Regisitering yourself to the authorities

[Big Don]

A couple of years ago I stumbled across a website where someone was selling numbered registration certificates.
My google fu is weak tonight, I couldn't find it. Would be a good gag gift at the dojo...

 

[Chris Parker]

Its obviously an urban legend, but Im sure if you do beat someone up and their lawyer finds out you are 'trained', then Im certain it will be used against you in a court of law. Its quite ironic really, if you walked into a police staion to register yourself as a martial artist they would laugh at you, yet if you actually beat someone up they'd be the first to use the fact your a martial artist against you.

Unfortunately this is very true. A number of years ago there was an incident in a suburb of Melbourne where a couple of young kids got in an alcohol fuelled fight in a parking lot, with a large number of others standing around watching. One of the kids (17 years old, for reference) kicked his opponent in the head with a roundhouse kick, which knocked the other lad down onto the asphalt. He unfortunately hit his head on the ground, and was knocked unconscious. Due to this injury, he slipped into a coma, in which he remained until he died about a week or so later.

During sentencing of the court case, the young lad (now 18) had his year or so training in kickboxing/Muay Thai brought up. The judge sentenced him about as harshly as the laws allowed for manslaughter, saying something along the lines of "You are a trained martial arts expert, and as such, should be able to control yourself to the point where you never actually use your superior skills against another person. Because you didn't show such control when you plainly should have, I am making an example of you". (This was about 12 or 13 years ago, from memory, so I don't have exact quotes with me - but it does show that the judge in question had no knowledge or understanding of martial arts whatsoever, and bought into all kinds of movie myths).

In regard to cards, we issue them as we deal with a number of weapon teachings, and the students obviously carry the training weapons to and from class (always covered in bags, though!). If they do get stopped, the card immediately identifies what they do, and gives them a reason to be carrying such items. That said, it won't help them if they don't have the weapons covered, or if they have them somewhere that they wouldn't necessarily need them (walking into a nightclub, for instance).

But registering yourself as a lethal weapon? Uh... no.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

The police did ask to see my license (as I was presenting it anyhow), showing that the urban myth is not totally mythical (or that it even afflicts officers of the law), but I think that was just a reflex on their part.

License? What license? Driver's license?

As to what cops want, that's often quite different from what the law requires. I was once asked to for my ID in an airport by a cop who didn't like me taking photographs of him driving around in a golf cart. I showed him my US Passport. He refused it and demanded my state Driver's license. I said "What for, I'm not driving." Besides, it wasn't for that that state and no law requires me to have a driver's license anyway. He just didn't consider a US Passport as "ID," even though it is the ID that trumps all others in the US. His problem, not mine. But yeah, what they want and what the law requires are sometimes different things. I had a cop tell me once that he was under the impression that being a "Wiccan" was against the law. Seriously. Cops enforce the law, but not all of them know it.

 

[Wo Fat]

Is it me, or does the general public need a serious re-education of what martial arts are and are not?

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Its obviously an urban legend, but Im sure if you do beat someone up and their lawyer finds out you are 'trained', then Im certain it will be used against you in a court of law. Its quite ironic really, if you walked into a police staion to register yourself as a martial artist they would laugh at you, yet if you actually beat someone up they'd be the first to use the fact your a martial artist against you.

It would be a good idea to plan for your response ahead of time in preparation of litigation. A shark attorney's job is to paint you in the worse possible light. There is a video by Mas Ayoub titled, "Cute Lawyer Tricks". I would suggest it is mandatory training. It will help you avoid the pitfalls they try to set for you in court.

One of the things I put into everyone of my use-of-force reports is the statement, "The subject took away all of my non-force options by his/her actions and forced me to use force against them to regain control to protect themselves, others and myself". What this statement states is that I didn't want to use force. I tried to use non-force options (if time was available). The non-force options either didn't work or he/she did not allow me the time to attempt them. Their actions FORCED me to use force. I had no option left. And I did so to protect everyone including themselves. You may not have to write a report, but at some point some type of statement will probably be made. Something to that effect needs to be in it. You didn't want to use force. The perp FORCED you to use force to protect yourself. He/she took away any other options.

 

[Kong Soo Do]

Oh, one other thing. I'm pretty sure the only two things you have to register are;

• Judo chop
• Dim Mak Ninja death touch

And in the case of the DM ninja death touch, only if it can be done from across the room.

 

[oftheherd1]

Oh, one other thing. I'm pretty sure the only two things you have to register are;

• Judo chop
• Dim Mak Ninja death touch

And in the case of the DM ninja death touch, only if it can be done from across the room.

Good grief sir, you forgot signature chop.

 

[oftheherd1]

License? What license? Driver's license?

As to what cops want, that's often quite different from what the law requires. I was once asked to for my ID in an airport by a cop who didn't like me taking photographs of him driving around in a golf cart. I showed him my US Passport. He refused it and demanded my state Driver's license. I said "What for, I'm not driving." Besides, it wasn't for that that state and no law requires me to have a driver's license anyway. He just didn't consider a US Passport as "ID," even though it is the ID that trumps all others in the US. His problem, not mine. But yeah, what they want and what the law requires are sometimes different things. I had a cop tell me once that he was under the impression that being a "Wiccan" was against the law. Seriously. Cops enforce the law, but not all of them know it.

Many years ago I visited a friend of mine who had recently been released from active duty as an MP. He had served a tour of duty in Ethiopia, and one day while working as the desk sergeant, another service man came in stating he was a trained MA and wanted to register as such. There was no requirement to do so of course. My friend went on to say he rediculed the man, as he looked at his hands and saw there were no callouses on his knuckles, so he "knew" the man wasn't a karate expert after all. Yep, there is all kinds of mis-information out there.

Still, it isn't a bad idea to check local laws. I made sure to do so when I got to the Commonwealth of Virginia. I wanted to know about having practice numchucks and bamboo swords in my vehicle. I found I was allowed to do so as long as they were not readily available from the driver's seat. My registration card from the Korean Hapkido Federation was not a requirement to have in my possession, but could help in an LEO's understanding of why I would have the practice equipment.

EDIT: I meant to add, in the USA, courts have pretty much upheld a police officer's right to identify a person he is talking to, and police are taught that. What they often aren't taught, is what is is acceptable identification. US passports have always been thought of as a most secure means of identifcation due to what is needed to get one. But many, if not all States have begun to do the same, due to US legal requirements for secure identification. Doesn't mean all police will know that, or that they won't be fishing for a residence address.

 

[WC_lun]

Mohammad Ali also perpetuated the myth by claiming his hands were registered with the FBI as deadly weapons.

Anyone that tries to sell you this hogwash is either poking fun at you or very ignorant.

 

[geezer]

:chuckles:

All that said and agreed with, the one time I had a real world fight in adult life I went straight to the police station to report it. Because I'd made a bit of a mess of a couple of the attackers (and was a bit shaken up by it to be honest) I passed on that I was 'trained'. The police did ask to see my license (as I was presenting it anyhow), showing that the urban myth is not totally mythical (or that it even afflicts officers of the law), but I think that was just a reflex on their part.

Well, you do live in a more civilized part of the globe. Out here, anyone can carry a loaded firearm, openly or concealed, without any permit or registration... so what would be the point in registering your empty hands?

 

[Big Don]

Mohammad Ali also perpetuated the myth by claiming his hands were registered with the FBI as deadly weapons.

Anyone that tries to sell you this hogwash is either poking fun at you or very ignorant.

Or, and this is the scary one, BOTH.

 

[chinto]

LOL LAUGHING TO HARD! nope no where in the world is any thing that stupid done that I have ever heard of!!!

 

[Balrog]

When you put on shoes, does that mean you need a concealed weapons license?

No, that's only when you zip up your trousers. :lol: