There is an old saying that goes something like this, DON’T BRING A KNIFE TO A GUN FIGHT! This little saying should be entered into every person’s hard drive or at least those folks who covet the combat arts. There is, however, another saying, perhaps not as old but damn sure as poignant, DON’T BRING A GUN TO A KNIFE FIGHT! This little gem has rolled off more than a few tongues since its inception. If I were a betting man, I would say it has a whole lot of experience backing its claim.

 When one examines conflict, there will be several variations to the same old problem. A simple rule of thumb is to simply not be in the conflict or do what must be done to avoid the conflict. That is an easier said than done quagmire, especially when it is up in your face and volatile. This is where the knife and the gun come into play. The gun has many varieties: rifle, shotgun, pistol, and so on. What I am talking about with this little article is the pistol. Most people who carry a firearm carry a pistol of some caliber, whether legally or not.

            If you were to take a guess of how many people who carry firearms would be trained to function at a decent level (Mind you I said decent, I won’t even go into the top gun category),  there are a definite few and far between world for the average fellow. The law averages would definitely be on the side of the unskilled to a bit skilled. Most people buy a handgun for whatever reason but rarely, if ever, learn to use it tactically (most are paper target poppers). This is where the adage of “Don’t bring a gun to a knife fight” plays true. In an altercation where deadly force is warranted, distance can be your best friend or your worst nightmare. If I have a man who is dead set on popping a cap in me, distance can now work to his advantage. Hence, don’t go bringing a blade if you got that gut feeling that this tete-a-tete is about to go long range. Your best bet is to run and make it extremely long range. If this is an impossibility, you have only one thing you can do, close that gap but quick. Remember that twenty foot rule. Well, the rule has been proven that it can be extended to thirty one feet. This may seem like a distance of insanity but I assure you when the chips are down you can get there. Better yet your life is banking on you, you will get there.

            The highly skilled pistolero with the heart of steel may be able to nail you dead as a hammer but in reality what are your chances of meeting said bad guy? People like that are usually swept up and doing business for some serious cash in some third world sand box or paid to work the streets as a good guy. Your average fellow who simply carries a gun and pops a few targets to keep up will have no idea what to do unless he has a high level of skill, a hard heart to kill, and definitely experience in dealing with this type of scenario.

            In close range is where the blade wreaks havoc. I would be sufficed to say that the blade and the wielder has a more forgiving playing field than the pistol packing tough guy. The blade is much easier to deploy and in most cases is viewed as less lethal. This may be a western thing but on the average people equate the pistol with more of a permanent place in the box as opposed to the knife. I, for one, don’t buy into this but I am speaking of those I talked to for this article.

            With the amount of knives now being carried by all types of people, it appears that a blade culture here in the west has truly reemerged. Everywhere I go, I see folders clipped into the pockets of people. I realize that these folks are probably not trained but also that it is extremely easy for them to get that bad boy out pretty dang quick if needed. It is a weapon that doesn’t take a lot of training to use compared to the skill needed to not only operate a hand gun effectively but to draw it, get it online and squeeze the trigger. This, along with the permanency of result set in the mind of the user when the weapon is used, gives the edge a man with a knife can use when it hits crunch time.

            There are many ways for an individual to train against a pistol packer. I use the ten foot, twenty foot, and thirty foot continuums. I start my guys at ten feet. I have a student stash his training pistol gangsta style (in his pants belt etc.). I use the timer and see how long it takes to close at each range. It is shocking how quick you can close, draw, and use your weapon on an individual who doesn’t understand the nature and demand of drawing a pistol and using it when it all goes south. What I noticed is quite common. Most unskilled people go straight back, get overly drawn to looking down or away from the oncoming blade man and in most cases fail miserably from all three ranges at retaining the weapon not to mention getting off a round.

This bring us to the extreme close quarter setting where it is a chest to chest situation and it is about to go south. I have found that the pistol packing individual runs into all kinds of trouble whether it is by clothing or the close proximity of the situation. It appears to me and my own experience that the blade is so much easier to acquire relying on gross motor skills as opposed to fine motor skills. This and the ability to move while drawing will give a lethal combination. A highly trained pistol man who is well versed in the game of movement will do much better, but as I said earlier, that individual is few and far between.

            In the end it all comes down to a few things: training, willingness and opportunity. With all of these in proper alignment, the scale will be properly dipped in your favor. If not, well, let’s not go into that snafu. It is better to be well versed in both pistol and blade tactical, practical usage, in this way you can definitely cover a hell of a lot more bases. Remember, folks, a knife in a gun battle or a gun in a knife battle is no dog fall. You better hope you have luck, God, or skill on your side. If not, you may be in for a bumpy ride.

Always remember: Piss poor preparation leads to piss poor performance and those who perform poorly will definitely be pissed on when the crap hits.