In this short lesson with Gary Drake, learn a few tips for taking on an attacker who has a knife. When dealing with someone who has a blade, the goal is to minimize damage to yourself. Knife attacks are incredibly dangerous because it is nearly impossible to eliminate the risk of getting cut. It is preferable to have a cut on your arm than somewhere vital, such as your neck.

Right at the start of this video, watch how Gary is always scanning for a threat. This constant observation enables him to be more aware of what is important in the scenario. Once he sees the threat, he positions his non-dominant hand to protect himself while drawing his weapon and engaging.

Notice how Gary is able to move behind the attacker and take an advantageous angle. This allows him to get more shots on target and also requires his attacker to readjust. Additionally, he is able to put some space in between himself and the attacker. Remember that this is all about minimizing the damage to yourself, not completely eliminating it.
It is not always in your best interest to draw a weapon. If you are able to subdue an attacker without it, that is generally prefered. We highly recommend you take classes from reputable instructors to learn the specific techniques involved in close quarters fighting. You will need many repetitions before you can proficiently perform these moves.

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