Standing still and drawing isn't enough to beat a close knife attack

A staged knife-attack drill in a video from Tactical Rifleman shows just how little time a holstered handgun buys you when an attacker is already inside arm's reach. The demonstrator stands still, draws, and fires on an incoming training knife to see what actually happens before the blade lands.

Snapshot

In the first run, the demonstrator gets two rounds off but still takes a simulated stab under the ribs. He points to double-action trigger pull and unfamiliarity with a newer holster as factors that cost him time. A second stationary run produces three shots, but he admits the third only comes after the knife already landed.

Key points

• Standing still loses the fight: both stationary trials end in a simulated stab despite the demonstrator getting rounds off.
• Gear familiarity matters: he notes that running an unfamiliar holster and a double-action trigger added extra time to his draw.
• Shot count isn't the win condition: getting two or three rounds off doesn't matter if the attacker's blade still connects first.
• Timing exposes the gap: in the second run, the third shot only comes after the stab, showing the draw was still too slow relative to the attack.
• Movement is the next step: after both static attempts fail, the demonstrator states he's going to add movement, setting up the comparison the video is building toward.

Quick take

This short clip is less a lesson in marksmanship and more a gut-check on timing. The demonstrator's own drills argue that a square, stationary draw against a close-range edged attacker is a losing proposition, no matter how clean the shots are. The real takeaway, per Tactical Rifleman, is that drawing and creating distance have to happen together, not in sequence.

Watch the full video: Tactical Rifleman