Carrying weapons

[Cujo]

I must admit that I rarely carry a firearm off duty. They are just a pain to carry. I do however carry a knife at all times, and yes I am trained to use it. I also teach basic knife fighting skills. Never underestimate a knife! I love it when I teach police recruits and I attack them with a training knife at around 15 feet away. I can almost always start cutting (so to speak), before they get their firearm drawn.

Pax
Cujo

 

[variance]

::In car::
- ASP Tactical Baton (concealed with a custom mount under my seat)
- Green Penlaser with wide dispersal
- Cheap Century Aluminum Baton easily accessible from under my fender. (sometimes opening your car takes too long).

Attempted Carjackings / Being Jumped in the past are the reason for my paranoia.


:: Walking around ::

* My shoes. (I wear martial arts shoes everywhere I go. mostly the puma ones although I have one of the addidas)

It's good for
- Running from a fight because its rare that a fight is ever 1 on 1 or that they don't bring firearms or knives and running is always the best option
unless there is no other choice.
Dealing with police and potential legal problems is rarely worth the trouble.


- If i have no choice. I'll put my hands up saying i dont want to fight then probably a direct hard strike to the knee or crotch. if he's too close for that, probably a quick reverse knee/clinch.

* My keyring

- Carabiner Keyring

Can be used as a knuckle point/brass knuckle type weapon.
Bouncers never give it a second look.


- Keychain 10mW Green Laser modified for wider dispersal. (looks like a laser pointer.) Good for blinding someone painfully and running away.
Could also be used as a kuboton up close.

- Keys, i think this has been covered before.

- Belt / Shirt.
Use belt.. like jet li in his movies
or use your shirt to wrap one of your hands if can't run away from a knife fight. (I prefer my lead hand)

 

[KenpoTex]

I'm not going to bore anyone by posting my EDC assortment again, but I do have a few thoughts/words of advice.

For those that carry any weapon/tool for self-defense whether it's a gun, knife, baton, OC-spray, Carabiner, or some device to blind someone with (I'm not going to get started on the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of some of these options)...do you train with it?

I'm not talking about playing with it in your home (No, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with solo practice, solo practice is essential), I'm asking whether you've actually tried deploying your weapon of choice while a training partner is attacking you or is trying to prevent you from getting it into action. This type of training will really allow you to see whether your preferred tool is really a viable option. If it's something that you can't access and deploy rapidly, with one hand, under stress, it might be time to re-think your choices.

See the quote in my "sig-line." To me, this represents the standard that our techniques must meet in order to be "useable" in a violent encounter. And always remember: Mindset and tactics trump gear any day of the week.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I'm not going to bore anyone by posting my EDC assortment again, but I do have a few thoughts/words of advice.

For those that carry any weapon/tool for self-defense whether it's a gun, knife, baton, OC-spray, Carabiner, or some device to blind someone with (I'm not going to get started on the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of some of these options)...do you train with it?

I'm not talking about playing with it in your home (No, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with solo practice, solo practice is essential), I'm asking whether you've actually tried deploying your weapon of choice while a training partner is attacking you or is trying to prevent you from getting it into action. This type of training will really allow you to see whether your preferred tool is really a viable option. If it's something that you can't access and deploy rapidly, with one hand, under stress, it might be time to re-think your choices.

See the quote in my "sig-line." To me, this represents the standard that our techniques must meet in order to be "useable" in a violent encounter. And always remember: Mindset and tactics trump gear any day of the week.

Every knife fight I have been in, ** That is where I had a knife on me when the bad guy did also **, I was never able to clear it as I was too busy handling his knife, with the exception of one time when it was already in my hand for a normal usage reason and when I brought it up he back right off and went elsewhere.

Training under stress and trying to deploy a weapon is a good thing. No matter the weapon one should practice trying to get at it and making it useful.

 

[edwardcloud]

My country is very safe so no weapon needed, i think i would carry a glove the most to prevent my wrist from being hurted

 

[Super_Noob]

It may be because I've never actually been in a confrontation in which a weapon was involved, but I've always imagined melee combat being more effective than modern weaponry against crooks (like knives or switchblades for example). Stabbing and slashing seem to be slowler and limit the number of "attacks" you could do in the same amount of time as you would if you were kicking and punching. Sure there's a chance you'll get slashed or stabbed, but the same can be said in the event you decide to withdraw that knife/gun from your pocket and defend yourself with it.

If I could, I'd like to carry something like the escrima, tonfa, or some kind of club, for the added distance and force. However due to that unlikely hood, I'd just stick with kicks and punches.

 

[Explorer]

Yes, I train with my weapons. They vary depending on the likely situation I'm headed into. I have a few clients who office in nastier sections of town. When I head there I'm carrying a gun. My attire decides which gun I carry ... 22magnum snub nosed revolver, heavily modified Springfield 1911 .45 commander size, Baby Eagle .45. The 22 is the smallest the Baby largest. I have a Kel-Tec .32 ... but don't carry it often. I try to get to the range every week to practice.

I also carry a pocket knife. The most useful tool in the world. I use it every day for little things and it's there if the need arises. I have a few had drills with the knife. But my guess is my first self defense move would be bare handed.

Inova makes some of the nicest tactical LED flashlights I've seen in a long time. I'll be picking one up tomorrow. They're great as flashlights (duh) but they double very nicely as kubatons. They even have holes in the end for your keyring.

No matter what situation I'm heading into ... I always take along my brain. If I start to feel uncomfortable ... I begin looking for likely exits for my 'tactical egress' move. That's where I get in the car and clear the danger zone.

I've faced a knife only once (thank God), had one gun pulled on me (I'm a lot faster than I look ... thank God) and the only weapons I've used on another person have been a hair comb (don't laugh ... those things HURT ... they TEAR the skin on your throat) and a car antennae (in the days when we could snap them off a car fender and use them like a whip).

Wait ... I kicked a chair (one of those huge wooden library chairs) into an onrushing tough guys shins in a High School Library where I was a NARC ... THAT was funny. He never saw it coming ... he had a pipe in his hand from the shop class, raised it over his head and came right for me ... the chair was between us so I booted that thing as hard as I could (I was hoping to break something) ... he tried to jump over it but was a little late ('cause he was both stoned AND stupid) ... so this huge wooden chair hit him in the low shins and he ended up with his knees on the chair and his hands on the floor. It was a pretty simple matter to knock his stupid butt off the chair and wrap him up for the Sheriff's dept. He kept yelling (with my knee in his ribs) that I couldn't touch him. Amazing. I still can't believe it worked at all.

 

[Blindside]

....but I've always imagined melee combat being more effective than modern weaponry against crooks (like knives or switchblades for example). Stabbing and slashing seem to be slowler and limit the number of "attacks" you could do in the same amount of time as you would if you were kicking and punching.....

You are in for a rude awakening, there is nothing slow about a knife assuming the attacker has even a modicum of training.

Lamont

 

[tellner]

The teacher of my first Silat guru said:
"I don't eat with my bare hands. Why would I fight with them?"

If one of the reasons you study martial arts is for self protection you need to learn something about the weapons which might be used against you and the ones you might (legally) use.

I live in a state with fairly liberal laws on such matters. I usually have a good pocket knife like the Spyderco Endura or a folding karambit.

 

[wade]

M3a1...................

 

[Cirdan]

A lot of you seem well armed.
Do you also carry equipmenf for first aid?

 

[Carol]

A lot of you seem well armed.
Do you also carry equipmenf for first aid?

Yes. A small electronic device that can summon a team of paramedics to the precise spot of the incident in a few short minutes.

 

[Marvin]

Yes. A small electronic device that can summon a team of paramedics to the precise spot of the incident in a few short minutes.

Funny you should say that Carol, my main self defence tool does the same thing, except it summons the police:ultracool

 

[Cirdan]

Electronic devices are fine I guess but last time I relied on one "a few short minutes" turned out to be half an hour.

 

[Carol]

Electronic devices are fine I guess but last time I relied on one "a few short minutes" turned out to be half an hour.

In Massachusetts, there is NO PROTECTION under the law for a member of the general public administering first aid. That means, if an ordinary person attempts to aid a seriously injured person, the person that helped the injured person is legally responsible for their death. In this state, the Good Samaritan laws primarily protect first responders.

California is another state with very restrictive Good Samaritan laws.

Giving first aid to a stranger is not as simple as wanting to help someone out and having everything be OK.

Many communities require that all 3 first responders be dispatched in an emergency situation. Depending on the location of the incident, the first responder to show may very well be the fire department, who have emergency suppies, oxygen, first aid/CPR traiing, as well as many capabilities that paramedics don't have. Firemen can get through locked doors and in to other places that paramedics can't easily get to. They also carry equipment that paramedics don't carry, such as cardiac defibs and the Jaws of Life.

 

[Blindside]

In Massachusetts, there is NO PROTECTION under the law for a member of the general public administering first aid. That means, if an ordinary person attempts to aid a seriously injured person, the person that helped the injured person is legally responsible for their death. In this state, the Good Samaritan laws primarily protect first responders.

California is another state with very restrictive Good Samaritan laws.

Giving first aid to a stranger is not as simple as wanting to help someone out and having everything be OK.

Where I live, "a few short minutes" is a MINIMUM of 50 minutes, so if someone is in trouble it is either up to us to watch them bleed/die or do something. Given the choice between doing nothing and the possibility of a lawsuit, I would hope that most people would try to assist.

Lamont

 

[tellner]

Even if the police show up - not guaranteed - they are under no legal obligation to protect you. Well established case law, sovereign immunity, whole nine yards.

Suppose they show up and they're really, really fast about it. You have to get out your phone, dial the number, tell the dispatcher where you are, wait for the dispatcher to call the police and the police to come over. Minimum time five minutes. If a guy's industrious that's enough time for him to kill you, rape you and loot the body all in no particular order, have a beer and get a good start on digging the hole to bury the body in. A joke among police is "Call us, call the ambulance, call Domino's. You and the paramedics can have a pizza while you're waiting for the police to arrive."

And yes, I do carry first aid supplies, at least a military field dressing. When I'm wearing the Coat of Many Pockets (a Scott eVest) there's also a one-hand tourniquet and package of QuicKlot.

 

[tellner]

Out here we have pretty decent Good Samaritan laws for trained people which is why I try to keep the Red Cross First Aid certification up to date. The ambulance crews carry some rescue equipment and defibrillators along with all sorts of other interesting stuff.

 

[Odin]

The teacher of my first Silat guru said:
"I don't eat with my bare hands. Why would I fight with them?"

quote]

He would eat with them if he was hungry and didnt have a fork.

 

[tellner]

He could, but that's only if he has to. Civilization consists of doing unnatural things