Gurkha veteran Taitex Phlamachha said his self-defence training saved his life after he and his wife were attacked when withdrawing money from a cashpoint in Maidstone.
He managed to overcome his attacker and hold on until police arrived but was unaware the attacker’s knife had snapped, leaving the five inch blade embedded in his left arm.
Plamachha has a black belt in karate and taekwondo, and only realised he had been stabbed when police used a metal detector on him, reports the BBC.
“The knife was coming towards my chest. I just blocked that knife with my right hand but unfortunately couldn’t manage to save my left arm,” he said
“I saw the knife was broken somewhere but didn’t realise it was inside my arm. Then I noticed he [the attacker] was holding the handle of the knife which I took control of and threw away.”
He also managed to throw his mobile phone to his wife Asha so she could call 999.
“I am really lucky to survive,” said Phlamachha
