Realistic weapons training?

[CapitalKarate]

what would be a realistic weapon to learn how to use for modern day life? i enjoy learn about traditional weapons, but what would be the best weapon (aside from yourself) to learn how to use for modern day life?

[MenteReligieuse]

guns? pocket sticks...tonfas are legal but probably not really practical unless its for work.

[Little Dragon]

your fists and feet

[CapitalKarate]

little dragon, i did say other than yourself

[Shorin Ryuu]

I'm just going to go out on a limb here, but the first thing that flashed in my mind was the bo (and any of it's varieties, such as the jo, hanbo, nitanbo). Of these, the nitanbo is perhaps the most adaptable, as you will find more objects closer to this than the full rokushakubo (for ease of conversation...I'll just refer to it as the bo).

 

There are a lot of good grappling techniques on top of striking that work with the bo and it's variants that really make it a good weapon in terms of practicality.

 

I could go on and on, but in a rare moment of not feeling inclined to ramble...I won't.

[Sauzin]

I can't say I completely understand this question. All of the traditional weapons in Kobudo are realistic. They are real weapons and the techniques are very effective. They are not plastic play swords. They are "real".

 

Now what weapon is the best for modern day life? Well probably a gun if you are looking at terms of effectiveness and range. You could make the claim that a knife is more practical in the sense that you can carry it around. But there aren't many things that can get you jailed as quickly as a knife. And I don't see that as very "practical" unless don't have another option. Nitan bo's are great but the chances of having one in your hand during a fight are slim to none. Pocket sticks are probably the most "practical" from the sense that you might actually have one handy and use it. But what does that tell you when a stick the size of a spoon is your best bet? It tells you that you better learn to rely on more then just what weapons you have on you.

 

Kobodo teaches to use a wide variety of weapons, not just because there might be a sai nearby when you get into a fight *sarcasm*, but because the principles used with these weapons can apply to a stick, a bottle, a hand, a finger, a knife, or whatever might be available. The way it works is you take a base set of weapons that teach a base set of principles and then you rely on the practicality of the principles, not the weapons. It's the principles you will have when it counts. Relying on anything makes the effectiveness of your defense reliant on the circumstance. That's not a good idea.

 

I think the best question is which weapon teaches the most practical principles? And to that I would say the bo.

[Jinxx0r]

I would think a bo... as you can use a broom or a mop stick if you had too and they're basically everywhere. A gun may be nice, but there are very few states with conceal/carry laws...

[Shorin Ryuu]

Sauzin, I couldn't agree more. The reason why I chose the bo and its variants was because of the most practical principles behind them (and sort of said as much in my post, but not as clearly as you said it).

[nickb123]

How about those Kubutan things? They can be on keyrings. They're small and effective (you use em on pressure points). Due to their size and that they don't look so much like a weapon, they'd be quite suited for 'modern day life'

[White Warlock]

I agree with Sauzin that what matters is the principles associated with the weapons you practice with, not the weapons in and of themselves.

 

The best real weapons to use, is everything and anything around you, either as a weapon of assault, a weapon of defense, a disruption, or a distraction. If you study the principles associated with 'traditional' weapons, you will gain an innate understanding of how to use the items that surround you on a daily basis. The pen, dresser drawer, bottle, belt, computer mouse. The cue ball, cue stick, chalk, and alcohol in a glass. The person standing next to you, the chair behind your adversary, the cute chick who wants your telephone number. All can create disruptions and distractions. All provide opportunities.

 

It is unreasonable to state that there is one specific 'type' of real weapon that should be focused on, for every 'real' encounter is unique and the circumstances in which they fall in, also unique. In the end, the most effective is to be able to adapt, improvise, and in turn... overcome.