Good topic.
Itās actually pretty easy to get inside the minimum effective range of a gun in the hand of most people.
There is no minimum at which a knife ceases to be effective.
If youāre the bad guy and you allow me to get within 2 arms length I will use my knife and take your gun.
Iāve done a lot of work on knife attacks and as a general rule Iād say this.
If you are surprised by a knife wielding attacker inside of 10ā donāt try to draw your gun until you have control of the knife or at least the arm holding the knife.
You need to practice concealing your draw and getting your gun into play unobserved. In most cases it can be fairly simple particularly if youāre carrying on the hip at 3:30-5:00 or in the small of your back by simply blading slightly to the attacker and using your other hand to distract them.
Just like an attacker with a gun, bide your time, donāt try drawing when they have the advantage if it can be avoided.
Often in a group setting you can simply feign compliance or fade back a little to help cover your draw.
Spend a lot of time studying attack videos, observe what has been shown to work/not work by others and then practice those techniques.
Hmm, Iād argue that. I taught Combatives for JSOC Combined and International elements off and on for about a decade. I learned my skills with a blade from the SAS and Israeli Operators with Mistaā Avrim and Sayeret who are both extremely good at it as they rely highly on silent work to infiltrate enemy elements and to strike specific targets such as rescuing captives.
It takes no more than a 3" blade to pierce the heart of even the biggest man.
It is very easy to kill with a knife if you know where to strike.
The same pressure points youāre taught in basic first aid are all easily reachable targets with even a 1.5" blade.
The Neck is extremely vulnerable and with just a 1" blade you can lacerate the jugulars and carotids and open the windpipe.
Itās all about knowing where those most vulnerable points are and how to reach them.
My wife is a CADD Engineering draftsman. Her theory is if you get stuck, just start pushing buttons and see what` happens, if you see a new button, push it and see what happens.
I told her I was installing ejection seats in all of our vehicles with unmarked buttons so she might want to reconsider.
That sounds like some super high speed stuff! Yeah, youāre right about how close everything thatās important is to the skin, Iāve seen it from butchering deer every year. Weāre all one can opener accident away from a serious medical emergency. Or is that just me?
Oh, and thanks for being a part of a gigantic thing that most donāt even know exists!
Itās next to impossible to fight with or for a knife and not get stuck or cut. You just have to be of the mindset itās going to happen and you donāt care, youāll deal with any bleeding when the event is over.
I could tell you the story of how I got there but youād probably never believe it. My friends used to say that I was, āThe Real Forest Gumpā. I had a knack for being at the right place and time when those opportunities just happened to come open. I had a few talents that were in high demand like picking up languages easy when immersed with the locals and I could sneak up on a coyote in an asphalt parking lot by just blending in among others.
Either that or they were just hard up for help. I dunno.