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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 5:57 pm
by lonerider1013
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

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 6:11 pm
by VashHash
There's so many variables that it's hard to give an answer. I think it would be something that would require training.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 6:20 pm
by Cscottsss
Well, hard to say as their are a lot of different scenarios but I will say, I am licensed and do CCDW about 90% of the time.......

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:05 pm
by vivi
I'd run, even if I had my handgun on me. Best case scenario, who wants to go through the headache of court? Worst case scenario, he closes the distance before you draw and fire, and it's night night.

There's no shame in running from a physical altercation on the streets. There's no honor code out there.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:06 pm
by Roy Campbell
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

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:27 pm
by Doeswhateveraspidercan
Vivi wrote:
Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:05 pm
I'd run, even if I had my handgun on me. Best case scenario, who wants to go through the headache of court? Worst case scenario, he closes the distance before you draw and fire, and it's night night.

There's no shame in running from a physical altercation on the streets. There's no honor code out there.
Exactly.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:27 pm
by RustyIron
Give the guy what he wants.
Live to see another day.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:38 pm
by The Meat man
RustyIron wrote:
Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:27 pm
Give the guy what he wants.
Live to see another day.

Exactly what I was thinking.
Run if you can safely do so, but otherwise, just give him your wallet. It's not worth possibly losing your life over.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:48 pm
by lonerider1013
That's what I was afraid of. Although to be fair I'd kind of figured that there was no easy answer. It is sad that I even have to think about this, I never have before, small town like I said, I mean I've had a few people try and kill me before on the bike but as a cyclist you get used to cars as potential dangers, a knife is just more scary silly as that seems. Maybe it is because I know about knives lol. It's just when i heard about this I was one, shocked, and two, alarmed. I figured better to be prepared in case it happens than not, even if that is only knowing what to do.
I am not particularly brave, nor quarrelsome, but I definitely do not like the idea of complying with a robber.
Beats dying though I guess...

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:48 pm
by Naperville
I've studied/dabbled in approx 10 martial arts, 5 of them Filipino knife arts and it all depends on how lucky I felt that day. There are a number of things that can be done.

IF you think that with no training you can stop an assailant armed with a knife, I suggest you go to the "Dog Brother's" website and buy "Die Another Day." It's very enlightening. Most of the attendees did not survive without quite a bit of training. They do show you the techniques to deal with an armed assailant, and they may work.

I'm pretty sure that I cannot run very far, although I've never tested myself, but I'd bet I run out of steam within a few blocks. Had open heart surgery in 2017 for a 3-way bypass and a new aortic valve, so my options may be different than yours. I might give him what he is looking for IF I have it, and hope he does not use his knife on me.

I might drop my wallet at his feet and as he bent over to pick it up, use my knife on his jugular.

I might take out my knife and confront him, mano-a-mano. But remember one thing. There are relatively few winners in knife fights, where fighters face off against each other. You may win. You may lose. Training might help you, but luck is really the thing that you would be looking to have at that moment. There is a discipline called Largo-Mano, and I know it well, but would I face off against a guy with a knife? Do I want to risk dying or being disfigured?

I'd probably drop the wallet at his feet and make my move, or just give him the wallet. And yes, I carry knives for self defense.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:58 pm
by SpyderEdgeForever
I am not giving advice. But Rusty, MeatMan, and other folks, what do you say to this? I once spoke with a person who told me he knew of a situation where some no good mugger approached someone on the street like that, and said something like "Give me your money or you die", and this person told me that the one who that happened to had a heavy-grade American-made steel motorcycle chain, whipped that chain out, because it has reach to it, and smashed it right across the violent mugger's face and knife-hand, tearing open the mugger's face like it was a wet rag, and the attacker ran away screaming, bleeding, dropped his knife, and the citizen defending himself ran the other way.

Now, I don't know if said person telling me about this situation was making it up or not, he said it happened decades ago (before modern knives, back when the Buck 110 was the latest new pocket knife), but, if that did indeed happen, what are your thoughts on defending oneself like that, and what would be the likely outcome from such an encounter? Is a chain a good self defense weapon/tool if made of good steel and someone attacks or attempts to mug you with a knife or pocket knife, since it is strong steel and has reach/range to it? What does Michael Janich say?

One thing I've read is that a problem with using the above are:

1 In the eyes of the law it looks like an improvised weapon unless the person is using it to lock up a bike.
2 It could swing back and hit the self-defender.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:00 pm
by JonLeBlanc
Yep, gotta concur with the above posts, give up the wallet, run if possible, and live to pray for the soul of the "man" who robbed you. Gosh, a knife fight is a terrifying idea, one I'd only consider if death or injury were truly imminent and there was no better option.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:07 pm
by lonerider1013
Spyderedge, I do bicycle so I carry a lock and chain or cable nearly all the time, or a u-shackle lock, though usually in a backpack and not quickly accessible. not as massive as a motorbike chain but still a bit of ironmongery. also I still have the belt holster for my u-shackle lock from back when I practically lived out of the saddle and commuted by bike routinely. That may be an idea... But i don't really want to hurt anyone. It just bothers me because it happened right close by and I am trying to decide if there is anything I can do if it ever happens to me.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:09 pm
by lonerider1013
JonLeBlanc wrote:
Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:00 pm
Yep, gotta concur with the above posts, give up the wallet, run if possible, and live to pray for the soul of the "man" who robbed you. Gosh, a knife fight is a terrifying idea, one I'd only consider if death or injury were truly imminent and there was no better option.
Terrible is my thought exactly, and altho i carry a knife as a tool I know so little about using it as a weapon I would not like to try.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:27 pm
by Naperville
SpyderEdgeForever wrote:
Mon Jun 17, 2019 8:58 pm
I am not giving advice. But Rusty, MeatMan, and other folks, what do you say to this? I once spoke with a person who told me he knew of a situation where some no good mugger approached someone on the street like that, and said something like "Give me your money or you die", and this person told me that the one who that happened to had a heavy-grade American-made steel motorcycle chain, whipped that chain out, because it has reach to it, and smashed it right across the violent mugger's face and knife-hand, tearing open the mugger's face like it was a wet rag, and the attacker ran away screaming, bleeding, dropped his knife, and the citizen defending himself ran the other way.

Now, I don't know if said person telling me about this situation was making it up or not, he said it happened decades ago (before modern knives, back when the Buck 110 was the latest new pocket knife), but, if that did indeed happen, what are your thoughts on defending oneself like that, and what would be the likely outcome from such an encounter? Is a chain a good self defense weapon/tool if made of good steel and someone attacks or attempts to mug you with a knife or pocket knife, since it is strong steel and has reach/range to it? What does Michael Janich say?

One thing I've read is that a problem with using the above are:

1 In the eyes of the law it looks like an improvised weapon unless the person is using it to lock up a bike.
2 It could swing back and hit the self-defender.
SEF you're wonderful, and full of surprises.

I just added "American-made steel motorcycle chain" to my 340 page survivalism document.

Flexible weapons are part of the FMA, Filipino Martial Arts, and Asian martial arts. It fits, I had never thought of it.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:33 pm
by Doeswhateveraspidercan
Well I have read all this.

And Vivi is correct he has presented the most logical realistic real world view. If you get down to blades you have already lost the fight.

This society in America will incarcerate you or it will cost you your future and retirement if you use a knife in a fight.

This is not about being tough, a macho man or any other fantasy scenario. You use a Knife or a gun without proper insurance and legal council and your future will be determined by the penal system plain and simple.

Question are you willing to prepare? Do you have legal council?

If not then ask yourself. Would I rather live in prison with 3 hots and a cot and all the sex you can take?

If your answer is no you had better get educated. If it is yes we’ll have fun gonna do my level best not to be anywhere near you.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:38 pm
by Naperville
If anyone is contemplating using a knife in self defense, as I pointed out, it is not a great idea.

But if you do so, then get USCCA Insurance, so that you have a lawyer on call 24x7x365. I have this insurance.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:44 pm
by lonerider1013
^Doeswhateveraspidercan... To reiterate, it was not my intention to hurt anyone. A woman was robbed at knife point a block from my house in broad daylight today in front of a crowded store. I was simply asking what I should do if this happened to me, as I've never really thought of it before... never had to, but i pass thru there at all times of day. Essentially I was asking if there was a way to for instance disarm the attacker or if it was better to run, in fact I think I explicitly stated my position was one of "unarmed" because although I carry a knife as a tool i have no intention of using it as a weapon. I certainly don't plan on getting into a knife fight in the street, I am sorry if anyone got that impression. I'm just a peaceful dude but when I hear of something like that happening I ask myself what should i do? Seemed a normal thing to ask.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:48 pm
by murphjd25
If my life or immediate family was threatened by a would be robber or bad guy with a knife, the answer is simple. Knife wielding thug would be dead. This is why I CC. If it was entirely self defense I don’t think you have anything to worry about in a court of law, unless you live in some crazy county where all weapons are bad. You may not even have to use your CC gun, as soon as you presented it said bad guy with a knife may run and pick someone else to rob.

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

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:50 pm
by Doeswhateveraspidercan
Naperville wrote:
Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:38 pm
If anyone is contemplating using a knife in self defense, as I pointed out, it is not a great idea.

But if you do so, then get USCCA Insurance, so that you have a lawyer on call 24x7x365. I have this insurance.
This!