If you want to see what a knife can do in the right hands, watch "Gangs of New York". The way a good knife fighter can take you down is unbelievable. They are more likelly to kill you by cutting an artery in less time than you can draw your pistol "close up" that's why many of us know to create distance when you think something is about to happen. A sharp well placed knife, as 1911 mentioned is not even felt untill it's too late. Many of our servicemen learned this when dealing with knife fighters in foreign countries. That 21 foot rule is real. My good friend had to put down a 300 plus pound woman who charged him during a domestic dispute in Harlem back in the 80's. He was found fully justified good shoot, but the stigma that he went through was hard. If he had not backed up through the incident he would have had a butcher knife in his chest. Even for a young alert cop, it's a nightmare to decide that you have to empty your gun into some woman in an apartment, just to stay alive. She was found to be very high, but getting your sites on a shot while kids are running through the house and other people are there is not what as easy as it sounded, rapid fire to the upper torso finally took it's toll. That's why I have said thats one drill I always do before leaving the range , is to put a target out 10 yrds or less, and just hit return. I pretend that that is a person closing on me. Try it if your rage permits it, it's one of the few drills you can usuually do without getting yelled at for in todays ultra safe ranges. I also shoot from concealment using the booth as a "fake wall", and shoot with either hand just so it won't be foreign if you happen to catch a round in your shooting arm or shoulder. I can't draw from a holster in most ranges, so practice that at home, "empty gun", but all this stuff comes with carrying. It's never how you imagined it was going to happen. Not everyone has the cash to spend on a Gunsite training course, nor do you have to.It's all practice, and seeing how most short distance gunfights go down.