How many of you carry weapons?

[oriental_kid]

Nunchuku.

For those who dont know what to say if get caught by the law.
You say you are going to a martial arts class.
You say its your toy.
You say you are giving it to a friend as a gift.
Something along those lines.

But never say its to defend yourself, at that point you've dug yourself a hole and your're acknowleging it.
Fed wants you to say 'its to defend yourself'.

[Tom Yum]

weapons

Never disclose what weapons you carry or what you practice. Bas Rutten has had good things to say about bullies in bad places.

[ArchAngel]

Carry Weapon

In my home town I alway's have a 3.5 to 4 inch folder with me or one of my kerambit's on a inside the waist band sheath.
When going to the bigger citie's I carry one of the above and a combat cane.
I have carried combat cane's in airport's and on to the plane it self with the only comment by security personel was "cool cane" where I say thank's and go about my business.
The many year's practicing FMA and other's make's my cane a very effective defensive weapon. Plenty of reach when needed and lot's of power and versatility.

ArchAngel Custom's
Combat Cane's-Escrima Stick's-Aluminum Training Knive's
archangel@awesomenet.net

[osopardo]

...its not mind reading, its simple human reaction. Think about what any normal person would do when faced with that situation ...

1. Maybe it's not mind reading, but it is certainly making some rather risky assumptions.

2. A "normal" person wouldn't be threatening to attack you with a knife.

Back a few hundred years ago when I went through preliminary training for the Miami P.D. we had it drilled into our heads to never take the gun out of the holster unless we had determined that we would use it to kill (shoot into the torso area until the target stopped moving). Otherwise, do not take it out of the holster. The intent was to teach respect for lethal force and the consequences of it. You never use your gun to merely threaten or wound (no wing shots or leg shots). Like I said, that was a long time ago (mid 1970's) and they may have changed the policy since, but I still carry those lessons and apply them to any type of weapon I may be carrying. I also accord the same consideration to any armed assailant; you wield a knife, gun, baseball bat, etc. at me and I will assume that your intentions are to use that weapon, not simply show it to me, and in using it, increase the probability of killing me. No thanks, I've got other plans for this evening.

[osopardo]

And to answer the question; my favorite weapon is a staff...















four or five large, rough looking guys, armed, trained and well-paid, following me around wherever I go...

[kengar]

Considering to carry a weapon is something each individual has to seriously think about and decide for themselves. I carry a knife all the time, from wake-up to bed-time. I use that knife about every day to either open up or cut something. It is a very useful tool and if I ever have a bad situation it will provide another service.

As far as facing a knife and/or using a knife;
1) If you claim it is hard to defend and disarm a knife, why would you say you don't carry one because it could be easily taken from you.

2) Police officers will have their butts busted if they go around telling Stop-n-Robs to carry weapons. Though, they will tell individual people to protect themsleves.

3) If a BG pulls a knife on you, there is no way to truely predict what they might do. They could show signs that they just want some money and be ready to take off, and in a split second decide you're a witness and don't want to chance being caught.

4) If a person is threatening you with a knife they are displaying deadly force.

5) There are many events in our lives that we can not control, and if you're ever attacked you can not guess where, when and why. So if you feel you need to carry a weapon, don't try determining the times when you don't need it.

6) Every situation is different, though prepare for the worst and if the BG doesn't decide to attack and you did not go pre-emptive and you make it home alive then you made the right decision.

Determine what's right for you and be safe.

[JKD-Escrima]

well, while I'm on active duty in the Army, yes I always carry a weapon.
Back home I carry a set of ironwood sticks in my car, a knife in my pocket, and a handgun at home.
I grew up in a rough neighborhood, and can attest that weapons are out there, bad guys have them, and I'd rather have one as well, then not.
Although usually pulling it out and demonstrating you know how to use it is enough to end the conflict.
I have had the opportunity to hurt people, but chose not to.
It is often easist (legally and otherwise) to disarm/subdue an attacker than to attack him yourself.

[Shawn Duncanson]

yes

I carry a quaddara, if I am out walking. It is large enough to handle just about anything pulled on me (20 inch blade) and goes great with my FMA techniques. But usually I just have a pocket knife on me and a machete in my car.

[Patrick G.]

Count me in for the "carrying" crowd..

i'm a JKD martial artist, yet I have a CCW to carry (Walther P99 in .40, if u must know) and i keep a knife on me...the knife to me is practically like carrying keys, as I've been carrying knives since about the age of 15...

u can never be sure of the amount of violence that a potential attacker can impose on you... rule no. 1 is to never underestimate..those of u who think an assailant will just "leave you alone" after he gets what he wants are only fooling yourselves...who's to say he won't attack u or a loved one?

if it came to the point that i had to draw and use my firearm, so be it..worry about the consequences later...my life and that of a loved one, is more important...

[Sasami2000]

Whenever my husband and I aren't at our castle guarded by robotic death guards, we usually are carrying around our swords. He likes the katana or the nodachi, while I just like the wakizashi. However, he keeps nagging me for a buster sword, but he'll only get it when I get a Naginata.

Seriously, no...but we want to. We live in Idaho and the only weapon you'd need is a branding iron in case the cows attack you.

[adacas]

in my old neighborhood we had some neighbors who kept a razor sharp katana by the door. Non of them had any martial arts training at all yet they had it right there. It made me laugh to imagine them pulling it out right before they opened a door or something. I would say bladed weapons are the tools of choice. Quick, quiet, and not to mention cheap and less likely to get you a life sentence as you are much more able to control the amount of force you use. I just wish I was able to carry a switchblade or even a balisong. I have a couple of switchblades and balisongs but so far they are just to look at. Hell I was scared even to buy the things at the swapmeet because I was afraid the cops would check me. Hey if they a license to carry a gun why can't we get a license to carry a katana. I would carry one like the samurai. It would be tight. Who the hell would want to mess with a guy carrying a katana? Ok maybe a guy with a gun but hey its still cool.

[JKD-Escrima]

you can probably carry a sword in Texas.
they are crazy down there.

[osopardo]

you can probably carry a sword in Texas.
they are crazy down there.

I had an uncle who used to carry a machete hanging from his hip wherever he went. He did landscaping work for a living, so most of the time it looked normal, but after work he would shower, change into nice clothes and put on a "dress" machete with a beautifully tooled leather scabbard on his belt and hit the town. As you can imagine, the local cops all got to know him and just accepted it as the idiosyncracy of a harmless old man.

Ahh, but I had seen him use it a few times. He could hack thru a tree limb as thick as a man's arm and he could swat a misbehaving nephew on the rump with the flat of it and leave a red stinging mark. The message was clear.

[ArchAngel]

you can probably carry a sword in Texas.
they are crazy down there.

Only if the sword has a blade length of 51/2 inche's or less.

[adacas]

really!? sweet i'm moving to Texas. wheres my short sword at?