Page 94 - Pat O'Keeffe Combat Kick Boxing

Combat Kick Boxing

Chapter Seven
Knife Attacks

There can be few areas of self-defence that are as laden with controversy as knife
defence. A knife lends an assailant a courage and ruthlessness that ordinarily he
would not possess, for it gives him the power to strike you down with one thrust
or to wound you grievously with a slashing cut.
Further, most people attacked with a knife do not realise that a knife was used
until after the attack, mistaking stabs for blows or in the case of cuts, not even
being aware that they were there until shock has set in.
The availability of knives and the ease of their concealment makes them one of
the most frequently used street weapons, and training in self-defence must take
account of this. Whatever your skill level, you must never underestimate the danger
of confronting a knife. For the purposes of self-defence any weapon capable of
cutting or stabbing – broken bottles, screwdrivers, cut-throat razors and so on –
should be dealt with in the same way as a knife.

Science and the Knife
During the Second World War, W. E. Fairbairn, a former assistant commissioner
with the Shanghai Police, wanted to create an effective method of using the knife
for the Commandos.
He started by going to see a famous surgeon and asking him for his advice on
the most damaging way for a knife or dagger to be employed. What emerged
became known as the Timetable of Death and the statistics contained within it
make fascinating, if macabre, reading. They should give you pause for thought
when considering the potential danger of a knife attack.
Timetable of Death
Artery Size Depth – Loss of Death
Below surface Consciousness
Brachial M ½ inch 14 Seconds 1½ minutes
Radial S ¼ inch 30 Seconds 2 minutes
Carotid L 1½ inches 5 Seconds 12 Seconds
Subclavian L 2½ inches 2 Seconds 3 ½ Seconds
Heart –––– 3½ inches Instantaneous 3 Seconds
Aorta –––– 5 inches Depends on depth of cut

The brachial and radial arteries are located on the inside edge of the upper and
lower arms respectively. The carotid artery is found in the neck adjacent to the
windpipe. The aorta is the main artery in the body that runs down the centre line
of the torso.

Warning: Read and re-read the Timetable of Death. It should make you reconsider
the wisdom of ever fighting a knife-wielding assailant – if you have the choice.

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