What weapon do you think is most practical to a street fight

[Kensai]

For me, the best weapons would be my hands.

 

Take Care.

[Thai_Kick]

If you read my post again I said a Street fight not a resturant fight or a dance fight or mall fight etc...

 

What's the difference, on the streets, in a mall or restaurant, if someone wants to start something with you then their gonna punch, kick or cut you regardless of where you are.

[kicker]

That's true you can get into a fight anywhere. But in different places there is different kinds of weapons you can use to defend yourself (I am sure you know that) so you might not even get a weapon if your in a fight and then you can use what you have learned in your MA.

 

But since you carry around a knive then I think that would be the weapon you would use to defend yourself if you got in a fight, but I don't carry around a knive so for me I wouldn't say it is the best weapon.

[fungku]

Comfortable shoes and a handgun. Best for running, best for for fighting. Absolutely no question.

 

I think all you people who say "firearms are your best bet" are americans. (sorry to stereotype)

 

I'd like to point out that if you'd like to stay out of prison, morgue or hospital, I'd stick with the stick... (no pun intended)

 

Also he said 'street fight'

 

which would usually mean that it's a *fight*, and the guy will usually either be barehanded and c ocky, or have a knife and be even more c ocky.

 

Assuming that I can't get out or avoid the confrontation:

 

If someone had a knife, I'd rather have something long like a staff. Or a chain.

 

If none of those were available I'd hope that I'd have enough time to take off my jacket or shirt to use.

 

If neither, I'd try and diffuse the situation, calm the guy down, or say things like i fhe attacked someone with a weapon he could do some serious jailtime (to make him think about consequences).

 

If he does come at me with the knife, then I'd try and block it, even if I get my arm stabbed and/or cut, I'd rather get a knife in my forearm than my face or body.

 

But once he did commit for a stab or cut, it'd be over for him, that's for sure.

[Ironberg]

Yo people! I recently heard some rumors that there will be alot of swordry featured in the Matrix 2. Wouldn't that be awesome!!!

 

Seriously though, the katana can chop down a bow, is longer ranged than a sai or chucks or kamas. I am still not in a weapons class but someday hope to be introduced to swordry just for the fun of it.

 

However, nothing beats a handy handgun, except maybe another handgun that was used first (oh the un-samari-ishness of modern weaponry).

[Don Gwinn]

I think all you people who say "firearms are your best bet" are americans. (sorry to stereotype)

I know a lot of non-Americans who would argue about that, but I'm an American so it doesn't bother me much. I like being an American.

I'd like to point out that if you'd like to stay out of prison, morgue or hospital, I'd stick with the stick... (no pun intended)

Could you please elaborate on that statement? Are you suggesting that using a firearm in justified self-defense will somehow send me to one of those three places? How is it that a stick can keep me out of them while a gun can't?

Also he said 'street fight' which would usually mean that it's a *fight*, and the guy will usually either be barehanded and c ocky, or have a knife and be even more c ocky.

It would not be wise to start making assumptions. I'm well aware that we're talking about a fight here, which is why I suggested the safest and most effective weapon available to a human being today. Who cares if he's cocky? I've never heard that firearms don't work against cocky opponents.

 

I've also never known anyone who knew anything about firearms who thought they wouldn't work against "barehanded" or knife-wielding attackers, so what exactly was the argument here?

 

Assuming that I can't get out or avoid the confrontation:

If someone had a knife, I'd rather have something long like a staff. Or a chain.

Rather than a firearm? Then you don't understand how those weapons work.

If neither, I'd try and diffuse the situation, calm the guy down, or say things like i fhe attacked someone with a weapon he could do some serious jailtime (to make him think about consequences).

That would be my first choice as well. I wouldn't care to count on it for my safety, though.

If he does come at me with the knife, then I'd try and block it, even if I get my arm stabbed and/or cut, I'd rather get a knife in my forearm than my face or body.

 

But once he did commit for a stab or cut, it'd be over for him, that's for sure.

I'd rather backpedal and shoot him, but that's just me. I don't enjoy gaping wounds and my firearm gives me a better chance of avoiding them than just giving a knifer my arm.

 

To paraphrase an old friend of mine:

 

"If Plan A is to offer him your arm so he can slice it up, you need a Plan B."

[Iron Arahat]

....

[KickChick]

"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." - Jeff Cooper

 

If you're talking "practicality" here ... then obviously the weapon has to be available to you at the moment of attack. A practical weapon is one that is available to you without being obvious to your attacker.The only weapon that I carry is a kubotan attached to my enormous set of keys ... quite the weapon and legal (at least in my area)

 

You can target the sternum, ribs, and chest including the face, armpits, collarbones, neck, groin, and basically anywhere else where nerve endings are fairly unprotected by muscle.

 

You can use to hold or escort someone into a lock/hold position. Whether it be to give them a jab in order to open them up for a hold to be applied, or to increase the incentive for the target to comply in a compliance hold situation. Pretty practical.

[Don Gwinn]

Cooper is absolutely right and, as usual, he expressed an important concept more clearly, simply, and elegantly than most could have done with an entire essay on the subject. Worth thinking about, since it applies equally to all the weapons mentioned in this thread.

 

That said, Kickchick, I wonder why you choose not to carry a firearm? Permits are apparently not hard to come by in Connecticut. Feel free not to answer this if you don't want to (as if you would answer me if I ordered you ) A kubotan is a fine weapon for someone who is confident in her empty-hand abilities, but a firearm would give you many options the kubotan can't.

 

Personally, I find a handgun meets your definition of practicality better for me. I have it with me, and I conceal it so that it is not obvious to my attacker.

 

Folks, I'm not saying that everyone has to carry a gun. All I'm saying is that I'm getting tired of being lectured about how fists and ki are superior to firearms or that the use of firearms is not "legitimate" for whatever reason. It's ridiculous.

[Ironberg]

Don Gwinn is absolutely right. I just theorize that most of us at times are foolish enough to wish for the "good-ol-days" when it took more than a trigger pull to main or kill someone. If martial arts is more than a hobby for you all, you must be a realist to get far in this world. Some of us train for many hours a day, and I think some of those people cringe at the thought that they could become a dead pile of muscle by one loud sound, even after the hours they spend learning how to "defend" themselves. It is a sad reality for people fascinated by the martial arts, but a reality non-the-less. I'm not saying that martial arts is obsolete- God forbid - but that we must understand the times we live in.

 

We must also remember that in ancient times, take the Shoalin Temple for instance, there were no guns. The form of combat then was martial arts, and their training was all they had. They were no superwarriors because everybody else was training 24/7. Sorry about the rant.