There seems to be a big difference between the UK and USA. Relatively few people in the UK carry a knife. Personally I wouldn’t want to carry one, the only time I think it would be wise to pull one would be if I were confronted by someone with a similar weapon or I was damn sure I was in a fight with people that wanted to do more than give me a kicking. What I am saying is I think I’d rather risk serious injury/death in a fist fight than stab someone because you can be sure that if you do that in the UK you ARE going to get sent down.
Having said that I have been in a situation where a friend and I were confronted in a dark alley by half a dozen thugs intent on fun - my friend pulled a knife and all of a sudden they were happy to let us go on our way - so I can see why you might want one.
Its a joke that knives with basically the same blade length and ability are regarded as legal because their overall shape (like style of hilt, whatever else) is percieved as utilitarian versus as a weapon. Seems a bit ignorant. I can purposefully carry a legal knife with as much intent as an illegal one.
You raise a good point regarding intent. If you read over my post you will see that no matter what you carry you will have the burden of proving your intentions were not to use the weapon should you ever need to.
The benefit of carrying an “acceptable” knife is that most people will more readily accept the fact that you were not carrying it with the intention of using it on someone else.
The bottom line is that if you ever do use a knife you had better be prepared to explain its use and why you carried it no matter the type. It would be a lot harder though, IMHO, to convince a Judge or Jury that the 9" Bowie in your boot was there in case you needed it to open a box or cut some rope. Especially if you live in the city.
If you have advanced martial arts training and you cut someone with a knife, no judge in the world is going to sympathize with you unless your opponent had a gun.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“-1”>quote:</font><HR> If you have advanced martial arts training and you cut someone with a knife, no judge in the world is going to sympathize with you unless your opponent had a gun.
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True. Or unless you are outnumbered by a gang maybe. The situation in Australia is similar to Popsiser’s description of how the UK is. I live in a fairly peaceful country town and never carry one in town - only out bush where I use it to put injured animals I come across out of their misery and for dispatching and skinning animals on the rare occasions that I go hunting. I would consider carrying one in certain parts of some Australian cities that are overrun by violent gangs if I ever visited those areas though.
No way would I use my knife in a street fight unless the other person attempted to stab me (I have had that misfortune once and nearly a second time)or there was some sort of huge threat to my safety or a loved ones. Not only do I not want to face the inevitable legal action but I’d have to live with the fact I stabbed someone.
As far as training for knife defense/fighting I have trained knife vs. knife and empty hand vs. knife. From my training alone I know I never want to get in a knife fight no matter how good at it I may be I know I will be cut.
I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.
–Khalil Gibran
You are right to a degree. The fact that you have trained in the Martial Arts can be a factor in determining whether or not you took the proper response to a situation. However, in the state of PA the bottom line is the level of threat you faced.
In other words, the use of force is permitted based on the threat to your safety. This threat can be real or can be perceived. The standard would be far less for a woman than most men. In PA you have a duty to retreat even if you did not instigate the incident. However, you are not required to retreat from your home. Also, the duty to retreat stands only if you can do so with reasonable safety. In other words if you think that running away will expose you to more danger, or if you feel the attacker will simply chase you down and you can’t get away the duty to retreat minimizes. Generally, you ar epermitted the use of force in order to protect yourself or others from risk of serious bodily injury or death. The threat must be belivedable in order for force to be justified. For example, if I say I will shoot you but don’t have a gun the threat is not considered real. However, if I have my hand in my pocket, jacket or behind my back then the threat rises in believeability and the perception of being in danger also rises, giving you more options. Another thing to consider is the fact that the amount of force you are permitted is equal to or greater than the force faced. You are permitted to use the necessary amount of force to secure your safety and eliminate the threat. If your opponent attacks you with a knife you are permitted to use deadly force while he is in possession of the knife and is able and willing to use it against you. If, however, you disarm him you are no longer justified in using deadly force.
Should you ever need to use a knife in real life remember these things:
You only happened to have the knife for legal purposes and be prepared to give some examples. You did not carry it with the intent of using it if you were attacked!
You were in fear of serious bodily injury or harm. It does not matter if you felt you could have beaten the attacker or not, you feared for your safety!
Your martial arts training is a means of toning yor body and helping with mental well-being. Try to paint it like a dance class or as a means of spiritual enlightenment. Some of you may take offense at this but remember, if you present yourself as some type of modern warrior the perception in court will be that you used excessive force regardless of the circumstances. Not impossible to overcome but you will have more of an uphill battle.
If you are charged then do not offer any help to those arresting you. Let your lawyer do all of your talking for you.
Remember that even if you win in Criminal court there is still the very real possibility of beign sued in Civil Court.
One last thing and perhaps the most important; Never pull a weapon if you are not prepared to use it!! Don’t rely on the showing of a weapon to scare the attacker away. If you pull it be ready to use it and face whatever consequences arise!
