There is no legitimate defense for gun and knife attacks. Unless you are 3 feet within a gun, it is impossible to disarm him without getting shot. Anything you do is at your own risk, and shouldn't be considered "legitimate" by any means. Some of the stuff Krav Maga guys do will get you straight up killed.
As for knife defense, there is no winning a knife fight. Everyone walks away from that cut up and bleeding. Except one guy is walking away a little less cut up and bleeding.
Some of the stuff people try to trick you into believing as far as this stuff goes is just plain irresponsible and gives you unwarranted self-confidence that will honestly get someone killed. The best offense is a good defense. Be aware of your surroundings, don't walk down dark alley's. And if someone does approach you with a knife or gun in hand, give them what they want, stuff isn't worth your life. It's when you think someone is going to hurt you regardless of whether you comply or not, that you act.
A single trigger pull from a gun can outdo years of training in Martial Arts within seconds. For Guns, its best to fight fire with fire. Sure, there are many different Martial Arts that do teach Disarming Techniques, but disarming someone with a Firearm can prove difficult unless it is three feet or closer. So for guns, I recommend taking a Firearms Safety Course and if you're old enough, apply for a Carry Concealed Weapons Permit and purchase a Handgun. For Knives, if you have a gun, you know what they say: "Never bring a Knife to a Gunfight." But of course, it can also go the other way around: "Never bring a Gun to a Knife fight." (Though that is extremely rare). Now for disarming someone with a Knife, Krav Maga would be a good choice for Self-Defense. But the best idea for dealing with opponents armed with such weapons is to have your own Gun.
Unless your reaction time and control are very good and very fast, it will not matter what style you practice or study.
You will only have a chance against a gun if the armed assailant is stupid enough to get so close as to touch you with the barrel of the piece and even then your chances of being shot are very high (and being shot will ruin your suit and your whole day...).
The reality of defending yourself against a knife attack is that in all likelihood you will be cut so you have better know what body part to surrender to the same and what to do after that. Add to such that you need to be physically and emotionally very tough because if you stop to deal with your immediate wound you are likely to end up with a second wound that will be much worse.
Most systems have unrealistic training of such supposed defenses but they don't come close to the actuality of the reality of the same.
Pencak Silat is a term used for a collection of Indonesian martial arts that was developed to combat the Dutch. It has a wide variety of forms and picking the correct one is crucial for effective self defence. The techniques I studied were similar to Muay Thai with the addition of knife and gun techniques. The reason I picked this art for the best gun and knife defence is because of its marginal simplicity, being a bit easier to master than the grappling forms of self defence. It involves a lot of strikes rather than grabs making it easier to apply-since the area where the technique can be applied is much bigger than in grappling. I found almost all the techniques functional for a street situation with the exception of a few moves that wouldn't be so effective if common external factors such as attacker reactions of resistance kicks in. All in all though this art will teach you how to defend your life if necessary (Knives and guns included). Although I recommend pencak solar I simply have to do an honorary mention of the following:
Fillipino Martial Arts in the form of Kali and Eskrima
These Martial Arts have originated from a very wide scope of fighting traditions of traders in the Philippines as the locals always kept an open mind to effective ways of fighting. Resulting in an art focused on stick and knife fighting. Although FMA has a tight learning curve especially regarding the sticks, it's definitely one of the most potent arts I have ever practiced. The knife fighting is ever developing since new ways to cut and defend with a knife is constantly incorporated in the syllibus. They even have legal live knife fights to the death in the Philippines. They follow the principle that the same stick techniques can be applied without the stick since the stick is only an extension of the body. This forms their hand to hand fighting. Although this is not too bad, I have seen better. The main focus is the sticks and knives and since almost everywhere a person can find some form of a stick or carry a knife around, this martial art is suited for self defence on the street. I love eskrima soooo much, but I think you'll be better off with pencak silat.
Train it. Live it. Love it.
Bulletproof vest against guns, dragon skin against knives, and a gun of your own to give you an equal chance of surviving.
Run towards a gun, Run away from a knife
Micheal Jackson.
A gun and being able to use it well and legally
Try Krav Maga
sasfaf
I want to know which martial art or arts would be most useful for defending against attacks with knife and guns or if multiple systems can work.
