Knife Attack!
The 21 Foot Rule

“That’s what happens when you bring a knife to a gunfight,” is how the old saying goes. We’ve all heard it, yet there’s something important we, as concealed carriers, need to know about facing an assailant with an edged weapon. It’s called the 21-foot rule …

Reaction?

The 21-foot rule is a calculation of time, distance and reaction, which was worked out several decades ago. In fact, I was taught the 21-foot rule when in the police academy back in 1985, along with several other street survival courses I attended. The rule simply states if an assailant is 21 feet or closer to you, and your gun is holstered, you won’t have time to draw your gun and shoot, before the assailant charges and stabs you.

Reaction time is calculated. The average person’s reaction time is ½ a second. It takes the brain this long to recognize a threat, process it, and then send a message for you to react. This reaction time was tested by having drivers operate on a special driving track and being told they would have an obstacle “pop” out and do the necessary avoidance reaction. The drivers were ready, hyper vigilant even, as the test was conducted. But the testers were clever, having a second obstacle in place. The time for the second obstacle was what was used to come up with the 0.5 second rule, as the people tested were not expecting a second obstacle, hence a more natural reaction. As you can imagine, the second reaction was slower than the first, for there was no warning.

Fast Draw?

Drawing and shooting from a holstered gun in one second is a very fast draw. Most people cannot do this. Highly skilled people can. So, by adding the 0.5 second for reaction, and then adding one full second for drawing and shooting, we have a total of 1.5 seconds. An average person can easily cover 21 feet in 1.5 seconds. If your assailant is wielding a large butcher knife, this added stress can impede reaction time and coordination.

I’ve seen it firsthand during training exercises using rubber knives with blue chalk on the rubber knife edge. When assailants are at 21 feet, they could cover the distance and make a fatal cut, many times over, before the officer ever drew his/her gun. Concealed carry makes this even slower.

21-Foot Calculations

The world’s record for the 100-yard dash is 9 seconds give or take. Twenty-one feet is seven yards. Multiply 7 (yards) times 14 and we get 98 (yards). Most people can cover 100 yards in 14 seconds, many, much faster. This is how we come up with the travel time of one second for 21 feet. This tells us you don’t need to be a world-class athlete to be a threat with an edged weapon when you’re 21 feet or closer.

What To Do?

If you’re armed and within this 21-foot zone or closer, you want distance. You also want any kind of barrier between you and the assailant, to slow their forward progress. It can be a chair, table, sofa, anything to thwart their path. Use of lateral movement also buys you time. Standing perfectly still is the worst thing you can do.

You’re also going to have to go hands-on, even though you’re armed. I know it goes against your very nature wanting to go for your gun, but if you’re 21 feet, or closer, you have no choice. Focus on the knife! You’re more than likely going to be cut, but you’ll have better odds trying to draw your gun.

Be Wary

Edged weapons are serious matters, especially when confronted with one. Remember the 21-foot rule! Get trained by an accredited school and practice what you’re taught! Distance is your friend! Be wary and alert! Avoidance is the best defense. And if you do happen to face an assailant with an edged weapon, at less than 21 feet, be ready to go hands on.

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