How to Disarm Your Opponent
Assume proper fighting stance., Give yourself distance.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Assume proper fighting stance.
A knife is effective at close distances.
Specifically, at punching range, clinching distance, and to a lesser degree, in a grappling situation.
The non dominant foot should be firmly planted forward with the dominant foot resting on it's ball slightly behind and slightly outward.
The torso should be rotated to face the opponent.
Hands should be up in front of the face with elbows tucked in.
Keep your fingers curled, but not in fists.
This will allow you to either grasp, palm strike, elbow strike, or punch. -
Step 2: Give yourself distance.
The best way to avoid a knife attack is to create distance.
Thus, a low kick to the knee, groin, or stomach is a very effective way to counterattack while minimizing risk.
To counter a stomach to chest-level thrust, deflect the arm towards the opponent's line of symmetry; This will help expose his back.
You can then reach over the arm and pull back while simultaneously reaching around the neck with the other arm.
You must then step backwards at once to prevent your opponent from throwing you.
Kick the back of the knees, step on his ankles and kick his heels to help bring him down.
Alternatively, you may apply a choke hold.
A more advanced technique for the above scenario is the following; After deflecting the arm, let your hand slide down his forearm and smoothly grab his wrist.
By placing a thumb on his inner writs and your four fingers on the back of his hand, bend his wrist inward while applying pressure to his triceps right above the elbow.
You are now positioned behind your opponent.
These actions will stiffen his arm and hyper-flex his wrist.
Place his wrist right below your hip, step forward such that your foot is placed before his, and then push on his triceps while pinning his arm against your wrist.
He will fall and you now have two choices.
You can take his knife by holding his arm up and pushing the blade with a flat palm towards the point at which his fingers touch his palm.
The safer alternative is to get on the ground and position yourself sideways with both legs over his torso such that his arm is between them and your feet are locked.
Place his elbow on your femur closest to his head, near the hip, and by twisting your torso and pushing down, break his elbow.
For a low attack to the groin or legs, place your non-dominant (left if you're right handed, right if you're left-handed) elbow at an angle slightly more obtuse of 90 degrees.
Use your outer forearm to block the trust.
Step in and get close.
At the same time, you must perform the following three actions simultaneously.
Put your arm over his knife arm such that his elbow is in your armpit and clamp down to prevent him from attacking your kidneys.
At the same time, throw an elbow strike at his chin with your free arm.
After the strike connects, grab the crown of his head in a half clinch and pull it in.
With your feel positioned parallel to each other (do not let one foot move forward as you can easily be toppled to your left or right) begin striking with your knees.
Aim for the groin, bladder, and liver.
For a downward attack with the knife blade pointing downwards (also called "Dracula stab"), block the attack in a manner similar to the low stab but (obviously) your arm will be up above your face; the procedure is very simple and very effective.
When his forearm makes contact with yours, quickly grab his wrist.
Then, as fast as possible, reach over his arm with your free arm such that his forearm is in the pit of your elbow.
Then grab wrist.
You now have a powerful lock.
Step towards him and use your back and torso to crank his arm backwards at the shoulder.
By taking a hard step forward you can trip him.
Warning: knife disarms do not always work sometimes no matter how good you are; there is always a risk of being stabbed.
If you do, make every attempt to leave the knife in.
Just because you get stabbed does not mean you are dead on the spot.
Detailed Guide
A knife is effective at close distances.
Specifically, at punching range, clinching distance, and to a lesser degree, in a grappling situation.
The non dominant foot should be firmly planted forward with the dominant foot resting on it's ball slightly behind and slightly outward.
The torso should be rotated to face the opponent.
Hands should be up in front of the face with elbows tucked in.
Keep your fingers curled, but not in fists.
This will allow you to either grasp, palm strike, elbow strike, or punch.
The best way to avoid a knife attack is to create distance.
Thus, a low kick to the knee, groin, or stomach is a very effective way to counterattack while minimizing risk.
To counter a stomach to chest-level thrust, deflect the arm towards the opponent's line of symmetry; This will help expose his back.
You can then reach over the arm and pull back while simultaneously reaching around the neck with the other arm.
You must then step backwards at once to prevent your opponent from throwing you.
Kick the back of the knees, step on his ankles and kick his heels to help bring him down.
Alternatively, you may apply a choke hold.
A more advanced technique for the above scenario is the following; After deflecting the arm, let your hand slide down his forearm and smoothly grab his wrist.
By placing a thumb on his inner writs and your four fingers on the back of his hand, bend his wrist inward while applying pressure to his triceps right above the elbow.
You are now positioned behind your opponent.
These actions will stiffen his arm and hyper-flex his wrist.
Place his wrist right below your hip, step forward such that your foot is placed before his, and then push on his triceps while pinning his arm against your wrist.
He will fall and you now have two choices.
You can take his knife by holding his arm up and pushing the blade with a flat palm towards the point at which his fingers touch his palm.
The safer alternative is to get on the ground and position yourself sideways with both legs over his torso such that his arm is between them and your feet are locked.
Place his elbow on your femur closest to his head, near the hip, and by twisting your torso and pushing down, break his elbow.
For a low attack to the groin or legs, place your non-dominant (left if you're right handed, right if you're left-handed) elbow at an angle slightly more obtuse of 90 degrees.
Use your outer forearm to block the trust.
Step in and get close.
At the same time, you must perform the following three actions simultaneously.
Put your arm over his knife arm such that his elbow is in your armpit and clamp down to prevent him from attacking your kidneys.
At the same time, throw an elbow strike at his chin with your free arm.
After the strike connects, grab the crown of his head in a half clinch and pull it in.
With your feel positioned parallel to each other (do not let one foot move forward as you can easily be toppled to your left or right) begin striking with your knees.
Aim for the groin, bladder, and liver.
For a downward attack with the knife blade pointing downwards (also called "Dracula stab"), block the attack in a manner similar to the low stab but (obviously) your arm will be up above your face; the procedure is very simple and very effective.
When his forearm makes contact with yours, quickly grab his wrist.
Then, as fast as possible, reach over his arm with your free arm such that his forearm is in the pit of your elbow.
Then grab wrist.
You now have a powerful lock.
Step towards him and use your back and torso to crank his arm backwards at the shoulder.
By taking a hard step forward you can trip him.
Warning: knife disarms do not always work sometimes no matter how good you are; there is always a risk of being stabbed.
If you do, make every attempt to leave the knife in.
Just because you get stabbed does not mean you are dead on the spot.
About the Author
Rachel Collins
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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