April 21, 2025

Lessons from the Anthony-Metcalf Stabbing

Ego is the enemy. 

It can get us killed. It can get us incarcerated for the rest of our lives too. 

This is exactly the case with Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalf. The self-defense lessons are critical. 

Seventeen year-old Karmelo Anthony stabbed 17 year-old Metcalf at a high school track meet in Texas on April 2. The life-altering issue that caused the conflict was Anthony sitting in the wrong section. And now one young man is dead, the other faces life in prison, and two families are ripped apart. 

As it went, Metcalf told Anthony to move. 

Anthony refused and reached into his bag and said, “touch me and see what happens.”

He had a knife.

Metcalf didn’t back down but insisted that Anthony move. In the end, Anthony stabbed Metcalf once in the chest and then fled the scene, leaving Metcalf to die there on that otherwise normal day. 

We’ll let other people opine about and discuss the legality of Anthony’s claim of self-defense. What we’ll focus on is the fact that the altercation was so ridiculously avoidable. We’ll focus on the fact that all people – especially young men – must learn the principles of self-defense and abide by them. 

First, all altercations have the potential to turn deadly. To risk escalation over something one isn’t willing to die for ahead of time is high folly. Therefore, always try and avoid and/or deescalate. 

Second, nothing is ever gained by the use of violence. This doesn’t mean violence is wrong or that we should be pacifists. Clearly, a woman eye-gouging a rapist is morally correct in her action. But the “winner” in a self-defense situation gains nothing he/she didn’t already possess. If we applaud or approve of senseless violence, or define ourselves through it, we have serious issues of character. 

Third, violence can only be used morally in the event of unavoidable threats to one’s safety. No other reason suffices for the use of force. 

Fourth, in light of these truths, we must endeavor to leave the area if it becomes dangerous and/or try to alert the responsible authorities to the situation if you must stay. If Metcalf had simply left to get an authority figure, he might still be alive. If Anthony hadn’t refused to follow the rules of the meet and left the area he didn’t need to be in, he wouldn’t be facing life in prison. 

If these principles had been applied, there would have been no fight. Metcalf was certainly correct that Anthony had no right to be where he was. That’s true. But in getting drawn into a confrontation that led to his death, he functionally died over a seat. 

A seat in a public place he didn’t own.

Metcalf was right but what good does that do for him now that he’s dead?

Something so trivial became a life-or-death matter because the principles of self-defense were violated. (Again: we aren’t getting into the legal arguments of the case. Our focus is on the teachable aspect we should all take to heart.)

For self-defense purposes, Metcalf should have regarded Anthony’s demeanor and threat to “see what happens” – not to mention the possibility that he had a weapon – as reason to go get an authority figure. 

A teacher. A police officer. 

We must teach our young this basic principle because it can avoid tons of trouble. 

For his part, Anthony could have avoided the whole thing by getting up and leaving. His overall behavior begs serious questions about his character regardless of whether a jury finds him guilty of murder. He illegally brought a knife to a school event, sat in a restricted area, and then refused to leave when challenged. These are all clear violations of the common sense principles of self-defense that establish and maintain peace in society. 

Furthermore, you can’t use lethal force – morally or legally – over a “simple” altercation. To use deadly force one must be in reasonable danger of death or great bodily harm. Unless there’s some evidence we don’t know yet – such as Metcalf pulling a gun or his own knife, for example – there’s simply no legal or moral justification for Anthony using lethal force.  You can’t shoot someone who shoved you. Self-defense must be proportional to the threat it means to stop. 

It looks very much like ego was a contributing factor to the altercation itself and then, due to Anthony having a deadly weapon, it escalated into a death. The law of self-defense teaches us that though conflicts in life are sadly inevitable, it’s each person’s responsibility to seek peace and only respond with violence to actual or inevitable violence. 

For example, I can’t punch a dude in a Dodgers hat because I regard Los Angelas fans as insufferable knuckleheads whose team spends obscene amounts of money for players. Again: we can only use violence to stop imminent harm. 

Young men need to be taught these basic and critical principles. Running one’s mouth and saying truculent things to a potential enemy has landed many a professing self-defender in jail. Telling someone, “I’ll kill you if you touch me,” is a far cry different from saying, “please leave me alone.” 

Ego, anger, and stubbornness are alive within all of us and that’s something a true martial art program teaches us to control. Again: we aren’t blaming Metcalf for getting stabbed. That deadly act is Anthony’s alone and he will have his day in court. But as self-defenders, we must learn the nature of the beast, so to say. We must remind ourselves of these truths and apply them to our personal lives. 

Stay safe. 

To check out Sifu Jason’s YouTube video on this: