmed (i'm not gonna use the small spyderco I normally carry as a weapon unless I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, it is a TOOL) what is the best course of action if someone pulls a knife? I'm assuming most thugs might not be trained combatants, is there a way to knock it out of their hand? (I have tried dagger disarms in historical fencing classes, but a midevil dagger is a lot longer and has little in common with a modern knife, plus, of course, the drills were at half speed and frankly it was a fencing class I was taking for recreation not combat training in the 21st century). But is there a way to say hit the forearm from the inside and then grab it, something like that? Or should I just turn my back and try to run fast?

Hopefully this never even comes up, but given what happened this morning literally next door i had to ask: what would you do, or be prepared to do My instinct is just carry on as it is unlikely to impact me personally, but then my brain tells me, that's probably what the poor person who was robbed thought.
I do pay attention (as a cyclist who has been hit by cars before I'm looking around all the time) and don't own a smartphone so right there I am probably a less likely target, in terms of not being oblivious, but any help beyond that? Much appreciated. Thanks.

The lonerider

Give him your wallet if that's what he wants.

Fight for your life if it's anything beyond that (any escalation on the dude's part, kidnapping, leading to torture/rape/murder, etc).

You don't ever want to be in a position to justify "executing" some "poor" "teen" over a wallet/phone.

EDIT: you mentioned "trained combatants" and "disarming." I think most people's understanding of how knife attack mechanics is highly inaccurate (I blame movies & TV). If you want to see an accurate portrayal of these attacks, do a search for surveillance footage of prison attacks. I'll do you even one more, so you understand (this was inspired by Mike Janich's 'Porkman' demo, from a while back): take a side of pork belly (or half a carcass, if you can), from your local butcher/Costco, hang it in your garage; get your favorite blade, walk up quickly to to the belly / carcass, start violently stabbing / slashing it. Try not to injure yourself in the process. That's what a knife attack is.

[Bloke]

I'll be buying

[lonerider1013]

EDIT: you mentioned "trained combatants" and "disarming." I think most people's understanding of how knife attack mechanics is highly inaccurate (I blame movies & TV). If you want to see an accurate portrayal of these attacks, do a search for surveillance footage of prison attacks. I'll do you even one more, so you understand (this was inspired by Mike Janich's 'Porkman' demo, from a while back): take a side of pork belly (or half a carcass, if you can), from your local butcher/Costco, hang it in your garage; get your favorite blade, walk up quickly to to the belly / carcass, start violently stabbing / slashing it. Try not to injure yourself in the process. That's what a knife attack is.

In an actual attempt to kill i've heard that's the case, but from the news account of this robbery it seemed they more or less brandished the knife, and threatened the victim with it, which to me suggested something different....
If I had access to half a pig, btw, I'd be eating well, lol.
lonerider

[Naperville]

I'll be buying

:D

[eRoc]

If someone threatened me with a knife, I'd bore them to death by explaining the ins and outs of edge geometry, how the steel they chose isn't the best choice for stabbing humans (along with an in-depth explanation on how carbides, chemistry, and heat treat affect those properties), and then use the finishing move of debating the place of sprint run/exclusive run flippers in the overall marketplace and how they drive up prices for everyone else. If that doesn't defeat their willpower, I'll use my secret weapon of arguing about users vs collectors and how each impacts the hobby.

This might save me from the mugger, but then who's going to save me from my wife? I bought her a hap40 Delica and 5 seconds into telling her about the steel she tried to stab me with it.