Because of the complexities involved in fending off a blade attack, most knife-defense techniques are likely to fail if attempted on the street, the author says. (Photo: Robert Young)

Most people severely underestimate how deadly a knife attack can be. The rule of thumb is, if a blade can touch you, it can hurt you. A lot of martial artists must not know that, however, for I frequently come across masters teaching questionable knife defense methods and am often left wondering if they've ever tried to use their techniques in real life-or even in the dojo against an uncooperative partner.

The, hard truth is that you're unlikely to ever control someone who's armed with a knife. You'll never grab or trap the knife hand, you'll never' lock or break the arm or wrist, and you'll most certainly never take a knife away from all but the most incompetent attackers. It's almost as if the average knife-defense technique should come with a warning: Attempting this can be severely harmful to your ability to continue breathing.

There's a reason the blade has been the weapon of choice since man first learned to make tools to ensure his survival. Of all our interpersonal weapons short of a hand grenade or gun, it has the most advantages and the fewest disadvantages, especially when it comes to close-quarters combat.

The first advantage is that a knife is a multi-directional touch weapon, meaning it can harm its victim by contact alone, and it can "touch" that person from any direction and almost any position. The second is that, unlike in unarmed combat where precise technique is required to be effective, a knife doesn't need exact body mechanics to achieve the desired effect. The third is that, a knife is a "forgiving” weapon in the sense that the person wielding it can be physically inferior and still take out his enemy in a heartbeat.

Therefore, the greatest challenge in neutralizing a knife attack lies in acquiring the ability to react instantaneously to a sudden and often deceptive assault. The problem is that doing so requires that you perceive where, when and how the attacker will try to slash or stab you. After all, you can't stop what you cannot see-or more precisely, you can't stop what you cannot perceive. You have to see the blade to react to it, and of all the weapons, the knife is the most difficult to see and predict.

Those facts make catch- and-control defenses difficult, if not impossible, to pull off in the real world. Unless your attacker telegraphs his intention or delivers the clichéd overhand "psycho stab , " you stand little chance of discerning the exact line of engagement. Consequently, you have almost no chance of intercepting, catching, controlling or manipulating the blade without literally risking life and limb.

At every knife-survival seminar I conduct, before teach any techniques or tactics, I pair off the students and give them protective gear and a single training blade. Then
I tell them they each have 10 minutes to choose and practice any technique they wish to use to defend against a pre-arranged attack, usually a basic straight thrust to the torso. At the end of the time, we gather around and watch each student demonstrate his method. The most common techniques include those mentioned above, as well as some counter-kicks and interceptions. With some skill, such techniques can appear to be effective, especially when you know exactly where, when and how the attack will come. But that's the catch: In the real world you don't know exactly where, when and how it will happen, and even slight variations on the theme will wreak havoc on any attempt to control the blade. It's a problem of compound stimulus and response.

To illustrate that point, I then suit up and take on each student. I explain that I'll strike either at his heart or throat, but this time he doesn't know which one will be targeted
or when. I also explain that I'll change the angle, of attack ever so slightly from a slash to a stab, and I might change my timing, commitment and rhythm a bit. So far, no one
has ever stopped my attacks. Every student gets cut, and in the real world, every one would have been killed.

Now, if you imagine that situation being complicated by a factor of 10 or 100 -- because of multiple lines of engagement you'll realize that even if you could quantify every possible line of attack, you would never be able to predict your opponent's timing and movements with any accuracy. If he were allowed to strike anywhere at any time -- like in the real world-the complexity would soar astronomically. Add to that broken rhythm, feints, footwork, strikes with. -the free hand or foot and, well, you get the picture.

The edged weapon truly is the ultimate equalizer. In the hands of a novice, it's exceedingly dangerous. In the hands of an expert, you'd better pray that luck is on your side regardless of how good a martial artist you are. The knife offers no margin for error, so unless your attacker is an idiot, your chances of recognizing, intercepting and controlling him-or his weapon-are about as good as your chances of winning the lottery.

About the author: Richard Ryan is the founder of Dynamic Combat™ and the designer of the Tactical Defense Training™ system for law enforcement. He has more than 30 years of experience in martial arts, combative firearms and weapons training. For more information, call (800) 945-4387.

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