Defending Against Knife Attacks - Straight Stabs G2 - Syllabus

The appropriate solutions against knife attacks at the long range are, naturally, kicks. When it is possible for you, you are able, the timing is good, the distance is correct, use kicks to defend against the straight knife attacks. Attackers at a long range, when he advances, you kick the attacker. You can kick with a regular kick, with a side kick, and with bailing out and delivering roundhouse kick or a side kick. We have done it before.

Inside defense from the outside, against a straight knife attack:

Starting from the medium range, the attacker advances strongly forward and stabs few stabs with a straight knife attack. The attack can be deliver to the higher or lower part of the torso and the head. The forearm hand defense is executed inward and diagonally forward. The bony part of the forearm meets the palm or the wrist of the attacking hand. The elbow is low, and the forearm is as vertical as possible, sent to meet the attack as soon as possible. The moving forearm continues to move inward and forward, thus slides while deflecting and redirecting the attack. The sliding forward motion brings the forearm with the low elbow to the area of the elbow and even the biceps of the attacker.
The body defense, with the torque of the upper body, a pivot, plus stepping diagonally forward, takes the whole body, which is the target, outside the channel of the attack. While stepping diagonally forward, your front leg should reach more or less to the parallel line with the front leg of the attacker. Immediately after the defense, you start with counterattack while grabbing with a C-grip, meaning with your fingers and thumb, the attacking forearm. Usually, if the attacker recoils fast, you will be grabbing the forearm while it returns backwards.
Delivering counterattacks, the defender takes care that the attacker will not be able to continue an attack. The defending forearm is still pressing the attacking forearm, not letting it return to a line which is endangering the defender.

After the counterattacks, continue to the finishing mode. This can be pushing, moving away from the danger zone, or continuing with double control, with more counterattacks and disarming the attacker. Disarming the attacker is done, first of all, with bending of the wrist, sending the knife to the outside. The strong bending of the wrist weakens the grip. Naturally, the strong weakening of the grip was done because of the counterattacks. The defender continues with weakening the grip on the attackers palm, inserts with his finger into the palm, and scraps the knife away, while sending the blade to the outside. Remember, do not pull the blade towards yourself.

In a dry drill, we see the forearm defense executed as vertically as possible, to defend lower and higher part of the body. The body defense, moving while stepping with the left and then the right legs diagonally forward, continuing with trapping the attacking arm while delivering strong counterattacks. The whole action takes the defender out of the channel of the attacks.

Inside defense from the inside, against a straight knife attack:

Attack is from the medium range advancing and attacking several straight knife attacks. Defend with the inside sweeping defense with the forearm, and continue with a hammer punch sideways, while controlling the attacking arm. Finish with several counterattacks, among others with the back knee and then disarm and get away from the danger zone.
One will have to do this technique if the right leg and right hand are forward. Meaning if your left hand was forward, like in the previous technique, you need to defend to the outside for right-handed attacker. If you are the right leg forward, you need to defend with the right leg and right hand, moving diagonally forward.

As in previous technique, the forearm defense used is a sweeping one. Should meet the attack at the palm or the wrist of the attacking arm. Defending too deep, meaning on the attacker’s forearm can result with an injury.

Inside defense with the forearm is done, first of all, diagonally forward to meet the attack as soon as possible. However, because of the nature of the attack, there is some sort of a hole in the area of the wrist and the elbow of the attacker. The angle that the attack is coming towards you is a bit more inward. To prevent the attack from sliding towards your body, you need to execute a sweeping action with your forearm that maintains a correct angle with the attack, and sweeps it away from you. The sweeping action, together with the body defense, brings your chest more or less parallel to the attacking arm.

At this moment, bringing the defending forearm high into a horizontal position to strike with the hammer punch sideways, where bringing the elbow high, the other hand, the back hand, goes to trap, to grab, the attacking knife hand. The grab should be executed diagonally forward, towards the direction that the attacking arm is recoiling to. The grab should be done with the low elbow to maintain a good possibility for a defense with the forearm of the grabbing hand.
Your body move diagonally forward; thus you should be kicking with the back knee. Kicking with the forward knee will put you much more inside the channel of the attack. If you manage to grab the attacking hand, great. If not, the back hand should be protecting you and also counterattacking while you move around towards the back of the attacker. In the case if you manage to trap and grab the attacking hand, it is an option, now, of course, to disarm the person. So create a reasonable distance between you, use the other hand for double control over the attacking hand, meaning grab the wrist and the fist of the attacker with your right palm. With the heel of the hand, you’re pressing and bending the wrist of the attacker, weakening the grip on the knife. Then insert your fingers into the palm of the attacker, and scrape the knife away from him.

Inside reflexive defense against a straight knife attack to the lower abdomen:

This defense starts while your hands are relatively low and the attacker is at a relatively close range. Attacker attacks, and the reflexive action is to send both hands towards the attack. We changed this into one hand that is mainly doing the defense, plus a body turn, then returning, the body with a strong kick.
The inside defense is done with the pinky is down at the thumb is up, stretching the palm and deflecting the attack, while hitting the back of the hand of the attacker. While executing the hand defense, you should pivot your body. Shift your weight to the left leg, and turn the body, moving it away from the line of the attack. As soon as possible, continue with either moving away from the danger zone or with a strong kick. Naturally this technique is a default, and the best thing you can do if you have been surprised and you could not do any preventive actions so the attacker will not reach at a such close range. After the initial counterattacks, move away from the danger zone and continue as needed.

In the dry drill we see the stretched palm moving diagonally forward in order to deflect the attacking palm, the attacking hand, which is holding the knife. Body defense: the torque, the pivot, and moving a bit to the outside, towards the left. As soon as possible, continue with additional moves or strong counterattacks. Finishing mode: as usual, move away from the danger zone, or any relevant tactical moves. Remember, the starting position is a natural one that dictates this reflexive inside hand defense.

An outside reflexive defense against low straight knife attacks:

Either the attacker started from short range, or you managed to see him at a later stage. The reflexive motion is sending two hands forward to meet the attack. This sort of initial stance and initial reflexive defense dictates, really, an outside deflection, an outside sort of scooping action. Send your defending hand diagonally forward and downward, deflecting with a scooping action sideways. The deflecting part is the lower part of the forearm and the wrist, maybe even the palm of the defender.

At the same time as the hand defense is being executed, the defender is moving the body sort of a pivot, a torque, away from the traveling knife. As soon as possible you deliver counterattacks with the other hand. Continue with moving away from the danger zone, stepping diagonally forward. It will be very efficient to kick now with the back leg. This bending, this moving away sideways with the pelvis is very efficient.

As soon as possible, you should deliver the counterattack with the free hand and move away from the danger zone. Move sideways or diagonally forward away from the channel of the repetitive attacks. Counterattacking with the back leg is naturally efficient. Kicking with the front leg might keep you a bit more closer to the line and the channel of the attack.

With the dry drill, we first see the initial stance. Then sending the hand diagonally forward to meet and deflect the knife and the attacking hand. Body movement with the torque, the pivot, and the counterattacks are clearly seen. Continue to move away from the danger zone with the relevant counterattacks and the tactical maneuvers.