A quick story from Sam Harris I read: he knew a guy who had multiple black belts in different martial arts and had won MMA and kickboxing tournaments. In other words. he was about as good at fighting as anyone ever gets. He decided he needed a new challenge, so he decided to walk through Central Park in NYC at night. He expected to be attacked and was, but not the way he anticipated. Someone jumped out of the bushes and jabbed him with a syringe before escaping into the darkness. The jab injury was minor, but he did have to spend several months wondering if he'd been infected with HIV or some other disease. He broke a very basic rule of self-defense: avoid dangerous people and places; don't fight if you don't have to.
Penn and Teller were critical of martial arts on their Showtime! TV series. They said that the legal and moral consequences of using a weapon are about the same as hurting someone without being armed. In that case, weapons are cheaper and more effective than martial arts training. I generally agree. Martial arts are fun, build confidence, and are decent exercise, but the classes are expensive, it takes years to get good, and there is a risk of injury, which is contrary to the goal of self-defense.
Fixed blade knives are not practical for most self-defense situations. Switchblades are worth the money, though easy open folding knives are easier to get and are legal to carry in most places. Either way, to be useful for defense, you need to practice drawing the knife and extending the blade. One of the great things about knives is the intimidation factor. It's rarely necessary to stab someone to get them to leave you alone. Knives are also a great way to the blunt the advantage of multiple attackers.
I've only been in one knife fight, but I faced three attackers, one of whom bashed me in the head with a club. It's hard to incapacitate an alert person with a punch or a blunt object. Once they saw I had a knife, it was easy to get them to retreat far enough so that I could call 911.
These quotes from General Patton sum it up well:
"Few men are killed by bayonets, but many are scared by them. Having the bayonet fixed makes our men want to close. Only the threat to close will defeat a determined enemy."
"I beg leave to remind the Cavalry Board that very few people have ever been killed with the bayonet or sabre, but the fear of having their guts explored with Cold Steel in the hands of battle maddened men has won many a fight."
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