Gun and knife disarming techniques are perhaps one of the most misunderstood self-defense techniques in the martial arts.  I contribute this to Hollywood movies showing flashy gun and knife disarming that would send most people to the grave if they tried those techniques on the streets, especially when under stress.  In addition, it has been my experience that most martial artists never train with real knives or guns.  Many martial arts instructors believe in teaching hundreds of variations of gun and knife disarming techniques.  I believe in learning as many self-defense techniques as possible because a fight is dynamic.  It is ever changing with punches, kicks, elbows, knees, sweeps, grappling, joint locks, etc.  However, in the realm of gun and knife attacks, there are really just a few attacks that make up the most common types of attacks.  When you are forced to defend yourself from an attacker with a knife or a gun, you don’t want to panic and have to mentally rehearse which technique is better to use out of the many you have been taught.  You should have one or two defenses against each type of weapon attack that you know will give you the upper hand and help you subdue the attacker within seconds.  My hope is that this article will give you a starting foundation for learning the basics of how to defend and succeed against gun and knife attacks.

There are three important rules to remember in knife disarming.  I refer to them as the “3 Don’t Rules.”  The first rule is don’t get cut.  That may sound ridiculous, but I know martial arts instructors who teach students to get used to the fact that they were going to get cut in a knife fight.  That may happen, but let’s not teach ourselves this defeatism attitude.  Let’s have a positive mindset that we will win without getting hurt.  The second rule is don’t freak out if you do get cut.  Many people are cut with knives and survive, and your chances of survival if cut are pretty high if you stay focused and overcome the attacker as soon as possible.  You definitely don't want to let the fact that you got cut keep your mind focusing on that instead of quickly subduing the attacker.  The third rule is don’t forget to control the hand with the knife.  I have seen some great martial artists clothesline knife attackers in the throat and others kick the attacker’s arm that is holding the knife.  Unless you control the attacker’s hand with the knife, you set yourself up for subsequent knife attacks.  As your defense attempts increase, so does your likelihood for danger and failure.  You want the element of surprise on your side.  You accomplish this by performing the technique to completion the first time, before the attacker knows you have self-defense skills.

The most common types of knife attacks are the downward stab, straight in thrust, slash, upward thrust, knife to the victim’s throat, and knife to the victim’s back.  My recommended techniques for knife disarming are explained in detail and practiced during my seminars. 

There are three important rules to remember in gun disarming.  I refer to them as the “3 C’s.”  The first rule is to clear your body from the path of the bullet.  You are not trying to stop the gun from firing, although that would be a greatly added benefit if achieved.  You are trying to stop the gun from firing at you.  The second rule is to control the hand that is holding the gun.  Just as in knife disarming, if you don’t control the hand that is holding the primary threat, you are setting yourself up for failure.  If you punch the guy in the face and he stumbles backward a few feet, you have worsened your situation.  He still has the pistol, he is out of your gun disarming range, and now he is angry with you.  Fight smarter not harder.  The third rule is to complete the technique.  Completing the technique means that the result of the technique puts the attacker in a position of disadvantage and you in a position of advantage.  Examples of the attacker put in a position of disadvantage are if he is hurt, on the ground, off-balance, etc.  Putting yourself in a position of advantage means that you have control of the gun, attacker, and are able to leave the scene safely to notify emergency services.

The only two types of pistol attacks I know of are attacks where the attacker is either holding the pistol in the one hand hold (where the attacker is holding the gun in one hand, whether it be right or left hand) or the two hand hold (where the attacker has both hands clasped over the gun).  The gun could be pointed anywhere on your body, but primarily aimed at your head, center mass, or back.  My recommended techniques for gun disarming are explained in detail and practiced during my seminars. 

In closing, I want to underscore that an unarmed person is at a disadvantage when having to defend against an attacker armed with a knife or gun.  If possible, it is best to avoid these situations entirely by being aware of your surroundings and avoiding potential danger spots.  I also encourage you to be creative in finding weapons near you that will aid you in defending yourself.  One of my classmates used to work late at night transporting equipment throughout Louisiana.  He told me he would always carry a cup of hot coffee with him so he could use that in self defense if needed.  Other items like a belt, broom stick, chair, and coins in your pocket could also be great self-defense weapons.  If none of those are available, keep your self-defense technique simple, quick, and remember the rules above.  Good luck in your training.

Written by Tucker Axum