Bringing a Stun Gun to a Knife Fight: How to Get Away Safely

You see someone suspicious on the street. As they reach into a pocket, your eye catches the glint of a knife blade.

There’s a stun gun knife in your pocket. You pull it out to defend yourself, but both options require close contact to be effective.

You can’t reach the attacker with the stun gun prongs. If the person throws the knife, you could dodge it – or use it against them.

That means you’ve found yourself bringing a stun gun to a potential knife fight. These are your best options if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Option #1: Run Away

Don’t even bother to engage. If you’ve got some quicks, find them! When you run away from the encounter, you have a better chance to draw attention to your situation. Most attackers are cowards, trying to use the sight of a weapon to their advantage.

Option #2: Read the Attack

Six different knife attacks could be coming your way. The most common is the thrust, which is also the most dangerous. The person jabs or lunges at you when making this move.

Slashing, flicking, tearing, and hacking are also possible. The least common attack uses the butt of the knife handle to cause damage.

If you can avoid the initial attack by reading the movement, you can step aside and deploy the stun gun to any part of the skin. It only takes a second or two for the voltage to engage, creating spasms that will typically drop the attacker.

Option #3: Push Away

Some people are physically tough. They can fight through the pain and spasms of a stun gun to continue the attack. They’re still cowards for coming after you.

In this situation, your best option is to push the attacker away. If you can throw in a trip without exposing yourself to the knife’s danger, you can buy a few extra seconds to escape. 

Option #4: Sound an Alarm

A personal alarm can help to draw more attention to your situation. Most assailants want an easy mark, so anything that changes this dynamic causes them to leave.

Even if they decide to persist, you can use one of the other options here to defend yourself. When you don’t have the technology to make loud noises, dig deep into your belly, take a deep breath, and yell loudly.

Option #5: Throw Them Off Guard

If you can’t run and must defend yourself, do something unpredictable. Throw a garbage can lid at the person. Spit in their face. Drop to the ground. Even if this action doesn’t allow you to escape, you’ve given yourself an opportunity to get closer without the knife being a threat so that the stun gun can get deployed. A stun gun can be an effective self-defense tool when used correctly. Although it might be challenging to engage someone armed with a knife, there are ways for you to escape safely – even if you’re forced to attack.