This eight (8) hour program is designed to teach officers how to defend against surprise or hidden edged weapon attacks. Edged weapons can be easily obscured from view by hiding them or by disguising them as a "non-weapon". This program deals with both issues.

The officer is first shown, by active participation, how much distance (reactionary gap) is required in order to successfully draw their handgun and fire when confronted with an edged weapon. Many officers have grave misconceptions of how great a reactionary gap is needed for them to adequately respond to surprise knife attacks. Officers are shown various methods that can be used to hide or conceal weapons, including various types of "disguised" weapons that are readily available on the civilian market and also of every day objects that can be improvised into pointed or edged weapons.

Next the officer begins learning how to manage various types of knife attacks. We first begin with simple "straight attacks," learning how to avoid or deflect the cut while controlling the attacking limb and disabling the attacker. Alternatively, if the officer doesn't believe that controlling the limb is possible, he or she is taught to avoid or parry the attack and effective ways of disengaging from the attacker. Throughout the entire day the type of knife attacks change to more difficult attacks, while the speed is increased too. By the end of the day officers are responding successfully to full speed attacks.  All defensive responses end by quickly directing the attacker to the ground, or, by stunning and disengaging. Due to the seriousness of knife attacks the attacker is only disarmed after they are controlled on the ground. We believe that trying to disarm an attacker that is still on his feet is very dangerous for officers with limited knife defense experience.

This program addresses the mindset necessary to survive a knife attack. Additionally, the effects of various types of cutting attacks are examined, along with the how the body is effected when it is cut in different locations and at different depths.