The 25 year old martial arts student was running late to his fiancé’s surprise birthday party when he realized he had forgotten to get her a card. Joseph had bought her a beautiful necklace, one that cost more than a thousand dollars but had forgotten that ever important birthday card. As he was driving to the party he desperately looked for a store until he he spotted one that looked like it might sell cards. As he pulled into the lot he must have known that he was in a bad neighborhood. Lowlifes in the lot sitting on cars and dilapidated buildings in every direction. But he was late and he HAD to get a birthday card and besides, he felt that he could handle any trouble that came his way.
Well, trouble came to Joseph almost immediately. After walking about 10 steps from his car a man stepped out from behind a van and pointed a handgun at Joe’s head. Surveillance recordings showed that words were exchanged and Joe dove forward and grabbed the man’s gun. He pointed the weapon and the robbers hand away from him but somehow the criminal pulled away and emptied his revolver into Joseph. He died on the spot.
Some martial artists say that all weapon defensive techniques are rubbish. That they don’t work—especially knife attack defenses and furthermore, that no one should ever try using them. Many say that the best defense is to run away from them. They’re wrong in the fact that they don’t work. Some work. Many fancy cutesy techniques do not work but the ones that can work are simple and straight to the point gross motor skill techniques. But those naysayers are partly correct in one area—it’s when they say that we should not attempt knife or gun defense techniques. These techniques are hard to make work on the street and are only last resort techniques. Give the robber your wallet, purse or car. However, if we feel that no matter what we are saying or doing to dissuade or get away from our attacker is not working, that death or serious harm is imminent, that’s when these techniques should be used. Then we engage with realistic techniques and when doing so, we must explode right out of the gate and demolish that weapon attacker.
Furthermore, if we are going to have weapon defense techniques in our arsenal, we must practice the hell out of them with realistic and non-compliant ukes (training helpers—training attackers). These techniques are difficult and if we must utilize them for survival, we must be great at doing them from any angle that they may come at us.
Turn the Other Cheek
We should try to stay away from having to use violence in every situation. So many negative possibilities can happen to us. Lawsuits, criminal charges and injury or death to us or our opponent are all realistic possibilities. Weapon defenses are the hardest techniques that we may ever have to use. Use them only as a last resort and be an absolute superstar in your knowledge and use of them.
Proper Training
Get trained by people who know reality defensive moves and train as if your life depended on it. It does.
Steve’s latest book: https://tinyurl.com/2p8a3v3r
Steve's a three-time survivor of violence in his youth, a former police supervisor and a graduate of The Police Executive Leadership College (PELC) and was also an award winning part-time college Criminal Justice instructor.
For several years, Steve did written and radio political and current event commentary and was the former host of the long running 'The Kovacs Perspective' Internet radio and TV talk show.
Steve presently owns a small businesses in Ohio--The Mayfield Academy of Self-Defense.
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