So...Exactly what good is that knife in your purse?

[Brian R. VanCise]

It's a talisman, much like wearing a St Christopher medal. While I don't suggest walking into a parking lot with a knife in one hand and a shuriken in the other, weapons access is key to the use of a weapon.

I have to agree absolutely here. If it is not readily accessible then it really is not functional. However having it probably gives them some confidence even if it may be false.

 

[LawDog]

If you need your eyes to locate it or have to search for it then it's of no use.

 

[Lisa]

I have to agree absolutely here. If it is not readily accessible then it really is not functional. However having it probably gives them some confidence even if it may be false.

That false confidence can allow one to feel that they have a handle on situations when in truth they don't. Instead of listening to that voice in their head, they feel they have that extra security.

I have nothing against young women having knives in their purse, or anyone for that matter. Its the purpose of having that knife in their purse that worries me. I carry one. It has come in handy when needing to cut something, I have used it as a screw driver, to jimmy things, they are very useful. What I don't do is feel that I will be able to whip it out if ever faced with a dangerous situation and "protect" myself.

 

[green meanie]

I think she should carry a brick in her purse for protection. A good wind up and swing with that should knock the hell out of any attacker.

 

[Sukerkin]

So many good points made in this thread that I don't really have much in the way to add. So I tired to apply a little 'rep' to those whose words particularly impressed me ... but it seems I've been in too generous a mood today and have been something of a tart when it comes to 'spreading the love' :blush:.

Sorry chaps and chapesses, I guess that this meagre applause will have to do as reward for your insights.

:rei:

 

[Flatlander]

I don't know... Like Andrew, I see a couple of different ways to look at this. Obviously, it makes very little sense for someone who doesn't understand how to use a weapon appropriately to be arming themselves with it. That point has already been made rather eloquently upthread.

Having said that, how many threads have we seen where we have discussed the importance of not walking the streets looking like a victim? My only point here is that if carrying that blade in her purse helps her to walk the streets with a little more confidence, perhaps she'll not appear to be such a victimizable target to predators. However, with that in mind, she'll still need to keep aware of her surroundings, avoid dangerous circumstances and areas, and keep up to speed on her run-jutsu, all tempered with a healthy and reasonable understanding that carrying a blade in her purse makes her no better equipped to deal with conflict than being without it. But, if it makes her feel better, and she's not deluding herself, why the hell not, I say. As far as I can reckon, if someone really wants to attack her, they've very likely brought whatever tools they feel are necessary to the party anyway.

 

[Sukerkin]

Excellent summation of my thoughts, Flatlander; that's almost exactly the post I pondered putting out but then settled for shameless flattery of my fellows instead :lol:

 

[MJS]

I don't know, I'm still a bit confused by the comments of feeling safe. I mean, while she may be carrying a weapon, be it a gun, knife, or mace, isn't that giving the person a false sense of security, especially if the weapon is not easily accessable?

Mike

 

[Sukerkin]

Hi MJS

I think that the core point is that most assailants are after an easy time and will far rather go after someone who looks nervous and unsure than someone who walks with confidence.

That's why the actually useless but psychologically helpful 'weapon' carry can actually help to protect.

 

[frank raud]

Hi MJS

I think that the core point is that most assailants are after an easy time and will far rather go after someone who looks nervous and unsure than someone who walks with confidence.

That's why the actually useless but psychologically helpful 'weapon' carry can actually help to protect.

Perhaps, but do you want to bet your life on that idea?

 

[Sukerkin]

I don't see that this is actually a contentious idea.

Be a sheep but walk like a lion ... might get eaten anyway but perhaps not.

Be a sheep and walk like a sheep ... yumm ... dinners ready.

The core point is that if you can't defend yourself anyway, surely it's better to alleviate the fear and hope for the best? Because if it's going to happen then it will but there's little point dying every day.

 

[MJS]

Hi MJS

I think that the core point is that most assailants are after an easy time and will far rather go after someone who looks nervous and unsure than someone who walks with confidence.

That's why the actually useless but psychologically helpful 'weapon' carry can actually help to protect.

True, and I realize that, but like Frank said in his post, while she may feel confident, whats going to happen if she's attacked and can't access the weapon? I'd think that the confidence is going to go right out the window in that case.

Mike

 

[Sukerkin]

No argument at all there and obviously the best choice is to actually learn how to defend yourself (at least a little) but experience has taught me that 'looking the part', which is what confidence gives you, is 9/10 of the battle.

 

[Amazon]

I really am confused as to exactly what good it does to have a knife in your purse? I came across yet another young woman that carries one in her purse "for protection"

My question is what good is a weapon that is inside your purse going to do you when you are attacked? In all honesty, how easy is it for someone who is being attacked to get that weapon out of their purse, let alone a young female with little or no self defense training.

I would agree with this. I myself have been known to carry a self defense knife, but it was clipped to my purse strap for quick grabbing and I was also trained to grab it and flip it open with one hand.

It seems like having a knife insdie your purse would be more of a distraction (trying to look for it), unless you were going into a situation you suspected might be unsafe ahead of time and took it out to carry in your hand.

Not to mention that many people who carry a knife like this, don't know the basics about how to make it effective. For instance, you should have it sharp enough to cut skin, but not too sharp. A really sharp knife can do a lot of damage before the person getting cut even feels it - which is not the point. The point is for them to feel pain as soon as possible, and let you go.

This is the same reason the anyone carying a knife like this should be trained to slice across skin rather than stab. Stabbing can have the same effect as a knife that is too sharp. The end goal is to cause immediate pain so that you can run.

 

[Amazon]

Because while she might not be ready to use it on someone else, there's an excellent chance her attacker has no such reservations. If she loses possession of the weapon, she could easily wind up getting stabbed with it herself.

I totally agree. It is very important that the correct type of knife - one with a good grip that fits well with the hand of the individual - should be chosen, and one should practice gripping it quickly regularly.

And even if she decides in a kind of abstract way that she's willing to defend herself with one, a knife is a very ... personal kind of weapon. You can't inflict damage remotely, the way you can with a firearm, or even a baseball bat or motorcycle chain. You are going to feel that knife going into your attacker's body, should you actually use it in self-defense. When it comes to the point, will she actually be willing to do that?

My take on it: she's very possibly making a big mistake carrying that weapon with her, for just these reasons...

On the opposite side of the coin there is also the possibility that three could be overuse due to ignorance as well. As far as I know many area have laws against the use of excessive force in self defense or preventing a crime.

For instance if you are attacked by an unarmed attacker, but you are armed and could get away with a slash and run but instead you freak out and stab the attacker to death - you could face penalties for that.

 

[exile]

On the opposite side of the coin there is also the possibility that three could be overuse due to ignorance as well. As far as I know many area have laws against the use of excessive force in self defense or preventing a crime.

For instance if you are attacked by an unarmed attacker, but you are armed and could get away with a slash and run but instead you freak out and stab the attacker to death - you could face penalties for that.

No question, you have to understand the law, and also have a sense of realism about how much damage, in any particular situation, is minimally necessary to inflict on an attacker to ensure your safe exit from the situation.

My concern is that someone who flashes a knife at an attacker but lacks the will to use it in this minimally necessary way is in an extremely vulnerable position. Jamming a knife into an attacker's arm, without severing a major vein, or delivering a slash across the face, very painful and extremely bloody but unlikely to be fatal, is probably going to be more than enough to take the attacker out of play... but there has to be that willingness to cross the `blood threshhold', as it was once referred to by an acquaintance of mine.

A cool, even cold, head, is crucial if you're going to be able to do that, and thereby, very possibly, save yourself (with—as you very correctly point out, Ninjamom—the minimal damage possible to the attacker). But pulling out a knife and then making it clear, by a dozen different cues, that you aren't ready to cross the blood threshhold is very likely going to be, well, a red flag for the attacker, whose followup behavior to the visible knife will in all likelihood depend on whether he sees, on the one hand, a pitiless resolve to shove that knife into him if necessary, or, on the other, a panicky realization that the victim doesn't really have a clue what to do with this thing, or the commitment to do it. And if he sees the latter, and realizes that in effect the knife is his for the taking... it's not gonna be good.

 

[Amazon]

No question, you have to understand the law, and also have a sense of realism about how much damage, in any particular situation, is minimally necessary to inflict on an attacker to ensure your safe exit from the situation.

My concern is that someone who flashes a knife at an attacker but lacks the will to use it in this minimally necessary way is in an extremely vulnerable position. Jamming a knife into an attacker's arm, without severing a major vein, or delivering a slash across the face, very painful and extremely bloody but unlikely to be fatal, is probably going to be more than enough to take the attacker out of play... but there has to be that willingness to cross the `blood threshhold', as it was once referred to by an acquaintance of mine.

A cool, even cold, head, is crucial if you're going to be able to do that, and thereby, very possibly, save yourself (with—as you very correctly point out, Ninjamom—the minimal damage possible to the attacker). But pulling out a knife and then making it clear, by a dozen different cues, that you aren't ready to cross the blood threshhold is very likely going to be, well, a red flag for the attacker, whose followup behavior to the visible knife will in all likelihood depend on whether he sees, on the one hand, a pitiless resolve to shove that knife into him if necessary, or, on the other, a panicky realization that the victim doesn't really have a clue what to do with this thing, or the commitment to do it. And if he sees the latter, and realizes that in effect the knife is his for the taking... it's not gonna be good.

Very true, and I agree. I was just exploring the other side of the coin too, that there are people who would react vulnerably and that there are also people that would over react. Which is even more evidence that one should be prepared for the situation so that when it happens everything isn't left up to reaction alone.

 

[exile]

Very true, and I agree. I was just exploring the other side of the coin too, that there are people who would react vulnerably and that there are also people that would over react. Which is even more evidence that one should be prepared for the situation so that when it happens everything isn't left up to reaction alone.

No question—panic and overreaction are pretty common companions. What you're raising is the whole question of preparation. How should someone who carries a knife for self-protection prepare for possible use of that knife, in the best case? Are there knife-fighting classes available, and if so, is that what we're looking for? Or something like traditional MA classes in weapons of various kinds? But any such class has to be psychologically realistic to a certain degree; if it isn't, then old attitudes, inhibitions and so on will kick in at the critical moment in the event of a real confrontation.

The whole issue requires a lot more thought and preparation than simply popping a blade into one's pocket (or purse) and thinking that by doing this you've enhanced your safety in a dangerous situation. Someone mentioned the talismanic view of objects like knives as almost magical sources of protection; this might, at bottom, be the case with Lisa's acquaintance in the OP, and if so, it's a very dangerous view of things, for all the excellent reasons given earlier in the thread.

 

[Flatlander]

True, and I realize that, but like Frank said in his post, while she may feel confident, whats going to happen if she's attacked and can't access the weapon? I'd think that the confidence is going to go right out the window in that case.

Mike

Absolutely. But, what happens when she's attacked without the knife? Damned if you do and damned if you don't. As has already been shared, nothing will take the place of diligent training, awareness, and common sense. All I was suggesting was that, if she's able to walk with confidence, that may improve her statistics.

 

[zDom]

Stabbing can have the same effect as a knife that is too sharp.

Just to confirm the veracity of this with personal experience:

I was stabbed in the chest at age 16 (lucky for me, it was through the window of my car as I sped off, so the hole in my shirt was almost dead center over my heart, but the wound ended up being under my left arm on the OUTSIDE of the ribs; a puncture about 4" deep but parallel to the surface of the skin)

Anyway the point is: I knew the guy had a knife but I wasn't sure if I had been stabbed or just punched in the chest. It was night, so it wasn't until we pulled into a parking lot to look and saw all the blood that we were sure.

It didn't even hurt any more than a punch — cleaning it out hurt MUCH worse (peroxide! ouch!). Of course, the NEXT day it hurt a LOT.