Weapons in an empty hand martial art - for or against?

Question

I am a karate do and have just recently had a 'crisis of faith' about my own abilities, so this weapons intrest might be a simple distraction. Anyway what are your thoughts on studying weapon arts in addition to karate? What weapons are best and why? Should I worry about someone calling the Police if I practise in the front garden? Thanks in advance

Answer 1

Blunt weapons/spear.

I know how to wield my umbrella with deadly force (I never killed anyone, but I frequent mugger heavy areas. The intimidating factor is a big help if you know how to hold it like a weapon without actually provoking would be attackers), and no one ever gets arrested for bringing an umbrella (just make sure your umbrella is tough enough to withstand a couple of blows, or pointed enough to stab).

arnis (fighting sticks) is also cool. Far more dangerous than an umbrella, and not banned in most places.

Like I said, I am quite capable in combat, but never really had to use it. A combination of sharp wit and subtle intimidation is the best defense.

Answer 2

dont you mean your a karateka?what it sounds like to me is your teacher?you should learn weapons in karate.+ ive seen a couple of your other questions.i think you need a rest.
besides that though it's a very good idea to learn other things outside your style.whether it be weapons or another style different than your norm.you can always keep your norm.as a base.theres no best to crosstrain in just what suits you best now.it's a shame to see ppl leave ma forever just because there burnt out,and a lot do.go and do a bit of muay thai or even play footy for a couple of months.have a rest first and just go and do whatever thef..k you want,karate will still be there when you come back.i dont know the law where you are'but if your going to be swinging a katana around in your front yard it might pay to tell the neighbours,and find out the laws.
edit
i got a bit off track there,the best weapons to learn are wooden ones as there more practicle.try kali/arnis/escrama even bo.if you can use these you can pick up just about any common thing anywhere and use as a weapon?i'm adept at most weapons but i dont bother with the,cause my heads enough to frighten the best of 'em.hahahalol.

Answer 3

In my humble opinion, any quality training is good training. Remember that all martial arts training is about discipline. Anyone can throw a punch or kick. Martial artists train to use precision techniques by conditioning their bodies and focusing their minds on the target. Weapons training can help to enhance that. A quality weapons instructor will teach you that the weapon is nothing more than an extension of your own hands.

My favorite weapon is the rope dart. Although it is totally impractical for use in self defense, it does require an extreme amount of concentration, coordination and balance to use, which coincidently so does my empty hand style.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

I've traveled all over Southeast Asia, and the area holds many martial arts. As for the Philippines their empty hand fighting is mostly borrowed from other styles and not original to the Philippines. Most Filipinos study TKD now for their empty hand fighting. So if they had an effective empty hand fighting than why go to TKD? Now as for weapons fighting Filipino systems are some of the best. Though most of the very highly skilled instructors made their way to western countries to teach. There still is some good instruction in the Philippines though.

Answer 5

No matter how strong, fast, and skilled you are, having a weapon in hand ALWAYS helps. Even a stick, at a bare minimum, is something to hit with and block with that isn't your arm. If the stick gets cut or if it breaks then its not really a big deal, but if your arm gets cut or breaks, that could put you out of the fight.

I reccomend training with weapons that are either commonly found and available (like sticks and knives) or that you can or do carry on your person (like a sidearm, telescoping baton, stun gun, kobutan, or knife).

The best thing to do is to train with both unarmed and armed fighting methods. And stay in good shape. Practicing in the front garden shouldn't an issue as long as firearms aren't involved, but I'd still reccomend the back yard.

We'd like to think that as experienced martial artists that we can handle most attackers with relative ease, but seeing a group of heavy-set guys much larger than yourself can change that attitude quick. Your concern is valid, so once again, having a weapon handy is sure comforting, and can give you a good advantage when the chips are down.

Answer 6

Good solid weapon training is a must. Training with a wooden weapon won't usually draw the attention of police. Try not to think of just learning stick, sword or knife techniques, because chances are those will not be available when needed. Instead train while keeping in mind that a knife can be replaced with a sharp pencil, a stick can be replaced by a bookbag and sword can be replaced by a broom or umbrella. I think a good place to start is to find a good Filipino Martial Arts instructor and follow their lead.

Answer 7

I think you should first learn to defeat an opponent that has a weapon single handedly. then try to learn a weapon. cause u can't put confidence in a weapon, the likely hood of you having one at the time you need it is very thin. So first work on taking out the assailant with out a weapon first. But a weapon is good to learn. anything that can increase your odds in a fight is a good thing. I would say good weapons to learn are the bo staff and escrima sticks. your most likely to find something like that in a battlefield environment. (I.E. lead pipe, flag post. chair leg ect.)
and no you won't get arrested. as long as you keep it in your own yard.

Answer 8

Hi. I have been a martial arttis for 17 years. Studying tae kwon-do and semi contact kickboxing. And in all this time i have never been trained useing any kind of weapon. And nor do i teach useing weapons. and apart from a gun. which i believe only superman him self can avoid. i have be taut how to defend myself againt everthing else. So i do not believe in the use of weapons. Apart from that. As long as you do not shoot a firearm or look as if you are threating any1 with a weapon in your garden you should be ok. i hope this helps. if not. disregard all i have said.

Answer 9

First off,

If you have a "crisis of faith" you need to examine why. is it becuase you don't believe that your unarmed skills are able to handle another unarmed opponent?

Or do you have unrealistic ideas about what your "unarmed" training can do for you?

Secondly,

It is unrealistic to think that you can handle an armed opponent when you are unarmed. Even the greatest unarmed fighter is at a severe and deadly disadvantage when facing someone with a weapon even an unskilled person with a weapon- especially a gun or knife.

Third,

you need to decide why you are taking martial arts in the first place. Are you taking it for self-defence, or are you taking it to learn to fight?

If you want true self-defence, you NEED to learn to use a weapon. A weapon that you can carry with you and is concealable. Obviously a CCW permit to carry a concealed firearm is the best- however you might not want to go that route or might not be able to get one (depending upon what state you live in). A knife is probably your next best option.

The reality of the world is that people who are looking to harm you where you actually would need "self-defence" rather than an encounter you can walk away from. Most unarmed encounters do not fall under the "self-defence" umbrella, and those that do, usually fall under the multiple attackers against one.

Guess what, you really think you can take on 2-3 or maybe even more people with your karate? Now how about if you trained in knife fighting and had a knife?

Detractors of weapons, who usually have self-inflated ideas about what thier unarmed training can really do. will tell you that you can't always carry a weapon or "there might not be one around". Well that is why you BRING a knife or carry a gun, or carry a small metal stick or baton (by small I mean the size of a jutte). And that doesn't mean you don't train unarmed as well, for those places you are prohibited from carrying a weapon (airport, club, schools,etc.) your opponents are likely prohibited as well and there is security. While you can always find makeshift weapons that are similar, the thing that people who want to believe that "unarmed" can take out knife-weilding opponents, is that without a weapon you are useless- you can still, train in unarmed systems but the idea is to devote the most time where it is more likely that you will have a problem (if your goal is self-defence).

Any weapons class you take, NEEDS to spar. you need to train against the weapon and be able to use it. Actually weapons training is SAFER than unarmed sparring as everyone realizes and respects the harm a weapon can cause, you don't get these people saying "but that strike/kick would have ended the fight". A bullet to the head, a smack to the head with a stick or a cut to a vital area WILL end the fight. And you can wear padding and people do to protect them from the harm a weapon replica (wood version) can cause.

Also if you train the weapon, if you are unarmed, you are more likely to recognize the danger as you will have no delusions about the disadvantage you are in, and will be more cautious without a false sense of security. You also know how the weapon moves, you know how it is used because you yourself know how to use it so any "desperation" disarm you may attempt (unarmed attempts at disarming an attacker with a knife or gun are ALWAYS DESPERATION attempts) is more likely to succeed than that of someone's attack who is not.

LEGALITY:
One thing you do need to be aware of when studying a weapon is the legality surrounding the carrying, and use (in self-defence) of it, and dealing with the authorities.

legality and practicing on your front garden: Do you own the garden? is it part of your property? If so you can do whatever the hell you want there so long as it doesn't endanger others or travel onto thier property. If it is not your garden and part of a complex, then so long as you are practicing with a wooden replica (or similar) then it shouldnt' be a problem (the cops might stop you, but they would likely just tell you to stop unless you hurt someone) so long as you aren't in anyone's way or bothering anybody.

Answer 10

Weapons training in an empty hand art is an oxymoron, but it may help you with your focus. It is useful for self defense only if you make a habit of carrying the weapon with you, which is illegal in many jurisdictions. As for your neighbors calling the police, it depends on where you live.