How to Defend Against Weapon Attacks With Martial Arts

Co-authored by Dany Zelig and Eric McClure

Last Updated: September 6, 2021 References

Hopefully, you never end up in a situation where you have to defend yourself against an armed attacker. Unfortunately, the world can be kind of unpredictable. Keep in mind that it’s always better to run if you can get away. If you can’t run and the attacker is making demands, it’s better to comply. If you’re actively being jumped or attacked though, fight back. Remember, it’s never worth risking your life if the attacker is demanding money. Personal belongings can be replaced and your life is always more valuable than whatever is in your wallet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Disarming a Gunman

1
Wait for an opening where the gunman isn’t looking at you. If you do decide to attack a gunman, wait for an opportunity where they’re holding the gun away from you. If you can, wait for the gunman to look away or get distracted by something. Only attack if you’re within 5–10 feet (1.5–3.0 m) of the attacker. Do not make any sudden movements if they’re looking and aiming at you.^{[1]
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- The closer you are the better. You may be able to get off 1-2 big steps if they’re looking away before they get a chance to turn around and pull the trigger.
Warning: Fighting should be your last resort. It is always better to just follow the gunman’s instructions and keep them calm if you get the sense they just want your money.
2
Duck out of the way and slide to your opponent’s side. As you get ready to strike the armed gunman, duck out of the way of the barrel and slide to the outside of the gun. In other words, if they’re holding it with their right hand, duck down and slide 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) to the attacker’s right side.^{[2]
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- If you move towards the attacker’s chest, two things may happen. First, your attacker will be able to track you more easily and they may just point at you and shoot. Second, they may hit you with their free hand while you go for the gun. If either of these things happen, you’re in serious danger.
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3
Strike the gunman’s wrist to disarm them quickly. Either chop down on your opponent’s wrist with your dominant hand, or punch their wrist from the outside. There is a solid chance the gun will fly right out of the gunman’s hand. If it does, and other people are around, call out for them to grab the gun and grapple with the attacker. Otherwise, dive for the gun, if you can, to take control of the situation.^{[3]
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- If you injure the attacker or they fall down when you do this, don’t bother with the gun. Just focus on restraining them.
4
Grab the armed wrist with your free hand if they hold on to the gun. If you strike the wrist and they hold on to the gun, they could turn to you and shoot. To keep this from happening, immediately grab their wrist with your free hand. Then, bring your other hand back up and reinforce your grip with both hands. Hold it as hard as you possibly can to retain control.^{[4]
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- Stay on the attacker’s side while doing this. If you’re on the inside, they could hit you repeatedly with their free hand so you lose control of their wrist.
5
Pull the armed wrist away from the attacker’s free arm. Once you have control of their wrist, yank it down and away from the attacker’s free arm. Pull their wrist down toward the ground and yank it in a circular motion away from them. This can throw them off balance and keep them from gaining control.^{[5]
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- If you’re shorter, pull their arm under their waist if you can.
- The reasoning behind pulling it down is that it’s easier for the human body to hold something down than push up against something. Your attacker won’t be able to raise the gun back up.
6
Twist their arm and turn the gun out of their hand. Once you have the wrist held down and away from the attacker, twist their arm toward their back. Hopefully, this will tear a tendon or ligament and they’ll drop the gun right away. Otherwise, it’ll make it easy for you to tilt their wrist up and grab the gun with your nondominant hand before taking it away.^{[6]
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- Once you have the gun, back up and raise it to protect yourself. Do not shoot unless they leap at you. Just hold them where they are and call the police.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Neutralizing a Knife-Wielding Attacker

1
Attempt to disarm a knife-wielding attacker only as a last resort. It’s actually much harder to disarm a knife than a gun. The reason is that it’s relatively easier to keep a gun pointed away from you while a knife gets more dangerous the closer you are. If possible, run. If this isn’t an option, back up as much as you possibly can and try to evade the attacker. You should really only try to disarm a knife-wielding attacker if you have no other way to defend yourself.^{[7]
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Tip: This process is oriented towards a knife-wielding attacker, but the same process applies for basically any melee weapon. This could work with a crowbar, bat, or some other blunt object.
2
Knock the knife away by striking their wrist from both sides if possible. If your attacker is holding a knife up with one hand, there is one move that may work to instantly disarm them. With both palms open, strike your opponent’s wrist from both sides. Hit the inside of their arm just below the wrist bones with your strong hand. At the same time, hit the back of their knife hand with your off-hand. The knife may fly right out of their hand.^{[8]
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- If you do this correctly, you’ll snap their palm inward while applying hard pressure to the forearm. At best, you’ll break their wrist. At worst, you’ll knock the knife out of their hand.
- This is an old taekwondo trick for disarming an attacker wielding a weapon.
- You need to do this very quickly and you must be accurate for this to work. If possible, do this while they’re looking elsewhere to catch them off guard.
3
Grab the attacker's armed hand to control their wrist as an alternative. If you can’t knock the knife out of the attacker's hand, quickly grab their wrist with both hands. Grip it as hard as you possibly can and either yank it down or away from the attacker. The direction doesn’t necessarily matter as much so long as you throw them off balance and control their wrist.^{[9]
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- Unlike a gun, which is only dangerous when it’s pointed at you, the knife is dangerous at basically any angle. This is why it’s better to pull the wrist in whatever direction is most likely to throw your attacker off balance.
4
Twist the attacker's arm away from them as hard as you can. As soon as you pull the wrist away from the attacker, use all of your weight to rip their arm away in a circular motion. If you have their right arm, twist it counterclockwise. If you have their left arm, twist it clockwise. Ideally, this will break their wrist or elbow. In most cases, this will at least cause them to drop the knife.^{[10]
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- If they do drop the knife and you have somewhere to run, now is the time to do it. Otherwise, kick the knife away and subdue your attacker.
5
Hop back and try again if you can’t control their wrist. If at any point you lose control of their wrist, jump back to get out of range of the knife. Either try to knock the knife out again or make another effort to grab the wrist from further away. So long as you’re close to the opponent and you don’t have control of their wrist, you’re at serious risk of being stabbed.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Assessing the Risk

1
Stay as calm as possible to control your emotions. Panic is the enemy here. If someone has a weapon and you panic, you may make a mistake. Similarly, if you’re visibly panicked, the attacker may become panicked as well. Take a deep breath, try your best to relax, and keep a cool front on while you assess what’s going on.^{[12]
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- Keep your hands up and wait for the attacker to list their demands or say their piece. You are not in control right now, so it’s better to wait and see what the attacker wants before jumping right to fighting back.
2
Give your money or belongings over if you’re being robbed. If they have a weapon and they only want your belongings, give them over and do not attempt to disarm the attacker. You’re only putting yourself at risk if you do this. Your belongings can be replaced and they aren’t nearly as valuable as your life.^{[13]
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- Most attempts to disarm an attacker are not successful to begin with. It’s much more likely that you get hurt than stop a crazed gunman or knife-wielding maniac. It’s always best to give the attacker what they want if it will keep your safe.^{[14]
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3
Run and shout for help if you think you’re faster and they have a knife. If you’re in good shape and the attacker doesn’t have a gun, your best bet is to run. Knives, bats, and other blunt force weapons are actually harder to disarm than guns, so it’s always better to run if you can. If there is any reasonable escape route or you’re already outside, just take off running and find help while shouting.^{[15]
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- Yell “I’m being attacked, please help,” or “Call the police, they’re trying to kill me!”
- The same is true if they have a bat, crowbar, or some other close-range weapon.
4
Follow the instructions if the attacker has a gun and just wait. If you’re being held at gunpoint, just put your hands up and do as the gunman asks. Running is dangerous, and leaping at your attacker is even more reckless. You really shouldn’t try to disarm a gunman unless there’s a serious risk that they’re going to pull the trigger or they’ve already done so.^{[16]
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- Knowing when to attack a gunman is really difficult. In most cases, you’re better off not attacking unless they’ve actively shot at someone or they’re showing no signs of letting you go alive. Again, it is extremely dangerous to try and fight an attacker with a gun.
5
File a police report after the incident to get the attacker convicted. Whenever the incident ends, call the police as soon as you can. Describe the event in detail and give the police everything you know about the attacker. Try to remember any defining features, such as scars, marks, or tattoos. This will give the police a better chance at catching the person that attacked you.^{[17]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How do you enter a fight?

Dany Zelig
Self Defense Trainer
Dany Zelig is the Founder and Owner of Tactica and the Tactica Krav Maga Institute headquartered in San Francisco, California. He is a 2nd generation Israeli Krav Maga instructor of Imi Lichtenfeld, certified directly by Imi’s most senior disciple and Head of the Rank Committee. He received his Military Krav Maga Instructor certification from the Wingate Institute in Israel in 1987.

Dany Zelig

Self Defense Trainer

Expert Answer

Focus on staying safe. Approach a situation assuming your attacker is stronger than you. Assume your opponent is stronger, faster, and better than you at everything. You don't want to judge or take anything for granted in a fight, and when the conflict starts, you need to do everything you can to win or escape.

Warnings

Most fancy methods you come across that involve karate-chopping an attacker or hitting their neck with a special move are either entirely wrong or simply unrealistic. There are no “hidden techniques” that you can use to disarm an armed attacker. It’s really just about getting control of their wrist.^{[19]
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