I practice bagua and lately some of my fellow students have been studying the bagua deer horn knives. These weapons are illegal in some states in Australia but not in others - the problem being that since the handle has a covered guard (which is a blade), it is classed as a 'push knife' (same league as brass knuckles, I think). I was Christmas shopping with my partner yesterday and we were in a homewares store. I came across something called a 'herb cutter', which was a wooded handle with a covered guard, the guard being two (closed) curved blades over the knuckles. My partner thought it was funny that I was so angry about the knife - I told her that herb cutter was obviously illegal, technically, and since it fit close to the hand, it would be much easier to conceal than a couple of 1 1/2 foot long spiked deerhorn knives. Any more stories of this kind of double standard?
Hmm, not exactly double standards.... But I just got a letter from Customs saying they have seized two FOAM nunchaku that I had ordered from the UK. Nunchaku are illegal here. Even the foam versions it seems... Which I dont like :angry:
Ya'll should move to America. Here's a list of the legal MA weapons in most states: Nunchaku Bo Jo Cane Knives Brass Knuckles Sword hidden as a Walking Stick Chain Butterfly Knives (under 6 inches i think) America is great!
A bo is illegal? (If it is, I'm breaking the law every time I go to my class). That doesn't make much sense -- you could carry around a broom with a detachable handle; the broom would be legal, but remove the handle -- instant bo.
Bo isn't illegal in the States. Neither is a Jo or Cane???? I guess old people are law breakers. Chains, sorry no. Weight chains are illegal to carry in some states. Carrying Knifes over 6" blade requires a weapon permit, to carry on you. No law about owning. Throwing Stars, Butterfly Knives, Switch Blades, Sword Canes, and nunchaku are illegal to own in NY, MA, and CA. Elsewhere its just illegal to carry.
I know nunchaku are illegal in New York because they with a popular gang weapon. So they outlawed them. With the foam ones, you can just remove the foam and you have real nunchaku to then were illegal too.
He was saying that list were LEGAL weapons in the USA. The nunckuku problem.... PVC pipes and electrical cord... watch where you use them,
Ooohhh, no! Not a guilty conscience! My Sensei made me do it! (carry my bo to class, I mean). I can't even hide the sticks in one of those carrying bags, because I need a bag that will be long enough for my Tai Chi staff too, and that is really long, which means I'll have to make the bag myself.
In the United States, the laws about blade length vary greatly from state to state. In some states the legal limit is a mere 3 inches, so be careful. Also, switchblades are illegal pretty much everywhere. Butterfly knives (i.e. Balisong) are generally okay as long as they fall within legal blade length limits. Note, this may not be the case in some states.
One of the prohibited weapons listed in the UK states: a pair of weights attached by a cord or chain, where the cord/chain is longer than the weights. This technically doesn't include nunchuku (neither does it suggest you carry them!), but would include a skipping rope with wooden handles. The trouble over here is that a lot of police don't know all the laws themselves (after all, they aren't lawyers) so are likely to (over)react to someone carrying a weapon without a good enough reason.
I stayed with a friend in Melbourne. His flat mate had them all plastered over his wall - foam, chain and rope.
blade lenghts for weapons knives and swords varies not only from state to state but also city to city and county to county. Where I live i can open carry any size blade as long as it isnt already illegal Ie for california switch blades and other "auto matic knives" over 2 inches. Cane swords are illegal unless you get a CCW Brass knuckels are flat out illegal to carry as are nunckaku. You acn own almost any thign you want Here but you cant alaway carry it. If you have questions Iwould suggest asking your police they should know. My do. but yeah some illeagl weaposna e stupid. LIek throwing stars, nunchaku and chains weapons. they are illeagal becasue they are gang weapons IIRC.
here in the uk there are no stickswords, manrikigusari (whatever that is), throwing stars (with 3 or more points), ballisong, anything you have with you in a public place even if it is just your clothes, no guns of any kind, nuckle dusters, hand claws, foot spikes, kubotan, kama, and a couple of other things i cant remember that is pretty daft
Where do you live, XPlasma? What statutes are you refering to? I want to read them. Weapon permit for a blade over 6 inches? I don't believe you, amigo. I think someone fed you an urban myth. Arizona has a funny law on nunchakus: Martial arts students may have them, and a store may sell them to martial arts students, but for the general public, possession or sale is a felony. Heh heh! I shouldn't laugh. It's not a good law. The statute is Criminal Code 13-3102.
manrikigusari : This is the weapon that was referred to in an earlier post. This is an older japanese weapon. It is two weights attached by a long chain. As far as the blade over 6 inches, yes this is correct. There are laws (state by state in the USA) that say in public, you may only carry a blade of certain length. Such as you may carry a blade of 4 inches in some states, 6 in otheres, no limit in others. It depends. Also, there are general laws for cities and such that can also prohibit weapons. Aboutg the Arizona law: hahahaha/.. athat is great, but how does the law define a martial artisit?
Thank you. Exactly. I just bought a 9 inch hunting knife. Are you serious? I didn't know that, and I live here!
You know what I hate about Australia’s weapon laws.... a knife with a blade about 6 inches is illegal.... and a sword is not. Well, they just passed another weapons law, so they are now...but what was up with that? And here, almost everything is illegal. And you need such high levels of proof to get a permit for anything. Like, an "anti-personal" device, like some mace. You need to state why you need the weapon (for self defence, clearly). And a club to show that you need it.....who's ever heard of a mace class? And normal self-defence classes won't cut it, it needs to be a "mace defence class". But, the laws are so exact, they you can find little loop holes in them, like, nine and seven piece chains...take off one section, it becomes 8 piece...and that's legal.... It's an incredibly messed up system. Bos aren't illegal, and a trained person can cause more damage with a bo than a knife. There have been a lot of law changes about weapons lately, so it may have changed a bit, but this si what I know, and my opinion is that they’re far to strict/ignorant with these laws.
