Physical Factors to Evaluate: Your evaluation of these factors may influence your responses.

• Do you recognize the danger? Often, knife wielders will try to get close without you knowing they have a weapon.
• Where is the knife worn?
• Belt sheath
• Shoulder sheath
• Boot
• Forearm
• Other
• What kind of grip is used?
• Forward
• Reverse
• What kind of knife is it?
• single edged
• double edged
• punch knife
• How large is the knife?
• Are they making big movements or small movements with the knife?
• How close are they to you?
• Do they move in a balanced manner?
• Do they use their other hand for defense?
• Are you already bleeding?

Defenses: All the factors that applied to unarmed combat apply here too. In addition:

• You need to neutralize the weapon, then fight the wielder.
• Attack the person, not the weapon.
• Use deflections with immediate follow-ups
• Attack the knees or eyes with immediate follow-ups
• Use an improvised weapon such as: belt, rope, chain, walking stick, golf club, rocks, dog leash, flashlight, dirt or sand thrown in their eyes.
• Use improvised shields such as: shirt or coat wrapped around arm, garbage can lid.
• Use distractions such as flashlight or flash bulb shined in their eyes with an immediate follow-up.
• Guard major arteries and nerves such as: carotid, brachial, and femoral from being sliced.
• Guard major organs and vital areas such as: neck, eyes, lungs, heart, and kidneys from stabbing.