after an arduous, 10-second scan of this forum, i was surprised to see a lack of 10,000 "most effective weapon in the real world" threads... i figured that would be pretty popular. so :woo: obviously there are advantages to maintaining a cheap martial advantage on the street, for self-defense. namely if you're paranoid that multiple people will attack you. so, legally in your country or elsewhere, what weapons would you suggest, or the more likely response, why shouldn't i carry inocuous, inoffensive weapons around?
according to the laws of my country, a known martial artist can be arrested for carrying his hands in public. on a more serious note, only a walking stick and a limp are likely to get you off the hook for carrying
Weapons for the real world? You probably have a few on your person right now. Set of keys, a comb, a belt, and ink pen or a pencil. A pair of glasses. Your hands and feet. And moet importantly, your brain. Now, if you are talking specifically about weapons that are nothing else but a weapon, my question is why would you want to carry one? Avoid those places that you feel would cause you to need one (if possible). Carrying a weapon tends to get one into more trouble than out of it. Most people with a weapon feel invicible and don't hesitate to use it. Or they become dependant on it and are in really big trouble when their weapon or skill (or lack of) with it, fails them. DOn't carry a weapon, but train yourself to use every day itmes as weapons, IF THE NEED ARISES.
My favorite "real world" weapon is flexible weapons - honestly, who didn't know that I was going to go there Kurohana alluded to them in his post. I'll expand a little. Possible flexible weapons that are very common: Belt (as Kurohana mentioned) Hat Jacket Shirt Gloves Pants Sock (eww!) Underwear (ick!) [we'll assume these last two are from pile of clean clothes in the laundromat where someone has picked a fight with us] Further, my clothes can be used while I'm wearing them and I can use my attacker's clothes against him while he is wearing them. But, really, anything flexible that I can get my hands on can be used once I understand the principles involved. Like my instructor says, "If you're naked in the jungle, uproot a plant, small sapling, or grab a vine and you've got a flexible weapon." Thing I like about flexible weapons is that they are everywhere all the time. In order for me not to have access to flexible weapons, the following criteria have to be met: I have to be naked My attackers have to be naked There can't be anything flexible nearby I suppose it would be possible to encounter such a situation - but unlikely. Even in a shower, there are towels, wash rags, shower curtains, etc. Put a bar of soap in a rag and you've got a really nice sap. My next favorite "real world" weapon is anything that's handy. Things I commonly carry would be a bottle of water and a book. If I'm eating, then I've got my food, my plate, my tray, the salt/pepper shakers, condiment bottles, whatever. Coming out of a grocery story, I've got a plastic bag - with something weighty inside it. If I'm near a computer, I've got a keyboard, a mouse (good flexible weapon), etc. The list is endless. Virtually anything can be used as a weapon. What's "the best" weapon? The one I can get my hands on when I need it. Everything else is useless. Mike
short of having one on you, like a extendable baton, knife, yawara or handgun, anything you can get your hands on is the "ideal weapon for the real world" when caught in a SD situation. You grab what you can and use it. that simple.
hm, excellent point. those were the exact thoughts that led me to desire the use of a traditional weapon... i thought, maybe if i trained in the knife arts i would know the most efficient ways to stab and slice...then even if i don't have a 30 foot machete on me i could grab a pencil and stab properly... just thought maybe i could perfect my real world object-clobbering techniques with something a little more focused. thanks!
Somewhere on the net, the pages that carry it keep getting removed, there's instructions for constructing a nuclear device from ingredients you can legally buy. Just make one of those, put it in your basement, and carry around a remote triggering device--as long as you're within 70 miles of your house when you're attacked, the threat of mutual assured destruction should be enough to hold off your attackers.
I had a friend who trying to convince that the right to bear arms extended to nuclear weaponry. I thought he was nuts. But any ways. you must have missed the Any thing can be weapon thread. Another but anyways, There is CARRYING a weapon and then there is CARRYING A WEAPON. I do the latter even unarmed I have a weapon my brain and the ground, but I always some sort of nasty bladed toy on my person mostly to clean my nails or cut things like cheese. Some people carry weapons because they think the weapon will protect them some how, I mean how can carrying a concealed firearm keep you safe? I on occaison carry in additon to knives a variety of sticks and swords mostly on my way to or from a practice or walking my dogs. I carry them becuse they are either needed for what I am doing or just incase a stray dog come over and acts agressive towards one of my dogs. I dont even know what Im saying ignore me. Im just recovering froma bad acold some my mental facuties are bit fuzzy.
I carry a large pliers everywhere. It has become a trademark of sorts. I live in Kansas, so it never looks out of the ordinary, it can deliver powerful, versatile, and focused blows, and God have mercy if you get a hold of anything. I also carry a tactical folding knife, amd a six inch Maglite. They all come in handy often, and the only one the police would give me grief for using is the knife.
I used to walk to class with my Bokken, yet after getting two warnings from the police I've started driving there, they're very strict here =( Well, I guess I'd just suggest your own body. Train hard, your body will become a weapon to rival anything aside from a blade =)
I just recently got a kubotan. I think they are listed as offensive weapons in Britain, but they are fairly inconspicuous in that they attach to your keys. Apparently, most police wouldn't bother about it because it is more a restraining device than something debilitating like a knife or a cosh. A lot of doorman carry them, one I know is a prison warden as well and he swears by his for getting struggling people to suddenly co-operate, haha. Aside from that, as anybody else said, there are so many everyday items that people can use as weapons, which is a common argument for carrying something like a kubotan because you could also use a pen or a big key with fairly similar effect. More often than not, eye gouging or poking is more useful than trying to hit someone with a weapon. Think about it, who wants to fight when they can't see.
How about Mini Flashlights of the 2-3 AA battery size? or 6-8 inch 'Magic Marker' (permanent ink markers)? Both could serve as a yawawa stick. Legal carry everywhere, even in the People's Republic of the UK. Or, one of my Koppo sticks:
