By Bruce Alexander
A while back Rich Nance from Officer.com wrote a very solid article entitled, Don’t Get Stabbed! made me think about edged weapons attacks and Executive Protection. A quick (very quick) review of major assassinations in the past 20 years revealed that pistols are the favorite weapon of choice for assassins.
However, does that mean we shouldn’t train to counter a knife or other edged weapon attack during an AOP drill? Of course not. Knife attacks happen and frequency of attack should never be the gauge on whether we train on a particular defense or not. In 1972, Imelda Marcos, wife of the late President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos, was attacked by a sword wielding assailant who was shot dead by security forces in the attempt.
Knife attacks on a principal might be rare but when you consider all of the other stabbing , slashing and cutting implements typically found in proximity of a protectee, we should probably train far more than we typically do in edged weapons defense. The best example I can think of for practicing edged weapons defense is the 21 foot principle that is used in defensive tactics training to illustrate the futility of relying on firearms alone to counter an assailant armed with a knife.
That entire scenario approximates the situation facing Executive Protection specialists. The attack comes without an obvious escalation of violence, the assailant is already inside the reactionary gap before the attack, and firearms, unless already drawn (such as in an Iraq/Afghanistan PSD) are usually not a viable option at that point.
Anyway, Rich Nance’s article is yet another reminder that defensive tactics shouldn’t be neglected by the Executive Protection community.
Monica Seles was stabbed, not Graf. The two were competitors, however, with more than a little intrigue involved in their matches. About three years ago, another commentor on this incident wrote this:
“Seles was the top women’s player heading into 1993. In January 1993, Seles defeated Graf in the final of the Australian Open, which was her third win in five Grand Slam matches with Graf.
“However, everything changed following an incident that shocked the tennis world on April 30, 1993. During a quarterfinal match with Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg that Seleš was leading in 6-4, 4-3, a 38-year-old deranged fan of Graf, Günter Parche, ran from the middle of the crowd to the edge of the court during a break between games and plunged a steak knife between Seleš’s shoulder blades. She let out a piercing scream and was quickly rushed to a hospital. Her physical injuries took a few weeks to heal, but the psychological scars from this incident left a much deeper impression on Seles. She did not return to competitive tennis for over two years. Parche was charged following the incident but was not jailed because he was found to be psychologically abnormal and was instead sentenced to two years’ probation and psychological treatment. The incident prompted a significant increase in the level of security at tour events.”
Of interest are the last couple of lines….
The perp was not motivated by rationale normal people would even consider, nor, apparently, did Security ID Parche with any observable behavior signs while still in the crowd. He got out of the stands and onto the court quickly enough that neither Security nor the sheeple watching could stop him, though everyone who observed at all knew he was not supposed to be out there. Within seconds it was too late to stop him. Seles did play again, two years later; yet in the aftermath Seles never played like she did prior to the knife attack. The attack effectively ended her competition with Graf and also effectively ended her career. Goes without saying that she needed a top protective team.
….Keep your 360 covered the best you can.
Bruce,
I love reading articles from professionals like you and Doc. You nailed the issue better than I could have ever said it, but I think the Marcos attack was a freaking huge machete. Ha!
Seriously though, the knife is the most carried weapon or tool in society. The types of protectee’s which are traditionally clients of those who peruse the wonderful articles on Bodyguardcareers.com are more likely to be the receivers of a knife or physical attack than a firearms attack in my opinion. That is why more articles of this tone and caliber are needed.
When studying workplace violence, the predominant weapon used is a physical type attack, hands and fists. Of course the headlines grab workplace violence incidents which involve firearms, like the situation in Hartford, CT, earlier this month. Our protectee’s tend to be involved in business, sports, and entertainment. Tennis player Steffi Graf, was stabbed during a tennis match, Christopher J. Clanton, actor on The Wire TV show, was stabbed at a party in Baltimore MD, fortunately all they survived. Unfortunately actor Sal Mineo, Rebel without a Cause, was stabbed to death in 1973, as well as Lee Murphy, a UK MMA fighter, stabbed through the hart and died at a London birthday party, in Los Angeles a semi-porn star went on a sword wielding rampage and stabbed two co-workers, one fatally, Philip DiMartino, an Archstone Apartments marketing executive was stabbed to death outside of his San Francisco home.
It is much easier to walk down the street or into a business with a knife in your pocket than a firearm. Therefore knifes would be second to hands, feet, and fists as favorable attack tools.
A knife has several advantages:
1. Ease of use. Doesn’t require a great amount of training or ammunition to function. Most people know enough to keep the pointy end faced away, slash and thrust.
2. Availability. Knives of all shapes and sizes are available at most retail establishments and are inexpensive.
3. Conceal-ability. Because they can come in all shapes and sizes, a knife is usually every easy to conceal, especially the folding variety.
4. Difficulty of defense. We are trained to handle a wide array of situations, but, we do not train enough on defending edged weapons. I make it a monthly habit to practice knife defense, usually the Krav Maga technique.
Practice, practice, practice and never, never, never give up!
All major citys in China.
The growth of China is bringing all kinds of top executives to live here. In a different reality people tend to fell insecure and search for solutions that can protect what they care the most – Their selfs, their family, business and house (possessions)
Carry luggage is not a priority for E.P. Specialist but if he is required to and the situation does not present any kind of high level threat he can do this helpful task.
The Imelda Marcos Attack Is on Youtube….horrific footage a scenario very relevant today in 2010…