Bladed weapons are: sharp (knives, sabres, axes,…), piercing (arrows, spears, stakes,…) and blunt (sticks, hammers, bats,…).
In the street, an attacker usually has a knife, because it is effective and easy to conceal, ideal to walk the streets without raising too much attention.
The big advantage is that they slice AND pierce, which can cause lethal damage even if it is a beginner using it. The disadvantage is their short range, the limited localization of damage, and the fact that the slashed victim is still “able” to move for a while, as long as she has not lost enough blood.
Hence, some attackers prefer to use blunt weapons such as iron bars, batons or baseball bats.
These weapons are more visible, but they are quite handy and can cause a lot of damage, deep and over a larger area because of the shock wave generated by the impact.
The thickness of the victim’s clothing has no impact against a blunt weapon, where a blade can be blocked by thick clothing.
Since this type of weapon cannot be carried without attracting attention, it is usually used to defend an area where it has been previously hidden, or to fight between gangs.
However, anyone can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Also, it is easy to make a stick out of an everyday object, and the possibility of running into an armed assailant in this way cannot be avoided. This is why Krav Maga training includes defenses against sticks from the yellow belt level onward, in this case on a long distance threat in order to start “smoothly”.
As you can see, a stick (even an improvised one) is a devastating weapon that should not be underestimated. Here are a few ways to defend yourself!
Table of Contents
Analyze the threat
The danger in all assaults is not the weapon but the person holding it.
If you can’t run away, double your attention on your attacker and maintain as much distance as possible between you, while looking for opportunities to escape.
Here we are dealing with a long distance stick threat.
The fact that the attacker is at long distance (i.e. at least twice his range) is an advantage because it gives us time to see the blow coming and to anticipate his movements by mentally preparing a counterattack.
Of course this configuration changes very quickly. An attacker armed with a stick will want to get closer to you to hit you, arming his blow in a more or less predictable way.
In training, as a yellow belt practitioner, the training partner WALKS towards the defender. This gives the trainees plenty of time to analyze the fighting distances, to learn the right timing and to move with precision. The more the level of the practitioner increases, the more the speed of the exercise must be adapted to. Ultimately, it should be as close as possible to a real aggression with more speed and greater stress.
The counterattack phase
The aggressor will close the distance between him and you, so don’t react too early (in which case the aggressor will readjust his trajectory to reach you anyway), nor too late (even in guard, it is unlikely that you will be able to take a blow from the stick and remain able to fight afterwards, although this will naturally limit the damage).
Don’t do sudden gestures either. React as a victim so as not to alert the attacker too much, and prepare for the counterattack by already adopting a stable posture that will allow you to react quickly when the time comes.
The counterattack itself is not very complicated, since it only takes a sideways dodge by taking a big step, with your guard up, and kicking his genitals. However, there are at least two mistakes to avoid in such a maneuver, which requires practicing in slow motion.
Not only do you have to dodge at the last moment (when the attacker can reach you with his weapon), but you also have to avoid the closed side (i.e. the side of the sword arm). This may sound logical, but it is good to always remember the basics, especially since stress can quickly make you forget the fundamentals. This is why it is so important to repeat the right gestures over and over again, in order to anchor them deeply in the brain.
The second major mistake to never make, regardless of the aggression, concerns the “aftermath”. NEVER let your guard down, especially when you are dealing with an aggressor armed with a stick who can turn around in pain and rage and inflict a full-power backhand to the head! Hence the interest in kicking him…
The kick to the genitals is the ideal goal to achieve, with maximum power by arming the knee well before striking, to avoid simply “rubbing” against the shin. This is what usually happens to neophytes who lift their legs a little too lazily!
Of course, nothing is guaranteed in street fighting, and it is possible that when you dodge, the front leg of the aggressor will close off access to his genitals, which will short-circuit your defense right away. Regardless, hit where you can (on the kneecap for instance, or even on the abdomen if you are flexible) but don’t run away and leave an attacker when he case still chase you, especially since you won’t have the opportunity to surprise him anymore, since he now knows who he is dealing with.
