Would you drop it?

[Xue Sheng]

Hands it, or or throws it to me at lightning speed and I instinctively catch it in my teeth... it doesn't matter. If there are less than fifty gang members facing me, I'd hand them the knife, just to give them a sporting chance...

WOW!! You too

he had no business carrying a knife. No point in having a weapon you're not prepared to use. Honestly, that's why I don't carry.

QFT

I am not sure I could use a knife on someone either so I do not carry one for SD. Chucks, a stick, a staff, my feet, or fists I can use but I would have to many doubts with a knife so it would be, for me, useless

 

[Guardian]

If the situation were reversed would you give up a weapon when confronted? Though that's not the most preposterous part of the whole scenario.

The West Side Story-esque rumble with a dozen unarmed gang members even more-so preposterous.

I agree here, I don't know all that many gang members, but what few I do know in my mid size city here definitely do not go unarmed LOL and the knife is not their choice of weapon.

But for the sake of argument and in the the spirit of the question, yes, I would take it and put it it away and let's party.

 

[AlanE]

I don't think Bruce was thinking clearly the day he said this.

True (funny) and false. It's very common to overly focus on not losing the knife, and also that hand is effectively unable to grab. Bruce was boosting confidence in the genuine underdog side IMO, saying we have weapons, while stating a truth of psychology for the knife-wielding side.

I'm curious to Google and read Carol's suggested fatal knife wounds. Thanks, Carol. What stood out regarding fatal knife wounds? I recall reading some femoral artery deaths a year or so ago. By the time "blockers" realized what was happening, to avoid touching the blades but somewhat touching the attackers forearms, the knife blades having momentum, length, and mimimal resistance penetrated and killed the men very quickly according to witnesses.

Regardless of reports, we either run away, or if cornered, charge forward blasting targets, knowing slashes are the most likely consequence and that they are survivable. Praying in the end we only have some forearm slashes and we didn't stop attacking due to a surprise of pain. Of course throwing things, tricking, and charging with deadly intent is close. If knife wielder retreats a little perhaps we can run again.

Catching the knife...let it hit the ground and if you know how to use it snatch it up.

 

[searcher]

First, what are you doing with someone who will be throwing you a knife. Best to stab your friend.

Second, don't ever throw it away. If there are enough of them, they will send one of their boys to get it.

Third, you have it in hand, so it is already an armed conflict no matter how you procede(minus running away screaming), soyou better save your butt and defend yourself. Besidesyour "friend" would not have thrown it to you if it were not a very bad situation. If it was not so bad, he would have kept it in his less experienced hands. Bad guys will kill you and your friend is hoping to escape while they are doing that to you.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Supposing you and a friend are confronted by unarmed gang members on the street and a fight breaks out. To your surprise, your friend pulls out a long knife and tosses it to you.

You instinctively catch it...but now WHAT???

Will you put aside all your hand to hand training and use it.

Or would you drop it?

"The man who pulls a knife on you is at a disadvantage and will clearly lose. Psychologically he only has one weapon and his thinking is therefore limited to the use of that single weapon. You, on the other hand, are thinking about all your weapons: hands, feet, elbows, knees, head. He's only got a lousy knife." -Bruce Lee.

Pulling the machete from my back holster, I respond to him saying in my best Aussie accent,

"That's not a knife. Now this is a knife."

And where are these unarmed gang members of whom you speak? By nature, gang members tend to be armed. Not uncommon for at least one to have a gun, so I am not sure how much difference this long knife is going to make.

I know how to use a knife, so there would be no issue there, but since none of my friends carry long knives, or likely any knife, that part of the scenario is inapplicable.

Apparently, these guys all lost their Glocks in a poker game and didn't think bring knives before picking a fight, so I would use the knife to keep them at bay and try to verbally convince the gang members to stand down and simply go their separate way (while affirming their toughness in some fashion to allow them to withdraw while saving face) while trying to open up an avenue of escape.

Maybe that's lame, but the scenario is rather bizarre, so its the best that I could come up with.