Types of Threats Faced

[karsh44]

For now im safe from Guns becuase in Australia guns are illegal, so a attack with a gun is rare.

For the most part, guns are illegal in the UK too. Since they banned them though, gun violence has increased markedly. Makes you wonder about the effectiveness of gun control...

[cathal]

In Canada over the past few years gun control has become much more strict. It didn't help, much like the UK. The national headquarters for gun control is in the province of New Brunswick, and even they decided to repeal the gun legislation, because it wasn't working. Kind of ironic.

[jedimc]

Well I remember they took everyones guns away over here.

[cathal]

Did that help?

[jedimc]

well yes actually, I dont see much on the news about gun atacks much but I dont look at the statistics.

People can still be apart of rifle and shooting clubs but you just cant own a gun unless your got some sort of permit.

[cathal]

Hmm, that is similar to Canada as well. But I suspect our gun laws aren't as strict as yours.

[MASIsshinryu]

With my respectful apologies to our international brothers and sisters, as I do not have similar information for areas outside of the US:

On average, in the United States, persons committing an Aggravated Assault will use Firearms 19.1% of the time, Knives or other cutting instruments 18.2%, "Other objects" (such as bricks, boards and other improvised weapons) 35.9% of the time and Personal Weapons (hands, feet or other body parts) only 26.9% of the time.

This is from the FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) for 2003. The most startling part of this is the fact that as little as 20.9% of these assaults are attempted WITHOUT a weapon, in the most weapon-prone region(the "South" in this document).

So, the question becomes: How much time do you spend on weapon defenses?

[aefibird]

The thing it as well, it's ok practicing weapon defence but a lot of attacks will be with improvised weapons.

While there will always be pre-meditated attacks with weapons (such as a mugging or break-in) there will also be the situations where one guy in a bar thinks that someone else is looking 'funny' at him and tries to take a chunk out of his head with an ashtray or chair.

Practicing with 'regular' weapons is good (we do a regular 'knife-defense' session at my karate school) but you also need to think about attacks and defenses with less common weapons and everyday objects.

It always reminds me of the Monty Python sketch "How to defend yourself against a man armed with a banana" - not quite that sort of everyday weapon, but the principle is the same.

My karate club holds a freestyle self-defence and 'fight club' night on Thursdays and we regularly borrow equipment from the bar downstairs (we're in a room above a pub) to use in our training - pool cues, pool balls, ashtrays (clean!) and the like. They thought it was odd at first, but they're used to us nutters upstairs now...

[MASIsshinryu]

My karate club holds a freestyle self-defence and 'fight club' night on Thursdays and we regularly borrow equipment from the bar downstairs (we're in a room above a pub) to use in our training - pool cues, pool balls, ashtrays (clean!) and the like. They thought it was odd at first, but they're used to us nutters upstairs now...

There are so many things, in just about any given environment, which can be utilized. I think that is one of the most important things that newer students can get from this type of training. Luckily, most improvised weapons fall within either impact or thrown types, providing at least a basic set of concepts to work off of. Of course, there's always someone who comes up with the unexpected...

[Sabumnim]

I live in south Manchester supposedly where the highest rate of gun related crime takes place in the whole city. On my estate though your more likely to be knifed or attacked with an improvised weapon.