6 Tips For Using a Pocket Knife For Self-Defense


The reason people usually get a pocket knife is to make sure they can defend themselves. There are plenty of other reasons to use pocket knives. Self-defense is definitely up there. 

In many terrorist attacks, the terrorist was using a pocket knife. As a result, knife legislation started to get strict. From that point on, taking a knife to many places was now illegal. As a result, people were feeling defenseless. As such, pocket knives started to get famous. A pocket knife can save lives, and it did. 

In this post, I’ll be covering the benefits of using a pocket knife as a self-defense tool. In addition, some tips that will help you maintain control and stay focused while using it. 

Why is a pocket knife good for self defense?

Around 2013, ISIS was on the rise. The Islamic State In Iraq And Syria (ISIS) is a terrorist organization. Many terrorist attacks were happening in Europe. In France, there was a crisis. People were constantly feeling unsafe and defenseless. Thus they were looking for ways to arm themselves. Some went the usual approach and got a pistol license. Later, they purchased a gun. However, some couldn’t get their pistol license. They looked for straightforward ways to arm themselves. That is when pocket knives became familiar.

So why is a pocket knife good for self-defense? In general, a pocket knife is a lightweight, accessible, and lethal weapon. It is simple to purchase online or at a local store, and people use it to defend themselves. It’s an intimidating tool that, with the correct application, can naturally scare off a hostile attacker. 

Additionally, what is a weapon for self-defense good for if you don’t have it on you at the time of need. Well, I can tell you that carrying pocket knives is effortless, and they will assist you when you need them the most. 

woman doing karate
Image by klimkin from Pixabay

What are we looking to achieve in a self-defense situation?

There are many different techniques for the correct usage of pocket knives. However, they are not so relevant to our goals. That is because our goal is not to injure the attacker. But it is to delay him as much as possible. Eventually, we are looking to defend ourselves by any means. We are not looking to injure the attacker nor kill him. We utterly want to avoid injuries and make sure the police arrest him. 

It’s easy to confuse what we’re looking to achieve. A sharp pocket knife may be more deadly. However, we don’t care about it. We care about ourselves and other people’s well-being. If the terrorist injured a guy on our watch, we screwed up, even if he ended up unconscious. 

To summarize, a pocket knife is a remarkable tool for self-defense because it has many features we need. For example, it’s lightweight, carryable, accessible, and lethal. As such, If you feel defenseless and easily hurt, purchasing a pocket knife may be a wise choice. The rise of terrorist organizations made self-defense necessary. Don’t stay in the past, instead move forward and assure you can defend yourself. 

Best pocket knife for self defense

What makes a pocket knife the best for self-defense? We understood that a pocket knife is an effective self-defense tool for a few reasons.


First, it is a lightweight weapon. As a result, you will not feel as if you’re carrying hardware. Additionally, it is an accessible weapon. Thus when the time of need arrives, you will easily access it. Now, our choice of the best pocket knife for self-defense is going to answer all these needs.

Stainless Steel Blade Pocket Knife 

Kershaw Grid is a fantastic outdoor equipment company. You can trust them, and I recommend buying their products.
This pocket knife is a striking choice. It provides all the benefits we talked about in the self-defense department. Since the handle and the blade is from high-quality materials, it is comfortable. Additionally, because its length is considerably short, it is compact.
To summarize, this pocket knife is a great choice. Its price is considerably low, making it an incredible budget choice. The company is trustable, and buying from them is a wise choice.

Tips To Using A Pocket Knife For Self-Defense

Use intimidation to your advantage.

Generally, there are many common ways people use pocket knives for self-defense. However, one way is to use intimidation. This way, the attacker may flee away. Another common technique is to use a knife to attack. That way, you have control over the outcome. You can slightly injure him, or if he’s hostile, incapacitate the attacker. 

First, let’s talk about intimidation. A pocket knife is one of the most intimidating self-defense weapons available. It is lethal but in a controllable matter. As a result, when a hostile spot that you carry a knife on you, he might flee. Later, you can call the police and tell them everything that happened. 

What is our exact goal in a self-defense situation? You might think about hurting the attacker. However, that is not the answer. As we have previously discussed, we are looking to avoid injuries. As you can imagine, a knife fight is not clean. There is no way both sides won’t come out with an injury. As such, you should keep your distance and use intimidation to your advantage. 

In addition, you have to be smart. If there is a terrorist attack, and the terrorist’s weapon is a gun, don’t go near him without a long-range weapon, such as a pistol. As much versatile as a pocket knife can be, it is a close-range weapon. As a result, don’t hurt yourself in the process of trying to defend others. It will only make matters worse. 

Instead, what you ought to do is to scare the attacker. You are armed. If the attacker is unarmed or armed with a low-rated self-defense tool, you can effortlessly scare him off. That way, you avoid injuries and get the guy behind bars. I highly recommend starting with this method and then moving forward. 

Fighting the assaulter 

This method’s goal is straightforward. Disable the guy so he can’t injure anyone. Whether the attacker is using his hand or a knife, you want to disarm him. I won’t lie to you. A knife fight or a fistfight is dirty. Both sides will get injured in some way. As a result, think carefully before using this way. 

So, how do you start? A pocket knife can be a significant help. However, don’t let that weapon confuse you. A pocket knife is not helpful against a long-range weapon. Thus you must examine which weapon does the terrorist use. I am sure I will not enter a fight using a pocket knife against a pistol. Be real careful with that. You know the saying, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. 

Ultimately, you should avoid using this method. It’s very risky to use and usually ends up injuring both sides. You will most likely disable the hostile on the way, but it’s not worth it. The whole point of self-defense is to avoid injuries. Hence you didn’t achieve the desired results by throwing yourself out there. Following written are tips and advice I share for this method. 

tactical gear
Image by joshlsnader from Pixabay

Distance is your enemy and ally.

When we discuss self-defense, distance is tricky. The range can assist you in achieving your goal. However, it can jeopardize it. As such, we need to understand when it’s beneficial and when it’s not. 

First, let’s understand what distance is in self-defense. The range in which you and the attacker are in is the distance. Now, when do we want to be distanced from the hostile?

When you use intimidation (the first method), you want to be at a distance from the attacker. If you lower the range with the assaulter, he can quickly injure you. That makes you incapable. Later, the hostile can continue his assault, which means you failed to defend yourself and your surrounding. So, when do you want to be close to the attacker?

You want to be in close distance with the assaulter when you are looking to strike. As such, only when you’re ready to attack, you close your distance. Otherwise, stay distant from the enemy. Additionally, closing distance is a sign you are going to attack. That is why you can use it as intimidation. 

I assure you that if you use distance correctly, you will be much safer. Additionally, you will avoid injuries at a higher rate, and you will ensure you stay protected.

You have responsibility

Understanding that you have responsibility is fundamental. You carry a tool that can save lives. You may never use a pocket knife, but in one single moment, it might save someone. Understanding that is a change of perspective and may help you in a time of need. Imagine someone that carries a pistol. The guy is constantly ready to respond, but nothing ever happens. Suddenly, in one moment, something happens, and he has to respond. If he is daydreaming, someone might get hurt. However, if he was ready, he might save a life. 

I believe that when you buy a pocket knife, that is the mindset you should have. You have responsibility. That responsibility is to assist yourself and the surrounding in a time of need. 

Let’s say someone gets hit by a car. When you have that mindset, you are going to be ready. As a result, you will rush over to help the guy. Or call the ambulance. Both responses are helpful, and you should be quick to do so. 

If we bring that mindset into the self-defense world, it will help you survive. It is that simple. Back when I was in the military, I was carrying a rifle on the weekends. I was traveling through trains and buses. Now, I was tired from the week. I truly was. But, I had to stay awake until I got home. That was this mindset that allowed me to do that. Luckily I never encountered any emergency in which I have to assist someone. But, that mindset is what got me there, and I was constantly ready to clear a threat. 

Simple is the best.

When facing a threat, the one thing you want to avoid is complicating matters. When you complicate things, you only set yourself up for failure. If you’re nervous about the situation you are in, you will get hurt. Therefore, assure you stay calm and focused. This way, you will have the best chances of coming out victorious.

There are plenty of incidents where a terrorist was planning to kill people. However, he got nervous and complicated matters. As such, not only were there no injured people, but the police arrested him. 

Additionally, there are many cases in self-defense where people end up injuring themselves because they are nervous. In most of these cases, you are starting at an advantage and slowly being at a disadvantage.

So how can you stay calm? Breathe, breathe, oh, and take additional breaths. I didn’t invent this method. All you have to do is inhale and exhale. As a result, you will stay calm in any terrifying situation. I myself use this method anytime I can. That helps me stay calm and focused in anything I do. 

For example, every time I am angry at someone, I first take a deep breath. That already calms me down. Later, I control myself better and force myself to be mature. 

To summarize, if you stay calm in a self-defense situation, you will come out on top. You won’t fling your knife around, hoping to disable the attacker. Instead, you will use intimidation to your advantage and strike at the right time. Eventually, you will avoid injuries and disable the hostile. 

guy pointing a gun
Image by Thomas Rüdesheim from Pixabay

Stay calm and focused.

This tip correlates with the previous advice perfectly. In the last section, we discussed how you stay calm and not overcomplicate matters. Now, why is being focused necessary? 

In most MMA fights, the fight is close until one side loses focus. Then, the guy who lost his focus will get hit. From there, it is a slope until this guy loses. You can avoid being that guy by staying intact and focused. 

Moreover, the earlier method to not overcomplicate things is relevant to this advice as well. If you take a deep breath, in most cases staying focused will be more manageable. You will be in control, and finally, the hostile will be nervous himself.

Imagine to yourself that somebody attacks you, and he’s all scared. On the other hand, a hostile attacks you, and he is confident in himself. Will you be as nervous in front of the first guy as for the second one? Probably not. 

To summarize, staying focused and calm is all about your approach. If you decide that you breathe well and controllably, then you will come out on top. Use that information to avoid injuries in assists others in need. 

Conclusion

In this post, we went through tips for using a pocket knife for self-defense. I advise you follow these suggestions to come on top in any self-defense situation. Additionally, we explained what your goal is in such an incident. Your goal is to avoid injuries and not to kill the hostile. As such, you should be careful when you enter a self-defense situation. 

If you want to read more about pocket knives, I recommend reading our other posts. 

Levi

I've served in the military as a special forces operator for 4-years. In that period, I've trained in many martial arts, including karate, MMA, BJJ, boxing, and even Krav Maga. I want to share my passion with you, so here it is!

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