Which knife defense is used against a straight thrust?

• A. Knife Defense (Straight Thrust)
• B. Knife Defense (Forward Diagonal Attack)
• C. Knife Defense (Reverse Diagonal Attack)
• D. Shrimping

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is matching your defense to a direct, linear knife attack. A straight thrust travels along a single line toward you, so the most effective response is a defense that intercepts that line and redirects the blade off its path while you gain control of the weapon hand and create safe distance. That’s why the straight-thrust defense is the best fit—the technique is built specifically for attacks coming straight at you.

Defenses for diagonal or angled attacks require different parries and footwork to address their side-to-side trajectories, not the direct line of a straight thrust. Shrimping is a grappling escape from other contexts, not the line-oriented knife defense used against a straight thrust.