I have been in two altercations involving a knife and got cut once. Embarrassingly they actually led with the knife! I made a grab at the hand, grabbed the fuggin blade( I grimace thinking about it) and got a nice slice on all four fingers and the base of the thumb. I then dragged them down and punched them until they stopped and someone else took the knife. The other one was a utility knife and I bear hug-body slammed him and threw the knife away when he dropped it right away. I’m on the never say never or always side. Train everything but sort of train the likely more than the unlikely. Be safe

I've trained with two of the three guys Mike was referring to, am also an instructor in the same knife defense program as Mike, though he's likely way better at it than me. I don't say that to brag. I say that to add that the ones I trained with didn't even like their own program they created. Eli Knight, who also teaches knife defense, says that knife defense is voodoo science. People scoff at combat sports (I was one of those people) but my question is, if you can't fight one on one with someone roughly your size, experience level, and who you kinda know, in an environment that is optimized for that sport, in clothing made for that sport, and you have the advantage of knowing when the fight is going to happen, what the crap makes you think you will be able to fight someone who is likely bigger than you, and the first indication that he wants to fight is that he stuck a knife in your face.

Icy Mike is a GREAT investigative instructor! I laughed when Mike pulled a pistol... The look on Kev's face! LOL

Glad to see the red rubber training Glock I made Mike made it in the video!

I like how Kevin's style switches between Kali, Wrestling, BJJ, and Judo depending on his position. If he's farther away on offense, his attacks are Kali-like. If he's mid to close range, he goes Wrestling/Judo. When on the ground, he goes BJJ.

I love how at the end the knife disarm actually worked and you were both just standing there kinda shocked for a second.

You could see Kevins thought process being shaped through out this video when he connects the dots to prioritising position and not the knife. This is great advice for situational awareness. Great job everyone.

I love Icy Mike's pragmatism.

Real knife attacks add another layer, where you may not even be aware that the assailant has a knife, even if it's in their hand! I really like how Mike didn't even draw the knife until very late into the first scenario.

I love videos that try to take an honest look at knife situations lol it's especially great when two people are just having fun with the idea. I remember the one thing I was always taught, especially if you have time to identify someone wielding an outside influence (pokey/cutty), stick to the basics of maintain distance and watch for an opportunity. Granted, if you're already in a scuffle, you guys clearly showed how that can be an issue. The sad part is just accepting that there probably isn't a sure-fire way to handle a person wielding a knife with malicious intent. Like my grandpa always said though, "Never start a fight or resort to outside influence in one, but if the other person does... There's no such thing as a fair fight for your life."

It sounds funny, but everytime I watch something on "Knife Defense" I get curious about what would be the opinion of ex-prisioners on the subject. Specially those who served their sentences on very dangerous prisions, controlled by gangs - a common thing in my country, Brazil. You know, they are probably the guys with most experience with having to defend themselves against actual knife attacks, from people who want to kill them. I know it is a different reality, but it would be an interesting point of view.

Loved the sewing machine comment, the better I get with spears the more I'm defaulting to a sort of 'angry sewing needle' attack and I can't get that name out of my head now. We need a whole tailor-based martial arts style.

This was a perfectly taught and explained way to defend against a knife. It’s great that you emphasized that even with this knowledge there’s still a decent chance you’ll get caught once or twice.

This topic is always fascinated me! Was fun to watch Y'all test it out.

Great video! Some real functional tips from Icy Mike and a lot of fun sparring footage.

good one. usually when i teach knife defense i start with teaching how to attack with a knife, so the practice can be more real. the second thing i usually deal with is the mental phase, not defense against knife, but attack against the knife attack\user. i really loved the position emphasize, really good point, tyvm.

This tracks pretty accurately to what happened to me when I had an improvised knife pulled on me (I didn't actually see what it was, but I saw the grip and I saw metal and I knew where that was going). I actually abandoned knife defense completely with the hope of just blasting through to a dominant position and it worked luckily (I'm not a traditional martial arts guy but I did jiujitsu and wrestled a bit so I resorted to what I knew). I got behind them while we were standing, dragged them to the ground, got mount, and basically laid on the arm holding the edge weapon until they lost it flailing around.

Kevin is a Mensch. Just a straight-up good guy

Thanks for having Icey Mike on your show. Good Knife “thinking”! Most knife workers just like to argue AND it NEEDS to be a process of opening the mind to possibilities and STATES of Mind… At first, as a way to approach it… Then games. Also research NEEDS to be done on- What WAS the result of many knife assaults…

Great stuff as usual guys, keep ‘em coming

What an amazing realistic look at being mugged by a knife wielding attacker and how it may be handled. Both of you are so highly trained and it's still hard to defend against an attacker. Opens one's eyes to the (semi) reality of the situation. I better get back to the dojo and train!

Great skills demonstrated there ! . You are 2 guys we want to see more of so please consider safety goggles like the basketball players use. Accidents can happen..We used them for knife defense or we use fencing helmets...Keep up the great content.

Excellent vid, Kevin. You're crazy quick on the ground.

The only way to test your technique is to spar and I love this.

This is one of the best "knife defense" videos I've seen. You guys covered everything someone thinking about "knife defense" really should know so they can make better decisions on how they train for such situations. Thank you! Also if you're ever in the Seattle area and want to play around with Sumo wrestling, we'd love to have you over. :)

The way Mike explains things is so spot on.

brilliant! Thank you

Great stuff guys. Like a science lab for fighting.

Love the concepts. Something I teach myself. I don't love the idea of once the victim is stabbed, the game is over. Keep fighting!

First love your content. Im an Army Vet and we trained knife defense didn't even think about how to train in a different way this is an excellent video

The last comment about urgency is a good one. I sometimes think that the judo newaza framework where you have to address getting pinned and you maybe have only a few seconds to make something happen is better for self defense than the bjj more relax and flow framework. One is working for sprints and the other is more distance running. I think it also leads to more injury, but that's a different discussion.

I think it's wise to tell people to expect to be cut. You're preparing them mentally, that if they do get cut, that it's "ok" and to keep fighting through it. Don't let cuts stop you from fighting.

Now do it again and go in with the mindset of a Kali practitioner offensively with the blade and then defending against the blade. This is what would be interesting as it will show if FMAs blade work is practical in the modern era. Would like to then see Wing Chun style used to defend the blade. Again interesting to see and being high level in FMA, Kali,BJJ etc Kevin is the man to attempt this and out realistic videos out on this subject.

At 74, I"ve never been in a fight. So, I'm very grateful for this. And if I was to get slightly behind an assailant, I would do everything to secure a choke hold. Maybe yes. Maybe no; but that is what I'd aim for. Thanks for this enlightening instruction.

Great video, thanks you for staying clear of BS. Subscribed.

I have had an assailant tried to stab me twice in my life. I am a retired teacher and both times were young adults in their late teens the first time I used an Aikido type wrist lock disarm that worked because I got a desk between the two of us, the second time I did not disarm the knife I controlled the arm holding the knife and executed a take down, then pinned the student using techniques I learned from my Taiji teacher. Neither is “supposed” to work both were effective because they were organic, intuitive reactions.

I’ve seen about every real life knife fight video since the internet began and I don’t recall ever seeing them grapple during.

That's the beauty of training with a knife. It forces you to up all your attributes. Like you said, you wouldn't have been that tired if the knife wasn't there. Great vid guys, Thanks.

interesting to see this after USDC. 6 fighters, 24 knife attack sessions, but only one fighter emerged alive in one session.

This was a great, common sense approach. Thanks, guys.

I love how Gabriel Varga just runs across the screen at one point.

I’ve been in one blade defense incident, a much smaller guy tried to singer me with a screwdriver, I grabbed it on the way out of the first stab, with my gun side hand, left, I didn’t even notice that he had grabbed my shirt with his other hand. We fought for control over the screwdriver while it was still in my stomach for about half a second, it felt like hours, and I kicked his testicles as hard as my 6’1” 245 lbs would let me, he hit the ground and I zapped him with my taser using my non gun hand, right. About then my partner dove in and we secured him. I never let go of the shaft of the screwdriver until I was in the hospital.

Best knife demo I’ve seen. Outstanding and realistic

Position first... Absolutely loved this video. 👍👍

6:40 I liked HARD TO HURTS control methods. Laying the attacker on top of his weapon. That was good

This demonstration was excellent, have you done similar videos for flashlights and likely carry combinations?

Good content Men, logical and real.

Great video guys

Whenever I'm in a knife defense situation, I just do a backflip, snap the bad guy's neck, and save the day. ;-)

Instructive and hilarious at the same time!

This is the single greatest, most efficient video overview on knife defense I've ever seen, including all the content Mike had already produced. @hard2hurt, it's too bad it won't appear on your own channel!

I was looking for self defense videos that are no bs, and my search has come to an end

"I know it's fun to say" is crazy 😅

Doug Marcaide: "Weapons are made to be felt, not to be seen." A real Knive master would only get his knife out when he's about to stab you, when you most likely do not see it.

Love the disarm @8:42! @KevinLeeVlog do you consider low kicks in Wing Chun a valid response to knife attacks? I've practiced those with a specific focus on disrupting attacker forward movement, balance, and focus, mostly to create time and space to do other things - like run, get a barrier between you and the attacker, or deploy a wepon IF it offers an advantage over the attacker. Is that valid, in your view?

Yoo kev can you show some kickboxing sparring footage between you and mike?? That would be awesome to see!

I love this channel! I just wish you would show more Kata! 😜 Mike is a brilliant instructor, regardless what his wife says about his intelligence! 😊

this is superb. probably should be the first thing all martial arts instructors watch

We have a thing in hapkido that's somewhat similar to 5:36, but we use our knee to pin the arm holding the knife to the ground while we disarm. We also will practice live with practice knives occasionally, kinda wish we did it more, but there's only so much time and a lot of other stuff.

Great work on this vid. I'm curious if you feel like your Wing Chun was applicable or helpful? It seems to me like there's a bit of chi sao with the knife going on.

I can't provide the link, but I've actually seen a video of a knife attack where the attacker switches hands. It was a woman sitting in the back seat of a taxi/uber and stabbing the driver. He managed to control one of her wrists and she switches to the other hand to keep stabbing. Maybe someone else knows the name of this video. Anyway, just wanted to input this.

I love that Gabriel Varga is just casually running in the background at the start hahahaha

I don't know how many people I've shown the "slap the knife out of his hand" technique. I'm now embarrassed. When I was 16, I had a man kicking my '68 Mustang in a Quick Stop parking lot and I was a brown belt at the time. I moved forward and the man's partner pulled a knife on me, so I put my hands up and backed away and watched the dude put a good sized dent in my car. Better my car than putting a a few sharp dents in me.

don't think a knife attacker waits to start a wrestling match first to see if you know jujitsu they just start cutting you everywhere, not just a stab, but if they stab and drag, you are done, and you will lose strength when you are bleeding out you will not be doing full strength wrestling moves standing or on the ground...

Burt Richardson’s Knife Defense instructional shows at least two instances of real knife attacks caught on video where the attacker is fast, vicious, “untrained” AND they switch hands once the person defending tries immobilizing the primary arm. I think that video study that keeps getting referenced where experts cite that no one ever switches hands comes from solely Prison knife attacks. I think it’s at the very least flawed logic to say that people don’t switch hands and cherry pick a “study” that confirms that when there is apparent evidence to the contrary. Other than that, I love both these content creators and really enjoy all their collabs! 🙌🏽🙏🏽👏🏽😴

great video guys!

Fantastic

Inmates in prison gangs have to learn the human anatomy. They practice targeting vital organs with shanks. They also practice different angles and techniques to use their weapons with deadly precision. A professional boxer was stabbed to death by a member of a biker gang. Even a highly skilled fighter can be killed by a man with a knife. Nevertheless, you have a better chance of surviving a knife attack if you’re a trained fighter.

My question is, if the focus is on position, how does on achieve that under constant pressure of thrusting? I kept trying to see if there were possibilities of creating traumatic injury to slow down the conscious mind during the attack. Obviously, when Kevin had the armbar, breaking the arm would have made the weapon useless, or at the very least diminished Mike's ability to attack. Also, having just watched Kevin and and Sifu Fong's video on Chi Sao, I didn't see any "feel" that led to positioning, and I wonder if that is something that can't really be demonstrated on the You Tube platform? Mike said he was hypocritical on the point of getting cut, but at one early point of the video, Kevin was getting cuts/stabs on Mike, using a reverse grip, or was I seeing that incorrectly? I agree with Mike disarms are difficult, but in Kali training I have often seen injury first, then disarm, and damaging the hand is a form of disarm, maybe one of the simpler ones, and yes, I understand the opponent might not feel the pain for a number of reasons, but a baton strike to the fingers (if you have a baton, which I think Mike did a dislike video on the collapsing one, which I employed successfully doing security work in the 70"s, early 8o's, so I have a experience disagreement with him there) could break the fingers, disabling the opponent's ability to hold the knife. The video is helpful, but also created questions in my mind.

Best knife defense video I’ve seen ;-)

11:15 very good, especially with the follow up example.

If only Mike knew about the Shank Tank at this point...

Awesome stuff

Man, I really hope Kevin Lee never decides to start doing knife attacks. There would be not stopping him.

Fiore in the old Italian fighting manuals teaches all the blocks and disarms you need to deal with a knife attack… there’s one sentence in it though that most people seem to miss… he says ‘These techniques can work but they work a lot better when you have got your armour on.’ Excellent advice… If you think you might have to fight someone with a knife, wear some armour…then if the disarm doesn’t work the first time you can try again!😂

trying to trap the hand is very dangerous and tricky. I never see anyone mention that the further down the arm, the faster it moves, i.e., the hand moves faster than the elbow, the elbow moves faster than the shoulder. gain control further up the arm and then use that to gain control of the hand.

Knife defense is BS.....until you're attacked with a knife.

Been in a few fights that ended with a knife drawn thanks to Chiraq. Got cut up bad, have more than a few scars that needed massive stitches; one required a blood transfusion. The only winning rule in a street fight that turns to a knife fight is who lives. So if you can, run. Run like a slasher from a horror movie just showed up. Because your situation just turned into one, when they swing they don't second guess they will charge you and only want you dead. Street cred doesn't mean jack if you are dead.

12:01 that was a sweet dap up 😂

0:17 A WILD GABRIEL VARGA APPEARS

08:08: this is, where you should have give him a hard eye jab. The attack would been over before it started. But that would be too easy I guess.

It's an elaboration of everything you have to learn in when you first start training with weapons: The other guys weapon is never your target

Lot of good information here and quite a different philosophy because the other thing I've always had in mind was control the weapon at all cost if you can get ahold of that hand maybe slap it block at the first time grab at the elbow and then the hand and then grab that wrist and don't let them do anything with that weapon control that. I see the importance of positioning in this whole mess and don't let that weapon fascination get you in the wrong place for too long the second he showed that knee you fall that hand goes to the mat and you're out of there. I think everybody should limp around a little bit just enough to go to the doctor and get a prescription for an Americans with disabilities act rated came. That extra reach is always the best thing going for a knife attack. I've heard you can throw tables chairs anything you can to get space between you control that position and if you were throwing tables with one hand and hit him with a cane with the other it might be enough.

Would you please give us more information on the study of 170 knife attacks?

Very good video thank you very much 🙏🙏💪💪💪💪

And that highly realistic display looks like. I thing I’ve ever seen in any seminar, demo or movie.

That was the best

As someone who a long time ago drunk the Kool-Aid on Krav Maga knife defense I really appreciate this video!

Edged weapons and improvised weapons like a lock in a sock almost always start with the weapon in the rear hand and the lead hand grabbing or striking.

The best knife self-defence is based on cloak-and-dagger fighting styles. A thick cloak is like a cheat code against knife attacks. Meanwhile, you are in shorts and t-shirt just begging to be scratched, with your shiny neck not even protected by a necklace! Why do you think big gold chains are so sought after in hip hop circles? Have you tried stabbing Mr. T in the neck? Also, all the knife self defense systems always assume a tiny pocket knife. You never see kukris or rondell daggers.

This a very good video!

this was great.

I was fortunate to have trained in the military and law enforcement with excellent edged weapons instructors and they all agreed. It's bullshit. 90% of the instructors survived real knife attacks in the field and all said the same thing "YOU WILL GET STABBED OR SLASHED IT'S MINIMIZING DAMAGE AND SURVIVING THAT IS KEY". So they train to that and share what they did to survive it and it was the most realistic no bullshit training. In fact in many ways it's more scary being attacked with a knife than a gun, as far as CQB is concerned anyway.

What about cutting what you can see and get to. Fingers, forearms, legs, etc. It seems that when you're determined to do a particular attact to a particular part of the body you miss what's available.

Can you put some links for soft training knives. I can't find any good training knives that you can go full force with ! thanks!

"Address the position" should be a mantra for everyone, whether they are training for combat sport, self-defence, or a traditional martial art.

My only experience with "knife defense" was in Karate. My buddy, same age as me but higher belt was perpetually bored. Stuck at Brown Belt at 13 until the age of 18. So, training technique, he'd veer from protocol. And start stabbing me with damn rubber knife. I'd try to use techniques, and he'd just fight back. Needless to say, I ended up on the ground with black streaks all over my gear.

I've not done knife defense but I'd imagine the best way is to stay close to the target and try keep control of the hand or arm they have the knife in but doesn't stop you getting hurt though

I like Tim Ken Kennedy's knife defense video.

One of the greatest Kickboxers Gabriel Varga with the vid bomb 😂