Knife Crime in the UK: A Growing Threat We Cannot Ignore By Sensei Liam Musiak

Knife crime is one of the most pressing dangers facing the UK today. Every week, we see reports of stabbings in major cities, lives cut short, and families destroyed. It is not just numbers on a police report — it is a human crisis that continues to claim young lives across the country.

Cities like London, Birmingham, and Glasgow have become hotspots, with entire communities living under the shadow of knife violence. In London alone, knife crime has reached shocking levels in recent years, with young people in particular at risk of both carrying and becoming victims. Birmingham has seen waves of incidents that have made headlines, from fatal street stabbings to gang-related violence. Glasgow, once labelled the “murder capital of Europe,” has fought hard against its knife crime epidemic but still struggles with the legacy of violence in its communities.

What makes knife crime especially devastating is how fast and unpredictable it is. Unlike firearms, knives are easy to carry, easy to hide, and require no special skill to use. A split-second decision, often fuelled by fear, ego, or group pressure, can destroy two lives at once: the victim’s and the offender’s.

As a Sensei and criminologist, I see knife crime not only as a criminal justice issue but as a self-defence issue. This is why I developed frameworks like the A.A.E.E.L. Self-Defence Code and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Code for active threat situations. The reality is, if someone pulls a knife, the danger escalates beyond basic fighting — you are facing a life-or-death situation. Avoidance, awareness, and escape are always the smartest moves, because no technique can guarantee survival against a blade.

But we must also look at why young people are carrying knives in the first place. Fear. Status. Peer pressure. The misguided belief that carrying a knife makes you safer, when in reality it makes you far more likely to end up dead or in prison. Knife crime is not just a policing problem — it’s a social problem. It comes from broken communities, lack of opportunity, and the culture of fear that grows when young people don’t feel safe without a weapon.

The lesson is clear:

• We must educate young people on the true reality of knife crime — that carrying a blade is far more likely to ruin your life than save it.

• We must give communities tools of resilience: awareness, self-defence education, safe places, and positive role models.

• And we must keep spreading the truth that violence is never the answer — because once a knife comes out, there are no winners.

Knife crime is not someone else’s problem. It is a national problem, and every one of us has a role in fighting it — through awareness, education, and resilience.

By Sensei Liam MusiakFounder of Voracious KarateCriminologist | Self-Defence Specialist | Martial Arts Innovator