"Edged Weapon Tactics And Counter Tactics"

by Darren Laur

Edged weapons are amongst the most ancient of implements used by human adversaries engaged in interpersonal conflict. Their use tends to culminate in the premature extinction of one and sometimes both parties. Unfortunately the potential lethality of the blade is not always realized or taken into account when confronting a knife-wielding attacker. There is a commonly held view that a person armed with a knife is less dangerous than a person armed with a firearm. The truth is that within their practical ranges both weapons are capable of fatal life stopping wounds. Some interesting facts include:

U.K. studies:

• Edged weapon assaults are the most commonly used weapon for killing people (7 in 20)
   
• In half the incidents of muggings on men the offender is armed with a sharp instrument

North America:

• One in three chance that if faced with a subject who had an edged weapon, you will be attacked and injured
   
• Attacks with edged weapons usually occur when you least expect them
   
• In Victoria BC Canada, our police department has found an increase of 35% in the number of calls that they deal with where an edged weapon was involved
   
• In 1994, out of the 7 murders in Victoria, 6 were committed with knives
   
• The majority of "street" type people carry some kind of edged weapon be it legal or illegal.

FBI Statistics:

• FBI Statistics:Edged weapon attackers are responsible for 3% of...

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