No more use for traditional weapons?

[MasterKiller]

Judge,
I don't know which article you read, but the one LC linked to is in the UK, not US.

[Judge Pen]

Oops. You are right. I apologize.

[kwaichang kaned]

I agree with cow on this.
Weapons should only be made available through the sifu/school.
Because this took place in the U.K the goverment here are famous for their knee jerk reation banning the offending item.
Remember the big fuss over "Devil Dogs" the pitbull? Irresponsible owners let their dogs attack and maim people.THe end result? the All pitbull owners had to have their dogs catrated/sterelized and registered.So once the last dog dies theoretically no more pitbulls.Everyone suffered .
The same could be applied to hand guns.
Some nut runs riot through a school and kill kids with a number of handguns.
i don't intend to make light of that situation it's just too terrible for words
But the goverment leaps off the deepend and bans all handguns over a certain calibre.Even in registered gun clubs.The situation got so bad that at one point olympic competitors in certain calibre divisions may not have been able to compete because they are not allowed to own the gun.
HOw long before they latch onto MA weapons?
It won't be the "nut" who suffers because as it has already been pointed out they'll just find another way hurt people.No, it will be the MA practitioner who loses out on an integral part of their training because they cannot obtain the weapons to train with.
All we can do is make it as difficult as possible for anyone outside of the MA community to get these weapons.

[MasterKiller]

I may be mistaken here, but aren't MA weapons illegal to possses outside of a school in California and Maryland? I thought I saw a news article about the legislation in Maryland a few months ago.

[PLCrane]

Yeah, I read the article. That's pretty scary. My recommendation is that whether it be a sword, a stick, a wrench, a beer bottle or a chair, block the arm, not the weapon.


PLC

[dwid]

The problem is that these weapons are available from too many non MA sources.

Actually, it seems that all of the highest quality weapons are available from non-ma sources.

If you want a good katana, you go to Bugei, not to some cheap ma supplier.

The whole idea of regulating this stuff is completely absurd.

I guess we can start regulating kitchen knives next, so you can only buy them from culinary arts schools. And baseball bats, so you can only buy them from baseball coaches.

[Starchaser107]

kwaichang kained:
All we can do is make it as difficult as possible for anyone outside of the MA community to get these weapons.




Until a deranged martial artist commits a grotesque crime , and consequently the manhunt begins for all martial artists. Ban all martial arts. Well, that's where you're going with this logic anyway.

I think it might be a better idea to sell decorative replicas of traditional weapons, in this case swords ,to non-certified untrained would be buyers.

Martial artist doesnt necessarily equate to morally and mentally stable and sound. So in the tragic case that an unstable martial artist loses thier mental faculties , that would only make for a more skillful and proficient homicidal maniac.

Take for instance the sordid situation with the va. sniper who's reign of terror disgusted us all and placed most of the dc virginia and surrounding areas in fear. The Adult behind this was trained by the u.s. military , and the juvenile simply another contributor to the bad reputation jamaicans have . Anyways the point being training only makes an undesirable situation more lethal.

The very next step after regulating the weapons would be regulating the martial artist themselves. Somebody really needs to identify WHY these problematic and Dangerous people emerge in the first place , and deal with THAT instead of punishing the good along wit the bad. Its antequated , uncivilized and ignorant , and that way of thinking needs to GO.

[David Jamieson]

Actually, it seems that all of the highest quality weapons are available from non-ma sources.

I kinda disagree with this. You can indeed get decent quality weapons from martial arts suppliers. Granted, you can also get cheap ones.

Frankly, most people are better off starting with a cheap one and practicing with it before they go out and spend 100's or even 1000's of dollars on a custom weapon.

I have an assortment of both, with prices ranging from 49$ sword to 1500$ sword with a few 200-400$ pieces here and there.

If you don't know what it is you are getting, then why buy it?

Anyway, Martialartsmart has some excellent quality weapons for sale at fair prices. They also have a good variety of what i would call "practice" weapons. For considerably less monies.

cheers

[dwid]

Frankly, most people are better off starting with a cheap one and practicing with it before they go out and spend 100's or even 1000's of dollars on a custom weapon.

It kinda depends on your motives.

If you are interested in collecting weapons because you appreciate the beauty of the craft of weapon design and construction, then it makes sense to limit yourself to buying quality pieces.

Frankly, the only people who have any reason to buy practice pieces (by definition) are people who are interested in practicing weapons forms or whatever.

Lots of people interested in weapons still end up buying crap because they don't know any better, but I think the motive of the majority of people who buy traditional weapons is one of aesthetic interest.

Anyway, it's not like you need a $2000 bugei katana to go on the rampage on the subway or whatever. The crap you can buy on HSN would probably work just as well.

[kwaichang kaned]

Starchaser,
I fail to see how making it difficult for anyone who is not a registered martial arts practitioner from getting trad ma weapons will lead to a ban on all martial arts?
The Psyco's who go on the street with the intent of hurting someone will do so .There is no stopping them
What i don't want to see is martial artist suffer and their practise suffer from a ban of sale of Martial Arts weapons.
And if these kinda situations continue to occur in Britain the current goverment (who loves a bandwagon to jump on as it hides their own failings) will set about trying to ban them.
Why would anyone outside of martial arts want or need to own one of these weapons anyway?

[Black Jack]

I am got going to get sucked into this but I will say controlling the weapon availability does not control violent crime. The reverse end has actually been demostrated.

That said I don't believe traditional chinese weapon attacks are anything to really fear in terms of realistic percentages. A guy breaks into my house with a katana and the principles still remain the same.

Don't worry about controlling other people. Just take care of yourself and your own. To be blunt though I don't really mean it rude.

Mind your own business.

[dwid]

A guy breaks into my house with a katana and the principles still remain the same.

This made me smile.

A guy who breaks into my house with a katana is in for a world of pain. I don't care if he's a reincarnation of Musashi himself. I'll put dollars to donuts of Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson beating Mr. Musashi anyday.

[Black Jack]

Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson are GOOD people. I would let them date my sister.

I also think Mr. Colt is pretty handy himself. Good peeps.

[Starchaser107]

Well Kwaichang , you've stated that you have a "Bandwagonist" governemet as you put it right. If the logic that says a "katana" for instance was the weapon responsible for the violent crime therefore it should be banned or regulated. What then, if it is proven by those same standards that the weilder is a martial arts practicioner?..Or what if some series of random people are beaten severely or even killed by an attacker with bare fists and kicking?, wouldnt this same "Bandwagonist" government therefore say that "martial arts" was the weapon responsible for the crime , therefore practicioners should be regulated?

i'm sure you've heard that "guns dont kill people , people kill people" the solution does not come in the shape of restrictions and stupid laws that say if youre not certified you cant own a weapon. I'm sure that these offenders could not care less wether or not the law says he or she is certified by a martial arts school to weild a dangerous weapon. As Black Jack plainly pointed out controlling the weapon availability does not control violent crime.

DWID:
I guess we can start regulating kitchen knives next, so you can only buy them from culinary arts schools. And baseball bats, so you can only buy them from baseball coaches.

exactly. precisely the point. If someone wants to go on a murderous rampage they will do so with whatever tools are available. The problem lies with a disfunctional society/ planet which produces unstable elements.

A harmless enthusiastic fan or collector should not have to suffer because of the stupidity and violent apathy of some deranged individual/s.

peace.

[Black Jack]

Good post Starchaser,

Maybe we should also ban shoes because its the shoe hurting the person getting kicked and not the guy doing the kicking. If we do that all the karate guys who practice barefoot will have the advantage.