# Successful Real World Video's Of Knife Disarms & Defense...



## Brian R. VanCise

This thread is all about *successful *real world knife disarms and defense! 

*Feel free to post any video that meets this criteria!
*
I will start us off with two that I recently featured on my blog The Instinctive Edge:


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## CB Jones

Why disarm a knife during a gunfight?

Is shooting the knife weirder considered a successful disarming?


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## KangTsai

CB Jones said:


> Why disarm a knife during a gunfight?
> 
> Is shooting the knife weirder considered a successful disarming?


Technically not. Unless you blow the grip hand to a pulp, if it's even possible with a handgun.


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## Brian R. VanCise

I do not want to hold anyone back that is why I said disarms and self defense.  So if you have a video of a successful encounter please share.

Here is a video from Live Leak featuring Thai law enforcement dealing with a knife wielding attacker and neutralizing him in an unexpected way:



Embedded media from this media site is no longer available


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## drop bear

KangTsai said:


> Technically not. Unless you blow the grip hand to a pulp, if it's even possible with a handgun.



There was a sniper that shot a gun out of a guys hand.  Hit the barrel.


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## Brian R. VanCise

Look at how calm this guy was defending against a knife.  Guy is white is defending against guy in black t-shirt with a small knife.


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## Brian R. VanCise

No audio to this one but the guy has a large knife and a cop finally makes a move towards the end to gain the control and then the group bum rushes him.

https://www.liveleak.com/ll_embed?f=fa7bf88c3ab9


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## drop bear

Flying kicks for the win.











Flying kicks is one of those those legitimate street sport differences. Because of the ranges and the chaos


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## Brian R. VanCise

Drop Bear when I was in College I once saw a guy kick a knife out of a guy's hand.  I would never do it myself but in that moment it worked. 

Cool finds...


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## drop bear

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Drop Bear when I was in College I once saw a guy kick a knife out of a guy's hand.  I would never do it myself but in that moment it worked.
> 
> Cool finds...



There is a video of that as well but it wasn't a flying kick so i didn't add it. 

The flying kick isn't intuitive so in theory it shouldn't work.  Like head kicks in MMA.  But it does work.  And if you look at the dynamics you can make a few assumptions why it does work. 

The thing is this sort of massive running around chaotic mele is rarely reflected in a gym so the opportunity never arises. So you never use it or need it. 

Put yourself out on the street and you need to cover 20 meters and then hit someone. Different game. 

I like it because it does show the difference between what is and what should be.


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## JP3

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Look at how calm this guy was defending against a knife.  Guy is white is defending against guy in black t-shirt with a small knife.


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## JP3

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Look at how calm this guy was defending against a knife.  Guy is white is defending against guy in black t-shirt with a small knife.


My thought is that it doesn't help to get all excited about it.

Granted ... that's just my thought, generally not my response.


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## drop bear

Brian R. VanCise said:


> Drop Bear when I was in College I once saw a guy kick a knife out of a guy's hand.  I would never do it myself but in that moment it worked.
> 
> Cool finds...



Was it this guy?






Pretty sure he was just trying to cover up shop lifting that wine though. I just realised he concealed his identity after he was caught on video anyway.


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## Brian R. VanCise

No but it was a lot like that Drop Bear!


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## Blindside

happened on tuesday:


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## Juany118

drop bear said:


> There was a sniper that shot a gun out of a guys hand.  Hit the barrel.



Had something similar happen on my PD a few years back.  We had a barricaded gun man who had been shooting out an apartment window.  He had mylar up against the windows to protect from CIA microwave surveillance (no lie).  The blinds moved and the barrel of one of those old school elephant guns stuck out.  The sniper took the shot and took out the firing mechanism, and thumb, of the shooter because that was all he could see that might end it.


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## BuckerooBonzai

Brian R. VanCise said:


> This thread is all about *successful *real world knife disarms and defense!
> 
> *Feel free to post any video that meets this criteria!
> *
> [/MEDIA]



Really brilliant thread.  Love it.  

I've practised and trained techniques over and over again in the dojang and, during deployments, you might find yourself in trouble but it is usually the kind where lead is flying, not knives and kicks (we always said that if you find yourself in hand-to-hand combat in Afghan or Iraq you've done something seriously wrong) so it is really good to see it live.


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## BuckerooBonzai

JP3 said:


> My thought is that it doesn't help to get all excited about it.
> 
> Granted ... that's just my thought, generally not my response.



Ha!  Exactly!  We are all dojang/dojo warriors until it is really happening for keeps; then you find out how well you have trained and see if it is a natural reaction or a freak out.  

My experience has been to see really well trained people react very calmly during conflict but then, even the most experienced, often feel a bit sick or overwhelmed once the situation is over.  Must be the coming down from all of the adrenaline.


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## Brian R. VanCise

BuckerooBonzai that is my experience as well.  Well trained people in general react calmly.


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## Blindside

Updating link for the one that I posted earlier that got taken down.


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## JowGaWolf

Brian R. VanCise said:


> This thread is all about *successful *real world knife disarms and defense!
> 
> *Feel free to post any video that meets this criteria!
> *
> I will start us off with two that I recently featured on my blog The Instinctive Edge:


I'm thankful for my staff training every time I see someone pick up a long pole and then have trouble using it.  Long pole vs knife should have been really easy had they known how to actually use a staff.  You can't swing a staff like a bat, you'll never get the power that's needed to strike, swinging like that.  Poking someone with a staff is also good but it takes technique to make it work.



Brian R. VanCise said:


> I do not want to hold anyone back that is why I said disarms and self defense.  So if you have a video of a successful encounter please share.
> 
> Here is a video from Live Leak featuring Thai law enforcement dealing with a knife wielding attacker and neutralizing him in an unexpected way:
> 
> 
> 
> Embedded media from this media site is no longer available


 Using a truck to disarm.  That was actually pretty good, to do that and not run over the guy.  Goes to show what happens to our attention when we are super focused.  Things like trucks going in reverse are able to sneak up on people.  


Brian R. VanCise said:


> Look at how calm this guy was defending against a knife.  Guy is white is defending against guy in black t-shirt with a small knife.


Lesson here.  Watch for knives switching hands.  Not sure if the guy was really trying to stab him. Take down was nice, but the disarm took too long.



Blindside said:


> Updating link for the one that I posted earlier that got taken down.


I like this one.  Hold on to the knife and don't let go.  The situation when from the guy trying to stab to the guy trying to hold onto the knife.  If the guy is focused on holding onto the knife then you are relatively safe as long as his thoughts are to hold on to the knife and not stab.  Always control the stabbing hand.


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## JowGaWolf




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## Charlemagne

Good idea for a thread.  Ribeiro Jiu-Jitsu has a thing they call "BJJ Library" where they analyze moves that people use in competition, watch them or have someone come and show them, and then work on them and counters.  Pretty cool concept.  I think many schools, particularly FMA schools for example, could do the same thing with videos such as these, or even knife/weapon attacks which are caught on tape where the target was not successful in countering the attack.  They can be used as a learning opportunity to look at the manner in which people are being attacked and then explore how your system would deal with it.  

Many systems, and FMA is as guilty of this as anyone else, are focused on defeating themselves, and doing something like this on a biweekly or even weekly basis, can add a much needed dose of reality into the mix.


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## Gerry Seymour

drop bear said:


> There was a sniper that shot a gun out of a guys hand.  Hit the barrel.


I remember seeing a video of something like that. Are you talking about the one where the guy sticks his hand out the window?


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## drop bear

gpseymour said:


> I remember seeing a video of something like that. Are you talking about the one where the guy sticks his hand out the window?


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## Buka

Knives scare the bejesus out of me. And my knife disarms really suck. They are right at the top of the list of things I just ain't good at.


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## Blindside

This kid is a stud, gun and knife.


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## Gerry Seymour

drop bear said:


>


Not the one I was thinking of, obviously. If I can find a video, I'll post here.

On a side note, snipers are badass, in my book.


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## Gerry Seymour

Buka said:


> Knives scare the bejesus out of me. And my knife disarms really suck. They are right at the top of the list of things I just ain't good at.


My knife disarms are pretty good in practice. Knives still scare the bejesus out of me. I've never had to actually disarm in the street - only had one "sort of" threat, but it didn't end physically. He reached for his knife (clipped in his pocket), but didn't pull it. Just monkey dance, so far as I could tell.


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## Gerry Seymour

Blindside said:


> This kid is a stud, gun and knife.


There's somebody who appears to be wired for action.


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## Juany118

There is actually one issue, imo with many a knife defense, from the numerous arts I have studied.  Most arts that teach knife defense don't address it with a "real" knife wielders mind set.  FMA has taught me two things.  1. The knife is a weapon of stealth attack, it is to be felt before it is seen.  2. Because of number 1 remember, don't panic when cut or stabbed, it is actually unlikely to be rendered combat ineffective by the initial attack with a knife.

Aikido, Ryushinkan Karate, even the Wing Chun I study address the knife as something you "see coming" but a true knife fighter, if they are intent on killing/maiming you, will not let you see it coming.


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## Buka

A firearm is a long range weapon. If you're standing really close with a firearm and haven't already fired it, you're not utilizing the weapon in the manner it was intended for, you're using it as a threat. As bad as I am with knife disarms, firearm disarms at close distance is my forte. Been doing it, teaching it to agents and getting paid for it, for quite some time. But a knife - I'm sliced, diced, quartered and screwed.

You pull a knife on me, I'm running until I pull mine - and then maybe running some more. You pull a gun on me and _ haven't already shot me_, you got some serious explaining to do as to why you're looking at your gun in _my_ hand. Guns only scare me at distances longer than four feet.


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## Gerry Seymour

Juany118 said:


> There is actually one issue, imo with many a knife defense, from the numerous arts I have studied.  Most arts that teach knife defense don't address it with a "real" knife wielders mind set.  FMA has taught me two things.  1. The knife is a weapon of stealth attack, it is to be felt before it is seen.  2. Because of number 1 remember, don't panic when cut or stabbed, it is actually unlikely to be rendered combat ineffective by the initial attack with a knife.
> 
> Aikido, Ryushinkan Karate, even the Wing Chun I study address the knife as something you "see coming" but a true knife fighter, if they are intent on killing/maiming you, will not let you see it coming.


I teach both. The "visible knife" is a useful tool for training specifically disarms. I also teach that every attack can be a knife, especially that second hand (if the second comes in as a strike, I estimate it is far less likely the knife was in the first). So, they start by learning to assume there's always a knife, and how to defend the knife if it's visible. Later, the knife just shows up sometimes in attacks.

Can't train for everything, of course. If someone knifes you from behind, you'll get knifed. But if you always react like there might be one, and defend (and, as you said, keep fighting so long as you can), then you might still have a chance.


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## JP3

BuckerooBonzai said:


> My experience has been to see really well trained people react very calmly during conflict but then, even the most experienced, often feel a bit sick or overwhelmed once the situation is over.  Must be the coming down from all of the adrenaline.


In my few times when I actually felt I was in the middle of something ... serious, it sort of felt exactly like that.  There were lots of fights broken up, drunken brawls being separated, people being escorted out when they didn't want to go, etc. Not serious, but to be taken seriously, if you understand what I'm saying here.   I'd guess the LEO community, military, private security people would get it.  Situations arise, and on their face they all have the "potential" to go ugly, but they typically don't, just keep your head and things will be fine.

And then there are those other times.

Once I needed to break up a fight between two older guys in my nightclub. Our crowd was a mix of local folks and the college crowd, all mixed up in a fun mix of 20's to 30's folks, all out to get their drink on, dance around, play some grab-a$$ etc.

So, one guy in his late 40's came in with this very hot also 40's lady, and I assumed they wree married and out for a good time with the young folk. Not so. His ploy was to take his buddy's wife to a place where his buddy would not find them (I found out later that they'd been having an affair behind the husband's back for about a year or so).  And... like seems to happen all the time on Lifetime, the husband found out about it and was watchful, and told his wife a story about going out of town.  I learned all of this later when everyone was talking tot he cops.

Husband comes in, pays his cover, and heads to the bar. He gets tot he bar and spots his wife and his buddy (probably not any more by then) sitting in a booth (bad tactical position, eh?) and he just waits for a bit (this is pieced together amongst the security guys later). Both guys are also (also found this out later) ex-military. Husband sees buddy playing kissy-face and boob-grabbing in the booth and does not see the husband get up from the bar and head over (this last bit from one of our waitresses). Both guys are in good shape, neither guy has had much at all int he way of alcohol yet, and things go from steamy to Nova-hot and combative in the blink of an eye.

And of course, that blink is when yours truly walks around the corner, right as husband (another tactical issue here, but emotionally driven so maybe I get it) walks up, leans over the table and grabs his wife's arm (she's still tongue-deep in Buddy's tonslils, remember) and attempts to drag her out of the booth right over the buddy. Buddy takes offense, and it's On.  They hit the ground and I'm right there with my favorite thing (not any more for obvious reasons), and I step on one guy's hand  while jamming the other one's head down on the floor  (great tactical sense myself on display. Not.) I may have shouted for back-up. I hope I did, no clue. My problem is, I had left somone out of the picture... remember the girl/wife? Well, she decides to kick at me, and automatically  I slipped that, and palmed her fce and put her back in the booth -- therefore enciting both guys even more at me.  I don't think I've ever seen two guys get off the ground that fast.  I'm very positive that my 21 year old self's eyeballs were a bit... ahh... large at that point. It was OK for them to get in a fight, sure. But for me to try to fight with them, or break it up, or put my hands on his... uh... their woman? Nope. I remember doing a nifty two-step around a table and thought I had gained a moment of contemplation, until the husband reached out with one hand and threw it out of the way.

And then the cavalry arrived in the form of my other 3 compadres and an off-duty officer we all kept in the loop.

I think I'd have been ground into Malt-O-Meal if they'd not arrived and it wouldn't have taken those two long, either.

Thing was, I felt pretty calm while it was actually happening, with thoughts like "Really? Dragging her out through the guy? That won't work." and "Pretty lady." and "Low-cut top." and "Huh, boots on both." and "What's with the eagle tattoo?" and "Wow, that was fast." and "OK, now I can... oops, maybe not." and concluding with "Whew."

And, about 45 seconds later I had to sit down. Hands shaking, legs not wanting to hold me up, feeling like supper was going to come back up. Ug. And then having to talk to the cops about my "assault" on  the lady.  Good thing the waitress I mentioned above saw her try to kick me.

Anyway, sorry about short story made long.  No knives in the story, either. Well, that actually came out anyway.


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## JP3

Informed, Gerry? Nothing too informative in that, except how dumb a person can be and still live to be just under 50, walking basically normally.


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## Gerry Seymour

JP3 said:


> Informed, Gerry? Nothing too informative in that, except how dumb a person can be and still live to be just under 50, walking basically normally.


Ah, but it does inform us. The sequence, your experience of calm and sometimes irrelevant thoughts, and your system overload afterward. I've experienced all of those in lesser extremes, and you described them very well. I consider it an informative post.

And, of course, it also informs us that we might live to be almost 50. Of course, I already knew that. @Ironbear24 doesn't know it yet, though.


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## JP3

gpseymour said:


> Ah, but it does inform us. The sequence, your experience of calm and sometimes irrelevant thoughts, and your system overload afterward. I've experienced all of those in lesser extremes, and you described them very well. I consider it an informative post.
> 
> And, of course, it also informs us that we might live to be almost 50. Of course, I already knew that. @Ironbear24 doesn't know it yet, though.


I've been actually more than a little impressed with IronBear's growth in maturity just since I started reviewing this board. That's with all kidding aside, folks.
Humorous relation of the anecdote is a skill I try to use in my practice, and in my teaching, all the time.  I've found it effective. People recall the funny parts of the story and end up taking home the meaning easier.  Way better than a horror movie version.


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## drop bear

This thread needs more Bas Rutten.


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