self-defense and weapons

[Dark]

To those who teach reality self-defense, how far do you take things. Do they include subjects like commonly improvised or manufactured weapons on the street? Or do you just keep things at a strickly unarmed level?

 

[Andrew Green]

I'll be honest and say the majority of "reality" weapons work I have seen is far more fantasy then reality. There is some good stuff out there, but most of it assumes the attacker is a robot like being programmed with a single, uncommited or overcommited and exagerated attack after which it freezes... guess they run on Windows

 

[ThatWasAKick]

DOJ stats tell us that guns, knives. and clubs/bats are the most commonly used weapons so we train extensively for them. As for improvised weapons, we do train for that but as defensive tools for us (sand, purse, belt, antenna, etc.)

 

[pstarr]

I require all students (at different levels) to learn how to defend themselves against weapons and to use weapons as well.

Insofar as defending against an armed assailant, we divide weapons into two categories; hand-held (which requires the bad guy to strike you with it), and projectile (firearms).

Besides the traditional weapons of sword, broadsword, staff, and spear, we also teach the use of more practical items such as knife and stick.

 

[Explorer]

I like to teach 'em to run really, really, really fast! Unless there is no place to retreat to ... then ... well, things are about to get ugly. We look at sticks of varying lengths, including bats; guns and edged weapons. We leave knives for last because I think they're the most difficult to handle ... especially if the attacker is a really good cutter ... the blade never stops!

 

[monkey]

We have the REal set borng-kris-ect. & we use house hold items for street & legal resogns in Calif. such as hoes-pins from Turkey basters-rods that are lexan from plungers-hard tubes policorb from swing sets- what ever we see fit that will do the job.

 

[ThatWasAKick]

I think the most helpful exercise we do is scenario training. First the students learn techniques to defend against a weapon (get tested on them, perform them under pressure, etc.).
But what really drives the lesson of reality fighting home is later down the road when you do surprise attacks under varying conditions by instructors who are acting as the bad guy. (We have some good actors, haha) The "victim" is not allowed to stop fighting under any circumstance.

Surprise, surprise... nothing works the way it's "supposed to." Ha! I love it.

 

[MJS]

To those who teach reality self-defense, how far do you take things. Do they include subjects like commonly improvised or manufactured weapons on the street? Or do you just keep things at a strickly unarmed level?

Keeping things on the 'unarmed level' I'd think, would be a pretty foolish thing to do. If someone is really interested in learning how to defend themselves, I'd think it would be good to cover weapons.

Kenpo covers the typical attacks with a club, stick and gun. The FMA's tend to take it a step further and expand on a wider variety of attacks, or I should say method of attacking.

Training can be taken a step further by using a training blade with something on the edges to show when you've been 'cut'. Of course, as Thatwasakick stated, its good to have scenario drills, as well as some good 'actors' for the attackers. Providing the proper midset for the defender is important.

Mike

 

[Drac]

We leave knives for last because I think they're the most difficult to handle ... especially if the attacker is a really good cutter ... the blade never stops!

100% TRUTH...

 

[Flamebearer]

In our dojang we start with club defenses at green belt and work up to knife and gun defenses. We also work multiple attackers.

For our women's self-defense workshops, we don't work with weapons - there's only so much you can cover in three hours. We do discuss the use of every day objects (i.e. comb, pens, random objects) as defensive weapons.

-Flamebearer

 

[tradrockrat]

I teach improvised and found weapons in a defensive manner for my self defense classes. Use them to escape the situation type stuff - but we do spend a good bit of time on it because there are so many things that can be used - it's good to open their eyes to the possibilities of more than just empty hand techniques.

 

[Dark]

But what about the commonly improvised weapons used offensively. Such as keeping razor blades in the bills of ball caps, or the ever popular logging chain attatched the wallets or used as belts? The more common weapos of violent sub-cultures.

 

[tradrockrat]

But what about the commonly improvised weapons used offensively. Such as keeping razor blades in the bills of ball caps, or the ever popular logging chain attatched the wallets or used as belts? The more common weapos of violent sub-cultures.

Nope. Never teach any of that. There are increasingly strict laws regarding those as offensive weapons. Self defense is not about carrying an arsonal - at least not the way I teach it.

I teach them to be aware of the possibility of the other person having them - but not to carry them .

 

[Grenadier]

But what about the commonly improvised weapons used offensively. Such as keeping razor blades in the bills of ball caps, or the ever popular logging chain attatched the wallets or used as belts? The more common weapos of violent sub-cultures.

You're simply best off taking what the law allows, and using the best of what choices there are. Most places in the USA allow you to carry a folding knife. Even though maximum allowable blade lengths vary from one place to another, I haven't found a place that forbids me from carrying a Spyderco Delica (2 7/8" blade) with me. Most places don't have a problem with my carrying a Spyderco Police model (over 4" long blade) in a partially unconcealed manner (the clip hangs over the front pants pocket in plain sight).

If I have to use the Spyderco to defend myself, I'll feel better about this than using an improvised weapon, when it comes to dealing with the present, and the consequences afterwards.

 

[Dark]

I teach them to be aware of the possibility of the other person having them - but not to carry them .

I don't mean teaching them to stash weapons on their body, well they could but the legal end would fry them, but the general forms in which those weapons are hidden. I go into pretty deep detail about those kinds of "add-ons" in the street. I also try to cover the legalities of the proper use of force. Which many times goes against common sense.