| Knife attacks are increasingly common these | | | | scenario, which has already been suggested, is |
| days. Nearly every week in the UK there is news | | | | that a sense of urgency is essential. Any delay |
| of at least one knife murder. At least, it seems | | | | means death or severe injury in a knife defence |
| like that.It amazes me that so few people try to | | | | situation.In our ordinary lives, delay means that |
| learn how to defend themselves from a knife | | | | bad habits have a chance to take hold and slow |
| attack.This article gives some helpful suggestions | | | | us down and turn us into the walking |
| on how to defend yourself from a knife attack | | | | dead.Statistics suggest that people on benefits |
| but it also looks at some key life lessons that can | | | | who have not worked for two years will never |
| be learned from the art of knife defence.Recently | | | | work again. They need to get back to work of |
| a young girl was murdered in a park. She was | | | | some kind as soon as possible before they |
| knifed repeatedly as she begged her attacker not | | | | become incapable of regular work.Delayed action |
| to knife her 'there' or 'there'. She was stabbed | | | | means loss of momentum and loss of the |
| about a dozen times by a merciless | | | | excitement that goes with the rapid achievement |
| assailant.She and her friend had made the | | | | of our goals. Delay gives a chance for distractions |
| mistake of not fighting her attackers earlier | | | | to creep in and prevent the focus necessary to |
| before they were bundled into the boot of a car | | | | reach a goal.It has been said that we need to be |
| and taken to a park.She was knifed to death. Her | | | | patient about the results we want (since we |
| friend was shot but lived to tell the tale.One key | | | | cannot fully control results) but need a sense of |
| self defence lesson is to never allow yourself to | | | | urgency in doing the things that we believe to be |
| be taken from where you are to a place which | | | | necessary to achieve those results.These actions |
| suits your attackers. It is better to risk fighting | | | | are under our control. We can take action slowly |
| back at once.In ordinary life, it is clearly wiser to | | | | or fast. Fast is usually better unless you are |
| deal with a problem immediately when you still | | | | defusing a bomb and even then it might explode |
| have some control over it rather than waiting for | | | | sooner than you think!We cannot be sure that we |
| it to get worse.Human beings are problem solving | | | | will avoid death or injury in a knife attack but we |
| creatures. Even a knife murderer who is trying to | | | | can control the speed at which we react to the |
| kill you will keep stabbing or slashing until he gets | | | | attack. If we move slowly, we will be dead meat. |
| round your defences and finds a vulnerable | | | | If we move fast, we have a chance.In life, in |
| target.This might involve changing the angle of his | | | | general, a missed opportunity does not always |
| attack or using his other hand to hold the knife if | | | | return. We need to 'seize the day' and get on |
| what he is already doing is not working.If he | | | | with things if we want to make the most of the |
| keeps stabbing the same way that he started, he | | | | chances that come our way.If we are in business, |
| will probably fail to kill his victim and may even | | | | few things please a customer more than fast, |
| end up badly hurt or dead himself.The same | | | | efficient service. When I buy info products on the |
| principle applies from the defender's point of view. | | | | internet, I really appreciate product owners who |
| If his block isn't working too well, he will, if he is | | | | provide you with an immediate download.With |
| lucky, receive one or two shallow wounds.This | | | | others, you have to wait for an email which could |
| should be enough to convince him to change his | | | | take two or three days to arrive or you have to |
| method of defence before he gets stabbed in a | | | | jump through several hoops before you can |
| vital area or gets stabbed deeply enough to kill | | | | actually clap eyes on the product. You can guess |
| him.He might try a few swift kicks at his | | | | whose products I am most keen to buy.A fourth |
| attacker's shins or even spit in his face to cause | | | | lesson from knife defence is that you need a |
| him to flinch long enough to allow him to launch a | | | | very clear sense of priorities. If the knife is close |
| telling attack. The defender cannot hang about. He | | | | to you, your priority is defence i.e. stopping the |
| has to find solutions rapidly or 'die'.He might even | | | | knife entering your body at any point.There is little |
| remove his belt and swing the buckle at his | | | | point in swapping a punch for a knife wound. You |
| attacker's face. He will need to practice taking off | | | | might land a punch on his jaw but, if you are not |
| his belt at speed! A chair is another useful option | | | | making defence a priority, he might well have |
| both for defence and offence.The same lesson | | | | killed you with a stab.If the knife is not an |
| about changing what we do applies in the less | | | | immediate threat because you have grabbed his |
| intense areas of life that we normally face every | | | | knife arm or it is some distance from your body, |
| day. We need to change what is not working as | | | | your priority is to hurt your attacker so badly |
| soon as possible. If we carry on repeating the | | | | that he will no longer wish to continue his |
| same old mistakes we will die a slow death of | | | | attack.Failure to establish these priorities has harsh |
| mediocrity.Every day is a kind of life or death | | | | consequences. In normal life, the same is true to |
| struggle against living a very ordinary and boring | | | | a lesser extent. If you waste your time on |
| life. If we don't change fairly soon we will find | | | | secondary tasks and neglect the important ones, |
| ourselves in a deeper and deeper rut bound tight | | | | your chances of achieving your goals are slim.If |
| by inefficient habits which make escape unlikely | | | | possible 'make your money' early in the morning |
| before we eventually die unfulfilled and having | | | | by completing your priority tasks whatever they |
| made little difference to the planet on which we | | | | are. Writers may like to write for an hour before |
| live.We should change what we are doing if it is | | | | they do anything else. The health conscious may |
| not working and try something else. It is very | | | | prefer to go for a walk first thing.The highly |
| tempting to do what we are convinced will work | | | | organized might plan to clear up clutter for half an |
| even if reality tells us that our strategy is | | | | hour. This will help them to work with greater |
| ineffective.We should give up our old ideas and try | | | | power and energy for the rest of the day.So |
| something new. We are not giving up our goals; | | | | then, choose your own ground to fight on and |
| we are just trying to reach them by a more | | | | start your fight back as early as possible. |
| effective route.A third lesson from the knife | | | | |