How to survive a knife attack | 4 essential tips

Watch our experts share four essential tips for coming out on top in a knife fight. Learn how to turn the tables on your attacker or, if that’s not possible, how to safely escape.

Get the gear used in the video:

[theunknown]

"911 Whats your emergency?" " Uh yes. There's 2 masked men with knives fighting behind an IKEA store" " But i think you have time because they are moving very very slow".

[jackie]

Your videos are very high quality. I love your channel.

[abcertweld]

Rule 1: accept you will be cut.
A cut is OK a Stab you will most likely not survive.
Rule 2: deflect until you can maneuver or get away.
Rule 3: Main goal survival, control arm with knife and knife.

[qwer-fogg]

this is more realistic than the most of videos talk about self defense against knife attacks, quick and reasonable tips

[DanielSmith-zelw]

soo thats what the UF Pro team is doing during lunch break?

[Prod._By_Kyoto_Beatz]

As an animator, I thank you for letting me be able to learn these moves for styles of my anims

[tafed]

There is no slow motion in real life
*difficulty increases*

[AnRKeyTruth]

I love the simulations. This being more of analysis and summery. But none the less. Seeing it work out in real time helps work out what is a effective defense and what is not.

Keep these coming!

[LoneWulf]

I will never understand how such an amazing video doesn't have millions of views. In today's world, anyone and potentially everyone is out to hurt you.

[omari]

i must say, this is beautifully shot, slow mo, rain, but yea great tips as well

[Van-nkee]

I freaking love these videos just the slow motion in itself is cool

[zulubravo]

Man i love UF Pro videos, you dont see videos well edited as this guys does

[jamesvergara]

You guys do great work. You analyze all possibilities of knife attacks and instruct thousands on how to get out safely and alive. I applaud the hard work and the videos you post are of high quality. I do knife training with special forces and to watch your video is like a review for me.

[rogerclarke]

How to survive a day in Winnipegs north end
1. If you hear "Sup buddy" run they are not your buddy
2. If you see a group of people run
3. If a vehicle slows down next to you prepare to evade getting shot

[pacman]

Great video UF PRO keep it up limits are a mind set 💪😎

[MrStealthWarrior]

One more tip - check yourself the moment you are safe. You might have missed few cuts or a stab or two. And if you ignore them, you may die.

[themovementschool]

While I enjoy and respect much of the content posted on this channel, I strongly disagree with the way some of these tips are being presented in this video.

1) Running away is NOT always the best option, in most cases, it is statistically the worst option... Negotiation should always be considered and presented as your first tip of survival. If you can diffuse a situation with a conversation, you should. Running is and should be a last resort, not a first resort. There are literally thousands of security surveillance videos of people running from a knife-wielding assailant and getting run down and stabbed repeatedly in the back, side, etc. Run yes, but ONLY if you have already disengaged and are clear to do so. Running from an attacker wielding a knife who is still within close combat distance is usually a fatal error.

2) Raising your arms to protect your vitals? The inside of your wrists, and inner biceps, armpits are ALL vital points that if stabbed or otherwise lacerated would result in a potentially life-threatening injury, is it worse than an exposed carotid sheath? Perhaps, but it is still vital none the less. Raising your arms exposes those vitals. That said, do you need to raise your arms to cover and isolate the weapon from the opponent? Usually, yes you do, but there is a matter of timing and proximity. If you just stand there with your arm up you are asking to be slashed across the wrist, or stabbed in a bicep. ONLY raise your arms to meet and isolate given the opponent's incoming trajectory. This is what the defender in the video above is usually doing, but the corresponding bullet point is dangerously misleading. As a combat instructor, I felt obligated to point this out.

3) Closing the distance is NOT a key to survival, isolating the weapon from the opponent is. Period. This can involve closing the distance but not always. Look closely at the video examples. What we see repeatedly in the video above is the unarmed individual isolating the weapon from the opponent, though, it is the attacker with the knife that is usually closing the distance.

4) Absolutely always use the environment to your advantage if possible! This tip is well-stated, but not adequately displayed, as the video only shows one example environment when it could have shown many.

In conclusion, while I do not disagree with what they are teaching, I strongly feel that it could and should be better communicated, less it is misunderstood and used inappropriately to a fatal error.

With respect,

~ 20-year Martial art veteran and combat instructor, trained in military and edged impact weapons combat.

[AbdulsCycles]

Such a great methode... thanks for sharing how to avoid of knife

[Osiris_Invictus]

Great video again! Love it! I`m exited to get the new gear soon!

[CM-fxtp]

Here what I personally think about what to do in a knife fight:

0. DO NOT BE THERE! Use ambient and context awareness to AVOID SUCH EVENTS AT ALL COST (avoid dangerous cities/quartiers, avoid to be alone, avoid dark places, analize people/situations around you and instinctively detect danger, avoid confrontations, avoid to show valuable items, GIVE VALUABLE ITEMS TO THE ROBBER IN ORDER TO STOP THE ATTACK, ...)

1. BE EQUIPPED: WEAR PROTECTION CLOTHES that cannot be cut (kevlar shirts, rivetted chainmails, ...), keep with you a very powerful torch/flashlight, if viable and legal in your country keep a ranged weapon (gun, taser, peper spray, baton, kubotan, ... according with your country's laws) with you every time, especially (at night) if you visit new areas, new city or you sense that in you area the danger level is high or is going up.

2. BE FIT/TRAINED mentally and physically (be confident and SHOW confidence, be fit and SHOW your fitness, train your reflexes, be prepared/trained for bad situations, you should be fit enough to run at maximum speed for a considerable amount of time and enough to overcome some basic obstacles (walls, fences, differences in heights, gaps, ...), BE TRAINED in close quarter combats/mma/self defense tecniques/martial arts ...



3. RUN AWAY AT ALL COSTS: KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU NOT SUCCED IN THIS TASK YOU WILL BE QUITE SURELY INJURED NO MATTER WHAT! Detect danger, use reflexes, put in place a quick useful diversion (use torch/flashlight, throw item at them, ...) and go away form the danger (in combination with ambient awareness in order to know how to follow an escape part that is possible AND is viable for you).



IF AND ONLY IF YOU CANNOT RUN AWAY BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE OR YOU SHOULD STAY TO PROTECT SOMEONE YOU CARE THAT CANNOT RUN FAST AS YOU, then continue with the next points:



4. ATTRACT ATTENTION FROM POLICE OR OTHER PEOPLE: use allarm sounds, whistles, yells, ... to attract attention: be prepared to not find anyone who wants to help you or to be involved into some trouble/fight. Police also is not ubiquitous so prepare not to find any officer. In any case it is a necessary attempt.

4. BE PREPARED TO BE INJURED: mentally fit means also that you need to keep fighting even if you will be injured: good training, cold mind and adrenaline will keep you up for a while even if you are severely injured and htat can make the difference from life and death

5. FIGHT USING A RANGED WEAPON (you a re trained with): guns (if viable in your country), tasers (if viable in your country), pepper guns/sprays (professional ones), or other effective blunt ranged weapons if trained in that weapon. If you don't/can't carry a weapon use improvised weapons of any kind that you can find in the ambient (remind ambient awareness) and use them for diversion or as weapons (bottles, chairs, pans, kitchen knives, ...)

6. FIGHT WITH YOUR BARE HANDS if necessary and as long as you can't escape or neutralize the menace. In order to protect form a knife you should be trained in such situation: you will be cut anyway but if you know the right tecniques and you have trained them A LOT maybe it si possible to overcome the menace. Goof martial arts for this are specific soldier training, Krav Maga, classical Jujitsu, Kali, ... But the difference is based on the amount of specific training, reflexes and strengt of your body.

7. ESCAPE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Your duty is not to kill, empair or arrest your attacker: your duty is to keep you and the people you care alive! Escape from danger event/zone/attacker(s) as soon as possible quickly and fast as you can.