Weapons are the rule - not the exception.

 Teaching martial arts is a great job. There are so many great benefits to training in the martial arts and watching  children and adult students growing more skilled, more confident, get in better shape and make new friends is always a real pleasure. The martial arts, more than any other activity I can think of, has something to offer everyone. We have young children who gain coordination and learn to be respectful to others and we have adults who learn to defend themselves better while living a healthier lifestyle.  

Is this really a weapon?

 
 I teach several different systems of martial arts.  Most of them are empty hand systems, meaning that you learn punching, kicking, trapping, sweeps, etc.  This makes sense to most people and they readily accept that as a common form of martial arts and thus common form of self defense.  One of the most common questions I face as a martial arts teacher is "why do we train so much weaponry?"   Now keep in mind that it's a quarter of my curriculum.  That may seem like a lot to some of you, I don't know, but to me it's not enough.  You see, in the real world it's the exact opposite!  In the real world most crimes are committed with some kind of weapon.  It may be a gun, knife, baseball bat, etc.  But a huge percentage of crimes and violent altercations are committed with a weapon involved.

 Since most of the altercations we may be involved in are going to involve weapons, shouldn't most of our training be with and against weapons?  Perhaps the average person doesn't expect the bad guy to have or carry weapons?  Just take a look at the pictures in this post.  The weapons above are confiscated from a prison, where THERE ARE NO WEAPONS. lol, yeah right.  If that is what they have in a lockdown environment like prison, what are they carrying out in the free world?

It's a simple concept once you understand that the bad guy will be armed, would you rather face this criminal with or without a weapon?  It really is that simple!  Sure, you can try to go against him empty handed and who knows, maybe your empty hands training will pay off, maybe the bad guy is having an off day?  Maybe your double leg takedown will catch him off guard?  Do you want to bet your life on it? What about the lives of your loved ones who are with you?

 Another method of dealing with all these weapons is to ban them.  "LET'S BAN GUNS" is a big push in the United States and around the world.  Trust me, if we could suddenly make all firearms of all kinds instantly turn to dust, I would be all for it!  That would instantly put me and my friends at the top of the food chain : )  But the reality is you will never be able to ban firearms.  All it does it take the guns away from honest people who never did anything with it except carry it to defend his or her family.  The bad guys won't turn in their guns!  They will still carry them, they are criminals, that's what they do!  And if you think "we can make them so scare they simply won't have access to get them." think again.  The pic above is a homemade firearm from Russia.  So much for Gun Bans!

In the pic above a suspect is trying to take the firearm out of the Officer's holster.  The magazine is already laying on the ground behind the officer.  Bad guys know the best way to win is to get a weapon.  That's not a criminal mindset, that's a winning mindset!  You see that bad guy above really really wants to win.  So much so he's willing to risk his life to win.  Shouldn't we train to fight just as hard and have the desire to win just as much?  If so we have to be willing to carry a weapon or find and improvise a weapon.

 This is a DVD knife.  imporvised weapons are the norm around the world.  Not just prisons.  Places where they become illegal or simply hard to get, places where they are too expensive or where common items are forced into service as weapons due to the immediate threat. 

 Above is another improvised double barrel pistol.  Simple, easy to make and deadly. 

The above is a collection of weapons from criminals.  Brass knuckles, daggers, guns, knives, clubs of all kinds.  These are the things bad guys are carrying every single day!  Not just when they feel threatened or are traveling.  They carry them everyday.  What do you carry everyday? 

  The above pic is a Zip Gun, a single barrelled spring loaded gun.  try banning firearms, you'll see thousands of these types of weapons hit the streets.

Not to mention all the everyday objects that surround us everyday!  These objects are deadly weapons and are used by people all over the world on a regular basis for self defense, crime, civil unrest and to ward off attackers and animals.  We should learn to recognize the items as possible weapons when confronted by an assailant with a weapon.  If you don't have one, make one!

How long do you think it would take you to make that weapon in the pic above?  If someone broke into your home and you retreated into the bathroom with your kids, could you make this weapon and fight him off?

 How's your stick fighting?  We often assume that the weapons we are going to face are similar to the weapons that we train with in class.  Will your system of stick fighting work against this weapon?  How do you know?  There's a huge difference between theory and reality.  That difference could be the difference between life and death.

In the above pic the officer is arresting a homeless person.  Many people don't consider homeless people to be dangerous, yet many are mentally unstable, have communicable diseases and are armed.  Although not your traditional criminal, you should still be wary of them and the dangers the present.  For them, improvised weapons are a way of life.

The fist load in the above pic would take almost no time to make out of some nails and a piece of wood and some string.  Think about using your boxing skill or striking skills against someone who is using this.  Think of how good you would have to be.  You would have to be so good that he never hit you!  That's hard to do.

In this pic another fist load.  One of the problems with these types of weapons is that you don't see them.  You think it's going to be a fist fight and them you are cut or dead.  These types of weapons can easily be carried and if used or the suspect is close to being caught, can be dumped with no real loss.  Just make another one later.

Uh. Well.  I'm thinking that most people won't have an answer for how to fight against this one.  This flail is a quick down and dirty tool that will be a difficult thing to face.  If you haven't seen this types of weapons before, you might not even have the chance to percieve them as the threat they really are.

 Oh wait, another homemade firearm!  This was made in a prison out of a bed leg.  They fired it to show it worked and then took a guard hostage and escaped.  With limited resources and tools they make a real working firearm that shot lead bullets powered by AA batteries!  Come on!  Really?!?

Another homemade firearm.  Russia.  I'm afraid firearms, in one form or another, are here to stay.  So with that in mind, we might as well find another alternative to the threats of crimes committed with firearms and find a solution for firearms accidents.  I think the key to both is education and training.  I think it really is that simple.  Educate people on how to store, carry and use firearms and you will eliminate accidents and prevent crimes. 

Blades are the real king of weapons.  found in thousands of forms around the world.  they really are everywhere and everything.

 These three shivs were found in a prison.  Again, look at how ingenious these weapons really are?  Could you recognize the individual pieces necessary to improvise yourself a weapon if you needed one? 

Common everyday items are some of the best and most natural weapons we can learn to identify as weapons.  How long would it take to make the ones above or below?  Would it help you?  If you could have this or be empty handed when faced with an armed attacker, which would you choose?  Armed or unarmed?

The single most common kind of knife of any prison, the toothbrush knife.  Extremely common.  Would you recognize this as a weapon?

How hard would the weapon above be to make?  How effective would it be?

 

This reminds me of a weapon used in the trenches of WW1 to finish off wounded soldiers.  These types of weapons are literally around us everyday.

 Guns, knives, rocks, sticks, screwdivers, hammers, weapons of all kinds surround us everyday.  Criminals carry them every day.  Yet many people look at training with or against weapons as an exotic or unique martial arts niche.  The reality is that most criminals have and use weapons and most victims do not!  The first step in not becoming a victim is to change your mindset about weapons and realize that they play an important role in martial arts training and in self defense.  Learn to recognize everyday things around you for their value as improvised weapons.  Train with and against weapons.  Learn how to use, carry and conceal legal weapons on you or in your environment.  Remember banning weapons will not work, never has.  The real key to surviving the coming violent encounter and prevent accidents from occuring is Education and Training.  It's that simple.  If you and your family don't have it, go get it!  Guro Harley