I think everyone is in agreement that a skilled blade attack would have tuned out very different ... the guys I know train for blade/other weapon all the time.
They would have put the knife up this dudes hind hole so far he would cut his nose ...
But as I mentioned ... a blade guy with skills is a threat even at 20 ft or more.
It's just that in real life you will find more slicey dicey dudes who couldn't cut butter, then guys with real skills.
So ... train to have a better then average chance against the average.
This guy was a boob.
I would absolutely agree that knife defences are useful for that reason, a lot of guys with knives like this guy are idiots and knife defence skills are useful against these guys, but you dont even need to be a badass high level silat practitioner, an average guy with some basic rudimentary knife skills and who is really set on hurting or killing you is going to cut/stab you regardless of how well trained you are. Most I can say about how useful knife defences are against a basic knowledge, determined knifeman is that you might be able to take them out after they have stabbed you repeatedly so you more likely to be able to enjoy the privilage of dying in hospital later rather than on the street there and then. Maybe.