Self Defense
Self Defense
Facing Cold Steel- What would you do if you were confronted at knife point?
At close quarters the knife is the most deadly weapon. FBI statistics show that 35 % of all violent crimes committed are with knives. Violent crime constitutes aggravated assault, robbery, forcible rape and murder. In the USA violent crime has been on the upswing 2 / 5 % each year since 2004 and doesn ' t seem to be slowing down. In NYC alone there were approximately 55,000 violent crimes committed in 2005 and that ' s the ones that were reported. Remember crimes like forcible rape are never reported because of the embarrassment associated with it and having to deal with being put on the stand if and when it goes to trial. Violent crime has become such a part of our culture that when a heinous crime is reported and strewn across our TV sets we are no longer fazed by it anymore.
Those who commit robbery, rape and assault their fellowman often favor the use of the knife to impose their will on a helpless victim. The knife has several distinct advantages for this. It ' s silent, it ' s deadly and it leaves no telltale barrel marks or bullet slug by which it can be traced. In self-defense, many Americans have taken to wearing fold up knives as a means of protecting themselves. Be on the lookout for a small leather pouch with a snap top attached to the belt, or a metal clip that attaches to the inside of pants pockets, and if you haven ' t caught on to what ' s happening in the street, you ' ll be surprised to see how many men are wearing this unobtrusive weapon.
While knives are indeed weapons, they pose a problem in terms of weapon control laws. In our society, the knife is still considered a tool, and there are many justifiable reasons for carrying one, especially among blue-collar workers. Much has been made of the rapid increase in handgun sales especially since post 9-11, but little mention is made of the fact that knife makers have never enjoyed a better business.
What should you do if you come face to face with a knife-wielding assailant? For the average citizen, the answer is simple: Run as fast as you can if the circumstances permit a hasty exit. Even if your attacker has never used a knife before in a life-threatening situation, the untrained have no business going up against cold steel. They ' ll just end up on the short end of things. The only time I ' d advise you to make a stand is when you are armed with a gun. Of course if that fact is apparent, your would-be attacker probably won ' t even make a move to challenge you with his blade. As the saying goes“ never bring a knife to a gun fight”.
Now we ' ve covered the niceties of the situation and expressed my opinion. We also recognize that many people do carry knives for self-protection, and that others may feel that a knife merits their consideration. We also accept the fact that the occasion may arise when only a knife is available for selfdefense, and that it may be necessary to fight ruthlessly to save your own life. In such situations, it ' s only fair that you have some idea of what you ' re up against. If you ' re squeamish, you might want to skip the rest of this chapter, as it ' s likely to seem repulsive and vicious to those with faint hearts.
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