rob
DINO Extraordinaire
However, I am asking specifically about knives. While she doesn't carry it for self defense, rather utility tasks, she understands that it can be deployed that way in an emergency if pepper spray and escape are not viable options. She just doesn't know how to deploy it in that manner in any meaningful way other than, as ASOIAF says "stick him with the pointy end."
Thanks for the tips!
The answer, specifically about knives, is that one or two classes will not make anyone proficient with a knife.
1) First, assume she remembers she has a knife and has the time to pull it out, open it and deploy it. If she has time to think about and get her knife out, she would be better served to use that time to run instead.
2) Secondly, think about it this way. Hypothetically, she takes a couple of knife defense classes and is confronted by a life threatening situation. A lot of different things can happen if she pulls a knife, It may be simply knocked out of her hand. It may be taken by the attacker and used against her. She may even manage to cut her attacker, but without training she likely does not disable him. Now he is cut and pissed-off at her for hurting him. Her attacker, being confronted by a knife, pulls his own knife and kills her.
Odds are that if she pulls a knife with almost no training and without knowing how to use it, it will only make things worse and won't help her.
I am not an expert, so take my opinion for what it is.
Rob