[zefff]

I laugh inside every time someone says, this and that style is the most effective. Usually people who involve themselves in such talk in this day and age (in my circles anyway), are always banging on about 'this style' of striking and 'that style' of grappling. It is like people forget the reason why our ancestors picked up sticks and stones in the first place!

What Im getting at is weaponry.

Are modern era MAists detatched from reality or is unarmed combat the biggest threat in civilised society? Maybe we need a new descriptive, instead of martial artist, martial athelete. Maybe it is me who is stuck in the past and maybe the atheletes can clearly define that their skill is just for sport???

For me weapons are the biggest leveller but I see a lot of martial atheletes and even TMAists who dont really see the significance of weapons training. I wonder if it is our relatively safe and policed society that has created a lack of regard?

[dscott]

I occassionally train with weapons. I don't train necessarily to use the weapon as much as defend against it though.

[bamboo]

Unarmed training makes you feel good about yourself. The primal need for a man to protect the brood is satisfied through hard hand to hand. Its a great fantasy.

A gun wipes that fantasy clean and lets face it, the threat of physical confrontation- one on one, mano e mano etc etc, is fairly nonexistant.

I train with weapons because of the timing and spatial awareness needed, plus, I like carrying a big stick.

-bamboo

[The BadBoy]

I tarin in Gun Kata

[lakan_sampu]

I could understand your point, zefff. Usually, people I talk to do not seem to believe that arnis is not only about sticks, and that it is obsolete for them. Suckers...

[Ninja Kl0wn]

The common idea of weapons training is dead. There is no legitimate need to learn the use of the katana, quarterstaff, three sectional staff, pike, etc. anymore. Unarmed fighting is progressing into the modern era with MMA, but weapons training is still antiquated.

For the average civilian, practical weapons training should focus on the hand gun first, the knife second, and anything else as "just for fun" stuff.

[NeverMan]

Originally Posted by Ninja Kl0wn

The common idea of weapons training is dead. There is no legitimate need to learn the use of the katana, quarterstaff, three sectional staff, pike, etc. anymore. Unarmed fighting is progressing into the modern era with MMA, but weapons training is still antiquated.

For the average civilian, practical weapons training should focus on the hand gun first, the knife second, and anything else as "just for fun" stuff.

I agree.

Knife and gun training (use of and disarming) are useful. I could also see where some stick fighting quarterstaff training might come in handy on the off chance you find a valuable weapon laying about (which is unlikely anyways).

Also, I don't think the threat of one on one violence is non-existent. In fact, I think it's very real, especially for women.

[zefff]

So are women more likely to be the 'victims of' or the 'perpetrators of' violent crime? I dont know bro, maybe the risks of a violent crime escalating into a more serious violent crime are increased but I would think young adult males are the most at risk.

[dscott]

Young adult males are definitely the most at risk for violence. It's just in the hormones. Men have that primal urge to fight other men for either pride or what ever.

[zefff]

Thats what I thought. Young men always put themselves in trouble. Everyone has been there.