Knife Crime In NSW and Why You should train for it

The facts

According to the BOCSAR (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research) there are on average 30 knife related assaults & robberies per week in NSW, most of which never reach the headlines.There are also an estimated 14 admissions into hospital per week due to knife or sharp object assaults in NSW. The chance of being involved in a violent attack involving an edged weapon is small , but not zero. Instances of random attacks on the street from criminal , terrorist or mental health elements to home invasions, car jackings and armed robberies at a place of work are all real possibilities.

Government response. 

The NSW government has responded to the increase in knife crime by instituting random knife checks in public spaces inspired by “Jacks Law”. This is however a band aid solution that will do nothing but force criminal elements to adopt alternative methods such as non-metallic knives, legal edged weapons such as screwdrivers, box cutters and multi-tools with legal purposes to back their claims. It's also likely that criminal elements will simply ignore these measures and carry knives anyway. On paper the NSW government speaks highly of their implementation of the measures because few get caught in the drag net, but the net does not catch the sharks that are smart enough to avoid it.

Australian Terror Threat level

The current terror threat level in Australia stands at “Probable” and is expected to stay as such all of 2025. This means that the chance of a terror attack within Australia is just below 50%.While this seems high, evolving geopolitical tensions, nationalism and hate crimes will add to the threats unofficially with ASIO unlikely to change the status unless they receive intel on any impending attacks. The chance of lone wolf attacks like the Bondi attack, unaffiliated from any group or ideology is almost impossible for intel groups to track and does not contribute to the threat level and should always be a consideration for your personal security planning or training.

What can you do?

As an Australian citizen , you do not have the luxury of a self defence tool, competent police force or even  laws that protect you from defending your home.

Train in your gym or with your friends how to deal with knives, spar , experiment and get familiar with the methods associated with dealing with an edged weapon, even if it's only for 10 minutes a session.

Practice using bags, jackets and objects to defend yourself and practice using your own knife in self defence. ( I'm not saying you should carry one, but you could be lucky enough to find one on the table at your cafe or restaurant). Just having prior experience in dealing with a knife will give you an edge if the threat presents itself.

This is especially true if you work in security , as you have all the responsibilities of law enforcement without the legal protections and unfortunately are often the first target of such attacks as seen on multiple occasions.

If you're looking for knife fencing & combatives training in NSW (Sydney) , come check us out in Padstow at Ogi Dojo!