what's the best weapon for you?

[jks9199]

That's exactly what I was complaining about. It sounds like you're telling the person who asks the question that he or she doesn't have sense enough to avoid an unnecessary fight. It sounds condescending and extremely rude even though you don't mean it that way.

Most people know how to not get into fights. Martial arts are about what to do when you're in a situation that requires force or the threat of force. Once you're there superior platitudes about how nothing bad happens to True Martial Artists(tm) aren't going to do anything but tick off someone who came for advice about things he or she didn't already know.

Great points. The reality is that most people generally have enough sense to know that they don't WANT to get into a violent confrontation. (The ones that don't are either rookie cops, thugs, or teenaged boys.)

Leaving aside self congratulation about what cool people we all are, martial artists are not experts in de-escalation, reading body language, hostage negotiations, conflict resolution or any of those other skills. We might pick some of that up, but it's usually incidental. Someone who asks a bunch of martial artists "What are the pros and cons of different weapons I might carry" is asking exactly that. It's simple good manners to say "I don't know," or "I'm not comfortable talking about that," if you can't give a straight answer.

...

Verbal Judo is a very specialized class popular with police departments. It teaches the specific techniques of verbally handling hostile people. The graduates do not throw away their pain gas, pistols, clubs, shotguns, handcuffs and Tasers.

"Gerbil Voodoo" actually has a place; deescalation and verbal control of a situation are specific skills, requiring specific training. It's very emotionally demanding to remain calm enough to deescalate a situation...

That said, I live in a State with very reasonable concealed carry laws for handguns and a expansive view of what is permissible to carry openly. Automatic knives, saps, knives and a whole bunch of other things are technically legal if they're visible. Of course, if you travel a few miles North into Washington State you're committing several felonies. And you stand in serious danger of failing the all-important P.A.T. (Police Attitude Test) if you walk around with a two-handed mace, a pushbutton knife and a blackjack and cop an attitude.

That said, these are a few of my favorite things if I am outside the house under normal circumstances and am concerned about the possibility of a violent criminal attack...

An excellent list, which I'm not copying over. I'd add one item, and one caveat. Carry a cell phone. Today, you can buy disposable, pay-as-you-go phones inexpensively. And pay phones are disappearing. You want some way to call for help or call for the police. If you're hurt, you want to be able to get rescue started. It's even possible that the act of pulling the phone out could deter an attack...

The caveat... If you choose to carry anything, make sure of two things: First, that you know how to use it, safely. It's no good to you to carry a Balisong folder if you're going to cut yourself trying to open it... or if you're going to cut yourself trying to use the knife. Second... make sure you understand the consequences of carrying the item. Not just the legal ones (is it legal? can you accept the risk of getting locked up if it's illegal -- or if it's illegal in the manner that you want to carry it?) but the emotional ones of using it.

 

[gkygrl]

Leaving aside self congratulation about what cool people we all are, martial artists are not experts in de-escalation, reading body language, hostage negotiations, conflict resolution or any of those other skills. We might pick some of that up, but it's usually incidental. Someone who asks a bunch of martial artists "What are the pros and cons of different weapons I might carry" is asking exactly that. It's simple good manners to say "I don't know," or "I'm not comfortable talking about that," if you can't give a straight answer.

Hi Tellner -- you had some very good points in your post. And I certainly did not mean to offend. Thank you for pointing that potential out. I think that you mention some great skills though that should probably be considered as valuable as weapons training:

- de-escalation
- conflict resolution
- reading body language

I'm not talking about a situation like getting raped (I'd be all for any kind of deadly force I could muster in that situation: fingers, sticks, pens, cane, unbrella ... anything I could transform into weapons). I was a SWAT-trained MP sniper and hostage negotiator. That's where I come from versus any of the formal MA's.

IMHO, a more well-rounded self-defense type of training (read MA used for self-defense and not just art) should include some training and gaining of competency in some of those other life skills.

Just my .02

 

[tellner]

If you're hurt, you want to be able to get rescue started. It's even possible that the act of pulling the phone out could deter an attack...

Just make sure that you don't carry it in a belt case behind your hip and under your jacket. Sweeping back your jacket to pull out the phone could have unintended consequences

The caveat... If you choose to carry anything, make sure of two things: First, that you know how to use it, safely. It's no good to you to carry a Balisong folder if you're going to cut yourself trying to open it... or if you're going to cut yourself trying to use the knife. Second... make sure you understand the consequences of carrying the item. Not just the legal ones (is it legal? can you accept the risk of getting locked up if it's illegal -- or if it's illegal in the manner that you want to carry it?) but the emotional ones of using it.

I just repped you and can't do it again for a while. Bugger.

Both of these are incredibly important.

If you can't use it it's no use. Under stress you will do best with a "planned, practiced response". One of the things I like about my Spyderco is that I've carried it or something like it for about twenty years. I use it all the time. It's there when I need it. It's easy to draw and use no matter what. It might not be the CQBMilSpecOpTech TinyTallyWhacker MX-1000 Black Plastic Eviscerator with Titanium Venom Dispensers. But it's darned near a part of my body and is going to be there when it's needed.

If you can't deal with the consequences of using a weapon, don't carry a weapon. Deadly force is a deadly serious business legally, financially, personally, spiritually. Even cops with good training, health insurance that covers counseling, a built in support network and knowledge that they might have to drop the hammer every single shift can be badly damaged by deadly force encounters where they don't get a single scratch. There are life changing consequences for killing another human being or even being ready and willing to do it if - thank G-d - you don't have to put that extra half pound of pressure on the trigger.

Someone who says "It wouldn't bother me" doesn't know what he's talking about. Anyone who really isn't affected and can go home, eat a hearty dinner and have a good night's sleep afterwards is someone to watch carefully.

 

[Xue Sheng]

The caveat... If you choose to carry anything, make sure of two things: First, that you know how to use it, safely. It's no good to you to carry a Balisong folder if you're going to cut yourself trying to open it... or if you're going to cut yourself trying to use the knife. Second... make sure you understand the consequences of carrying the item. Not just the legal ones (is it legal? can you accept the risk of getting locked up if it's illegal -- or if it's illegal in the manner that you want to carry it?) but the emotional ones of using it.

Bingo, carry whatever you want but if you can't use or wo'y use it likely it is useless and potentially something your attacker can use against you

I just repped you and can't do it again for a while. Bugger.

Not t worry I repped jks for it

 

[JadeDragon3]

The best weapon for me is the improvised weapon. That means anything around me that could be used such as telephone reciever, car antenna, beer mug, pen or pencil, etc.... The reason I say this is because the law can't prosecute you as easily and you can really say it was self defense. Harder to prove self defense if you have a gun or knife already on you.

 

[geezer]

The best weapon for me is the improvised weapon. That means anything around me that could be used such as telephone reciever, car antenna, beer mug, pen or pencil, etc.... The reason I say this is because the law can't prosecute you as easily and you can really say it was self defense. Harder to prove self defense if you have a gun or knife already on you.

Back around '77 a guy named David L Smith in New London Ct. taught me that it was a good idea to keep some "improvised" weapons in easy reach at all times. If you're a tradesman, keep a good long wrench, screwdriver or hammer close by. Sports gear offers many possibilities. If you play softball, for example, keep your gear handy--including your bat. (But make sure you've got your glove, ball and uniform too, for legal reasons!). By extention, a BIG bunch of keys on a chain, a walking stick or cane, especially if you are older, --basically anything that you can use effectively that in NOT legally a weapon. Master Smith's rationalle was similar to that of the Okinawans who developed fighting techniques around their tools--the sickle (kama), grindstone handle (tonfa) and rice flail (nunchaku). In a society that penalizes or prohibits the use of weapons, learn to defend yourself with Non-weapons. Carrying an illegal nunchaku today is foolishness. A simple walking stick is so much more practical. Since studying with Shi-Fu Smith. I moved away and spent many years in other martial systems but his advice on this issue has always stood up.

Another observation--Once, when I was very young, I was in a street "situation" with a friend where we were confronted by some individuals intent upon doing us physical harm. We were both armed with concealed weapons. I had a pair of heavy "chuks" (this was in the 70's after all) and my friend had a large switchblade. Right at the "moment of truth" some more of our friends happened by and our would-be attackers ran. I was fully prepared to use those chuks as hard as I could, but my friend friend was visibly shaken. He admitted that when it came down to it, he was not prepared to stick someone wth a knife. The problem was not that he was a coward, but that he's a good man with a conscience. After thinking this over, I realize that I too would have been reluctant to use a knife. At least with an impact weapon, I was free to violently attack my opponent's arms, legs and body --anything short of the neck and head--without taking his life. With a knife, things are different. So to this day, although I study a stick and blade art, I favor the stick (or other impact weapons) since that is what I could use without hesitation.

 

[Bodhisattva]

Definitely awareness - best thing to keep you out of the greatest number of problems.

 

[Doc_Jude]

Steel-capped shoes: They are legal and give a kick some real authority. They are very difficult to disarm.

It's funny 'cause it's true!

 

[Cirdan]

To awnser the op`s question, if I were to carry a non-gun general purpose weapon I`d pick a machete. Having used one to clear paths in the forest since I was a kid I am quite comfortble with it. Fairly good balance between speed and reach and it has fearsome cutting power.
I favor the Ontario knife army version.

Of course the one who walks away is the one who manages to get everything working for him.. the terrain, the light, your opponent`s weaknesses etc.