Post-training pub talk led to a conversation about knife attacks last night. This is still, in my mind, a hot topic in the martial arts world extending the age old conundrum of, "Is my style effective in a real situation?" into a whole new and different area. Knife crime is a possibility in this country where gun ownership is tightly controlled but there is much debate about what the stats actually mean. The government and the police force try and portray a safer society but who knows what the real statistics are?
This article talks about how we can't say whether knife crime is coming down but CS dug out this interesting snippet from a book called 'This Will Kill You' which clearly states that in the UK "stabbing is the most common form of murder". So that's pretty clear. There is a debate, of course, about how likely you are to end up in a stabbing scenario (most murders are perpetrated by people known to the victim) but this highlights that an awareness of knife defence may be beneficial.
If you do want to practice knife defence then here are some facts, as stated in the aforementioned book:
- Repeated stabbings will kill likely lead to death (er..yeah). The point being that maybe one stab may not be enough to kill an attacker may be after a repeated onslaught.
- Slicing of veins and arteries will result in heavy blood loss
- Defensive wounds occur on the hands and arms due to weapon fixation
- Long blades are often used in a downward stabbing motion to chest and neck area (although are at their deadliest when thrust from the elbow.)
- Usual cause of death: organ failure, loss of blood, shock.
This Will Kill You: A Guide to the Way in Which We Go by Newquist and Maloof
pp189-192
