Knives aren’t toys—they’re silent, cheap, and brutally efficient killers. In the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing, a blade can slash your throat or sever an artery before you even register the glint of steel. Worse? Even a complete amateur waving a $2 steak knife from the kitchen drawer can end your life in seconds.
Retired cop and longtime knife-fighting enthusiast Joe Tharp laid it all out plain and raw during his eye-opening presentation at the Danville GSL meeting in January. He kicked things off by lining up a gallery of blades on the table: everything from a $500 custom blade that’s too nice to carry everyday to the humble restaurant steak knife you’d use on a ribeye. His point? Price tag doesn’t matter. Any one of them, in the wrong hands, spells disaster for you.
Joe quoted Jesus telling his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword. Today’s version? Get a gun if you can. But if a firearm isn’t an option (or isn’t handy), a knife plus some training beats relying on harsh language or “hope.”
What makes knives so nasty in real-world attacks? They’re stealthy—no loud bang to give you away—quiet as a whisper, dirt-cheap, and ridiculously easy to conceal.
Spend a fortune, pocket change or steal a restaurant steak knife; the result can be the same: graveyard dead.
Joe, drawing from years on the job, put it bluntly: “I’ve seen more stabbings than I care to count as a cop. Almost every single one involved either a steak knife or a butcher knife.”He broke down the ugly reality of knife work: slashing at major arteries (neck, inner arms, thighs), thrusting for the heart, ripping through flesh to hit vitals. Knife fights aren’t choreographed Hollywood duels—they’re messy, often over in moments, and drenched in blood.
One of his strongest pieces of advice? If you spot a genuine lethal threat, keep that threat away from you with distance and obstacles. (Distance & obstacles give you time. Time gives you options and options mean safety.) If they get closer and you can clearly articulate why a reasonable person would fear for their life, strike first—preemptively. Easier said than done, though. Hesitate or misjudge, and the legal fallout can be as bad as the physical one. Be damn sure, and be ready to explain it crystal clear to investigating officers with the help of your attorney, as well as a judge and jury.
Joe also stressed the smart move: Get concealed-carry-level legal protection (self-defense insurance) if you ever plan to carry a blade for protection. He’s been through three defensive shootings himself—the aftermath is a nightmare of stress, second-guessing, and legal bills that can bankrupt you. Having someone in your corner who handles the lawyers and paperwork? Priceless. You won’t be writing endless checks while your life unravels.
And the golden rule if it ever goes down? Same as with a gun: Get police en route immediately. When they arrive, keep it short and sweet: “I was attacked, I feared for my life, and I want to speak with my attorney before answering any questions.”
Bottom line from Joe: Respect the blade. Train seriously. Prepare legally. Because in the split-second chaos of a real attack, hope and prayer aren’t weapons—steel and preparation are. Stay safe out there.
On the flip side, when using a knife aggressively against a potential attacker, don’t play nicely. If you have a chance to slash open their neck or femoral artery on the inside of their thigh, take it. Do your best to castrate them. You might not succeed at neutering them, it will retard their combat effectiveness. You don’t play nicely and there are no rules.
If you can’t sever arteries, chop tendons in the wrist, or back of the knee or just above the heel in the back. That will prevent them from moving effectively.
Joe also recommends fixed-blades over folders for defensive purposes. Why? Have you ever tried to deploy a folder when someone’s on you, raining down punches? It’s nary impossible. Get a fixed blade, an automatic knife that will deploy at the touch of a button or a pocket Karambit that will automatically deploy when you pluck it out of your pocket.
Are you in a non-permissive environment? Order a steak. The servers will often bring you a defensive implement.
Tell me about it!!!
Excellent advice.
A few other targets besides inside of wrist (can’t grab things) would be tendons at bottom of biceps (forearm no workey) or tendons at base of quads right above knee (no chasey). Base of triceps is good too, if target presents. Heel and back of leg targets are okay, but may be harder to hit than these frontal ones that are likely coming right at you. (Michael Janich had a great book “contemporary knife targeting” that covered this concept of destroying the missile silos rather than the missiles in flight).
Have heard from a couple of Rangers that if you do find yourself with access to their backside, stabbing the kidneys causes a temporary freeze/lockup effect that can be used to advantage.
In Minecraft, of course.