A Tory MP has suggested people at risk of knife crime should simply learn martial arts and get fitter.
Sir Christopher Chope made the suggestion yesterday, while questioning two senior police officers.
The Conservative MP for Christchurch in Dorset asked West Midlands Chief Constable Dave Thompson and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick whether the activities should be promoted as an alternative to carrying knives.
He said: "One of the ways in which people can be prepared is by, for example, doing judo, taekwondo, being physically able and taught how to deal with a situation where you are threatened with a knife.
"Do you think there is something to be said for actually increasing the encouragement of young people so they don't have to take a knife out, they can protect themselves by actually knowing how to deal with such an incident, were it to arise?"
Mr Thompson replied: "The best knife (crime) prevention technique is to run away as fast as you can, it genuinely is."
Sir Christopher replied: "But you need to be fit to do that."
The West Midlands chief said that while boxing and martial arts are popular, particularly among young men, and can take them off the streets, he would "probably not see it as a strategy to increase their street-based combat skills".
He said: "I'd probably not advocate a strategy of increasing the combat readiness in martial arts of young people in general, but what we do see with those types of groups there is some attraction to those sports."
Mr Chope suggested it could be an alternative to carrying a knife to "protect yourself by being fitter and more able to deal with that sort of attack" in the same way that women are taught self-defence.
Ms Dick said "meaningful, purposeful activity is always good for all of us" and that "sports and adrenaline-filled activities which can get out frustrations" had proved constructive for young people.
The two officers answered questions on the recent surge in violent crime, and agreed that violent deaths among young people are at the worst levels they have seen in their careers.
Ms Dick said: "The last couple of years undoubtedly have been the highest and most worrying levels in my service.
"It's deeply worrying, it's a horrible set of offences, definitely more younger people involved. More knives involved in the serious violence on the street.
"If you look at stabbings of young people I do think this is a new and tragic and worrying phenomenon."
However she told MPs there has been a 15 per cent reduction in knife crime on victims under 25 in the year to date and the number of homicides is down.
Crime levels in Nottinghamshire
Crime in Nottinghamshire has soared by 11 per cent in the last year - with more than 10,000 extra incidents compared to the year before.
Violence against a person is one of the steepest rises with 1,554 more victims left with injuries.
There was 880 crimes involving a knife, 408 were assaults with injury and six resulted in murder and attempted murder between October 2017 to September 2018.
Sexual offences, robbery, theft, shoplifting, possession of a weapon and drug offences have also risen across the county in the same period.
Burglary is the only crime which has seen a reduction. Police believe setting up two dedicated burglary teams in April to target hot spot areas and persistent offenders is the reason the drop.
A rundown of the figures include:
Violence against a person - up from 25,353 to 29,639 with homicide up from nine to 13 and violence with injury 11,536 to 13,090.
Sexual offences - up from 3,167 to 3,503
Robbery - up from 945 to 1,201 (356 robberies involved the use of a knife)
Theft offences - up from 39,699 to 43,103
Burglary - down from 8,282 to 8,016
Shoplifting - up from 9,253 to 10,935
Criminal damage and arson - up from 11,627 to 12,247
