Would your action be the same if armed with knife but no gun?

[hogwylde]

Unless you're ready, willing, and able to actually defend an attack with the knife that's a REALLY bad idea. The same applies when pulling a gun. Never pull a weapon unless you're ready to use it.

So what are you proposing? If he has a knife and you do too but you're not "ready, willing or able" your best option is to give up?

If he had a gun and you did too.....would you pull yours? I thought so. What difference does a knife make besides the fact of the encounter being more physical?

[reconman]

I think I will have to agree with what "The Outlaw" said. If it is just a wallet and some cash, give it up... if it is you family then you fight till you are dead. I have been trained in knife fighting and it is the last thing I want to be involved with. No matter who wins in a knife fight there is no Real winner. It is going to freaking hurt.

[Rich_S]

So what are you proposing? If he has a knife and you do too but you're not "ready, willing or able" your best option is to give up?

If he had a gun and you did too.....would you pull yours? I thought so. What difference does a knife make besides the fact of the encounter being more physical?

In the scenario mentioned in the OP I'm proposing that I would give up my wallet and hope that would be enough to end the encounter. I certainly wouldn't pull a knife and say "let's dance". If someone had a gun pointed at me and demanded my wallet I wouldn't try to pull a gun if I had one. Would you? Do you think you could draw and fire in the time it takes him to pull the trigger? You also need to understand the laws governing the use of deadly force in MA because that would also influence your decision in this scenario.

[Hamilton Felix]

I've read a number of Ayoob's books, and he's good. But he is always acutely conscious that he's a cop, a concealed carry instructor and an expert witness. His advice will always be written with the thought it will be used as legal advice. I've read that stuff about carrying "buy-off money" for the muggers. Though I personally doubt it would buy much, since most of today's goblins want to terrorize as well as rob, I can understand the advice and its source.

Now if we were asking Col. Cooper, rest his soul, he'd speak about one's duty to society to stop goblins for good. He was a warrior, not a cop.

In reality, your first duty is to see that your family survives. Next, to see that you survive. After that, comes duty to society. You'll have to make your choices accordingly. And there are a LOT of unknowns in the scenario as given. You'll have to size up your attacker(s). Does he (they) look likely to just take the money and leave - or more likely to rob and then enjoy some rape, torture and thrill killing? This assessment colors your response. Police and media propaganda to the contrary, your best chance of survival may well be fighting back.

The bad thing about knife fighting is that you'll get cut and badly. If you have to go for it, you'd better have the aggressive mindset that you'll kill him before he kills you, no matter how much you get cut. MAYBE the "psychology of steel" will help you. People do NOT LIKE GETTING CUT. Up close a blade can be more frightening to many than a gun. But I'd never count on my knife frightening another guy with a knife. If I can put it clear through his throat before he does it to me, THAT will frighten him.

I'd really, really hope I had something with more reach than a knife. I may not be near the axe and shovel in my trunk (the big Husqvarna chainsaw with 32 inch bar is only there in winter when I may need it - unless the Zombie Apocalypse happens ;-)), but I might have my cane. A Cold Steel City Stick will definitely help to keep an attacker at bay. If I can't neutralize him with that, I can at least slow him down enough that my wife can get out one of her knives -- at which point he WILL get religion: anyone attacking a family member and facing her blade will pray and pray for a mercifully quick death. No joke at all.

Heck, the old belt with heavy buckle trick will help you keep distance from a knife. Any good stick or tool with some reach will cause him to reassess his odds.

But if it's limited to knife vs knife, I'm not eager to engage unless there's no other viable option. If one does engage, it has to be all-out, as sudden, vicious and deadly as possible.

Frankly, I'm going to make every effort not to be without at least one gun...

[BC1]

In reality, your first duty is to see that your family survives. Next, to see that you survive. After that, comes duty to society. You'll have to make your choices accordingly. And there are a LOT of unknowns in the scenario as given. You'll have to size up your attacker(s).

Yes, first my family, then an innocent child or elderly person, then me last.

I know this will get me flamed but I don't feel I have any duty to each and every member of society, nor do they have any duty to me. The simple truth is that few are thankful for the contributions one makes to society. Instead, we're critizied, charged with crimes and sued for our actions, God forbid we make one small mistake while helping. My opinion is based in lots of personal experience working to jail sex offenders.

Natual disaster? Yes, I'll jump right in even risking my life to do so. While I won't just walk away it will take extenuating circumstances (such as the person is about to be killed, kidnapped, raped) before I intervene physically in a personal incident.

[fudo]

So what are you proposing? If he has a knife and you do too but you're not "ready, willing or able" your best option is to give up?

If he had a gun and you did too.....would you pull yours? I thought so. What difference does a knife make besides the fact of the encounter being more physical?

You really do not know what you are talking about. Engaging in a knife fight is inane, unless you are well trained, and have no viable alternative. There are many ways to defend self and family. Engaging in a knife fight is rarely the best option. Any walking stick is a better weapon than a pocket sized knife, if you have no training. In most knife fights, if the other guy is better than you, you die. If you are better than him, he dies. If you are equal in skill and drive, you both die.Think, man, think.

[fudo]

I've read a number of Ayoob's books, and he's good. But he is always acutely conscious that he's a cop, a concealed carry instructor and an expert witness. His advice will always be written with the thought it will be used as legal advice. I've read that stuff about carrying "buy-off money" for the muggers. Though I personally doubt it would buy much, since most of today's goblins want to terrorize as well as rob, I can understand the advice and its source.

Now if we were asking Col. Cooper, rest his soul, he'd speak about one's duty to society to stop goblins for good. He was a warrior, not a cop.

In reality, your first duty is to see that your family survives. Next, to see that you survive. After that, comes duty to society. You'll have to make your choices accordingly. And there are a LOT of unknowns in the scenario as given. You'll have to size up your attacker(s). Does he (they) look likely to just take the money and leave - or more likely to rob and then enjoy some rape, torture and thrill killing? This assessment colors your response. Police and media propaganda to the contrary, your best chance of survival may well be fighting back.

The bad thing about knife fighting is that you'll get cut and badly. If you have to go for it, you'd better have the aggressive mindset that you'll kill him before he kills you, no matter how much you get cut. MAYBE the "psychology of steel" will help you. People do NOT LIKE GETTING CUT. Up close a blade can be more frightening to many than a gun. But I'd never count on my knife frightening another guy with a knife. If I can put it clear through his throat before he does it to me, THAT will frighten him.

I'd really, really hope I had something with more reach than a knife. I may not be near the axe and shovel in my trunk (the big Husqvarna chainsaw with 32 inch bar is only there in winter when I may need it - unless the Zombie Apocalypse happens ;-)), but I might have my cane. A Cold Steel City Stick will definitely help to keep an attacker at bay. If I can't neutralize him with that, I can at least slow him down enough that my wife can get out one of her knives -- at which point he WILL get religion: anyone attacking a family member and facing her blade will pray and pray for a mercifully quick death. No joke at all.

Heck, the old belt with heavy buckle trick will help you keep distance from a knife. Any good stick or tool with some reach will cause him to reassess his odds.

But if it's limited to knife vs knife, I'm not eager to engage unless there's no other viable option. If one does engage, it has to be all-out, as sudden, vicious and deadly as possible.

Frankly, I'm going to make every effort not to be without at least one gun...

The very voice of reason.

[Switch]

In training they showed us a video of a knife expert at work. The police officer had five balloons pinned to his uniform and the knife expert was 15 to 20 feet from the officer and covered the distance in less time than the officer could draw. five balloons were popped without any real effort. What if those had been stab wounds...? This is not to say though that every scumbag with a knife is an expert but are you willing to take the chance?

[NCIC105]

If your goal is to protect your family, it does not matter if you have a drinking straw! You fight to eliminate the threat!

Great example of why I carry a spring open assist knife like these.

http://kennesawcutlery.com/Folding-K...et-Point-Knife

Or

http://kennesawcutlery.com/Folding-K...-Folding-Knife

If I knew all, they wanted was the cash, I'd throw the wallet behind them to pull them away from the family. If this did not work, then you know what you have to do!

[fudo]

Carry the best weapon you can carry legally. Learn to use improvised weapons, as many as possible. Teach your family to fight together.Learn to think on your feet.