Michael Echanis’s 4 Basic Rules in Unarmed Self-Defense Against a Weapons Attack

Regarding self-defense against weapons, Echanis was correct when he wrote that “the defense against an armed assailant by an unarmed defender creates a distinct and critical disadvantage integral to the survival of the unarmed soldier.” Weapons are integral factors in lethal capability, and an armed person, regardless of size and physical power becomes a more formidable adversary.

When it comes to weapons defense, the weapon is the primary concern, as it is what has the most capability of injuring or killing you, and most likely your opponent’s focus will be on using the weapon against you. According to Echanis, neutralization, stabilization, and disarmament of the weapon are the essential factors in survival.

When it comes to the 4 basic rules in unarmed self-defense against a weapons attack, Echanis taught that the movements and actions must be executed in the exact chronological order he laid them out. His 4 basic rules are, “first you must block and redirect the attack of the weapon to neutralize its lethal capability and clear the body of its trajectory of fire and angle of attack. Second, you must stabilize the weapon by controlling the wrist, hand, and weapon of the attacking arm of the enemy. Third, you proceed to disarm the weapon by breaking the joint of the locked extremity or simply by applying power to induce enough pain for control and disarmament.” And lastly, you must neutralize the enemy.

Or you can look at them this way:

1. Clear your body of the weapon’s line of fire and angle of attack.
2. Stabilize and control the weapon by breaking the base of the enemy’s balance. You may use low kicking and sweeping, joint locking and breaking and spinning to jerk the enemy off-balance.
3. Disarm the weapon by using joint-breaking, throwing and tearing techniques. Focusing his counterattack and mental concentration on the weapon the unarmed soldier never loses control or “feel” for the weapon. His primary concern is this one factor: giving lethality to his assailant’s attack.
4. Neutralize the enemy. Once the assailant has been disarmed, the enemy must be neutralized and physical control must be maintained.

Echanis also makes a point to warn people that, “No matter how proficient the unarmed expert becomes at disarming an armed assailant, he will remain vulnerable to even the smallest weapons expert.”

There are other theories and models when it comes to self-defense against weapons. And one could argue about them until the cows come home, and sadly some do. I believe it is more important to study the different models and take what you can to make yourself better than to argue over who or what is right, wrong, or better.

Echanis presents some fundamental concepts regarding self-defense against weapons. Incorporate them into your training, and use them to make your unarmed skills better. It’s the absorb what is useful concept. So please absorb and stay safe!

Member Bonus from Michael D. Echanis:

6 Basic Rules to Observe During Training and Actual Combat

This is how to position the body and it’s physical movement during at attack:

1. Conceal the weapon from the view of the enemy’s eyes.
2. Observe things that are distant as if they are close at hand. View things that are close as if they were distant. Maintain 180-degree peripheral vision and 360 degrees of mental awareness and body feeling so you can intuitively interpret the movements of the enemy and be constantly aware of secondary or multiple attacks.
3. Focus on deep breathing. Maintain muscle tension in the lower abdominal area while remaining calm, but not relaxed, in body and mind.
4. When attacking, slash, don’t stab. But when you do use a stabbing technique, attack a vital area of insertion.

How to use mental focus in conjunction with physical movement of the knife:

1. Observe the enemy through half-closed eyes. Partially squint the eyes, which is similar to focusing your eyes on the small details of an object, to receive a clear contrast and sharp visual focus. The knife fighter focuses on the total sphere of the enemy and never on one single point of contact within the enemy’s defenses. Observe the point of contact with the blade of the knife but mentally and without telegraphing intentions through your body movements or facial expressions. Focus the eyes with an intense energy projection to prevent the enemy from sensing the impending attack. React intuitively to the enemy’s movements.
2. Breath control and mental focus of power are essential in creating enough power for a lethal slashing or stabbing movement. Using the psychological impact of a power ki or a terrifying scream, assaulting the face of the enemy can induce a moment of shock or fear that can cause the enemy to hesitate for a split second. This gives the knife fighter the moment of advantage integral to the success of his attack. Or silently, while stalking a sentry – when cover of movement and sound become the integral factors of survival – the knife fighter uses a forceful exhale without making a sound.

Echanis continues:

If I were given a mission to train 12 men for an anti-terrorist raid in close-quarters-combat techniques, it would be integral that these men could move quietly and quickly and that they would have the ability to eliminate key personnel silently and with a minimum of psychological shock and fear, such as is being induced on the surrounding populace or captives being held hostage. In search for a method that increases the chances of maintaining control during stabilization and dispersion – in conjunction with decreasing the initial emotional reaction of panic to the sound of gunfire – my choice would be a silenced automatic weapon. But in a close, confined area, the automatic weapon can be lethal to the surrounding populace and to the hostages being held captive.

If there is a good probability of reaching body-to-body interval during a silent attack, then the knife can become one of the most deadly and effective tools for interdiction. It induces a minimum of danger to the populace and hostages in the immediate area by providing a silent method of interdiction, stabilization, and incapacitation of the enemy.

The integral difference between a lethal and nonlethal attack in hand-to-hand combat is the use of a weapon in well-trained professional’s hand. Therefore, the knife becomes an integral weapon to the combat soldier to ensure his survival and the accomplishment of his mission.