DC thugs have a brand new bag...I mean, hatchet...

[taijiquan_student]

Well, it seems street thugs in DC have stopped carrying so many guns, and started carrying more hatchets. Yes, hatchets are the new thing, odd as it may sound. The sister of a senior student at my school works in an ER, and lately they have been getting more and more victims of hatchet wounds. In DC, if you've been caught with a gun, it's a BAD idea to get caught with one again. So, many gang members are now carrying hatchets, which are not in any way illegal. Wierd, huh?

So, in our sanshou class, we rolled up newspapers the length of hatchets and went at it. What we found is that you're basically fu.cked. A hatchet is a bit.ch to defend against. Not that it can't be done, but it's so risky you really don't want to try. (It was kinda funny, actually. Afterward we all hard big black marks on our arms from the print on the paper, not to mention big red marks on our bodies. Anyway...)

Just thought I'd share this odd and scary piece of info.

[Shadow Dragon]

I am not surpised at this development at all.

Been saying for a long time that traditional weapons will come back into vogue again as Firearms and other licences are being clamped down.
Plus, they are silent weapons.

So our TMA Weapons training might become more and more applicable in the next few years.

Look at the spade of killings and attacks worlwide in the last few years using Japanese Swords.

Any Idiot can log on to the internet and buy a sharpened Sword or other Weapon.

One of the reasons why I am against the commercialisation of MA and open sharing of MA knowledge via Books/Videos/etc.

Cheers.

[guohuen]

Not surprising at all. Last I heard the clear majority of murders in DC were not commited with firearms. Oh yeah, before crack (BC) DC was a very safe town.

[No_Know]

Come-up with a defense to hatchet form or technique.

[Chang Style Novice]

I'm carrying around a large hunk of balsawood, just to be on the safe side.

[Qi dup]

Wow hatchets, that is pretty crazy. You can even get them at wal mart! Does anyone remember that hatchet fight from "The Last of the Mohicans?" If I remember correctly it was pretty cool. I guess I'll have to go rent it.

[@PLUGO]

Body Piercing and Grafitti will be replaced by Scalp-Hunting.

[Stacey]

and I've thought about disarms...hatchest need distance....if you are soft and get to the inside, your basically safe.....now a hatchet and a knife...then your fuct.


They are easy to throw as well.

[GreyFox81]

it would be wild to see people walking around with broadswords
or weilding katanas using hiten mitsrugi ryu

[Badger]

What's so new about this?
Gangbangers have been axing people stuff for awhile now.




Badger

[No_Know]

That is polite of them to axe first.

[African Tiger]

I dunno. I would think with a hatchet, you'd only get one good swing - unlike a sword or a big knife, which can be turned upside down for a jab or uppercut.

The LAST thing I'd use for self defense would be a hatchet or an axe. Then again, my afro is my weapon baby!

[taijiquan_student]

I'll admit rolled up newspaper handles differently from a hatchet, but you'd be suprised how many times you think you are safe only to have them swing it down with their wrist to cut your arm off (or at least give you a deep cut).
However, the big swing is what seems to be most devastating and what would be the most common. It's pretty unlikely that someone will be looking to go for your legs or cut the tendons in your arm so you can't use your arm--in all probability they're aiming to split your head in two. I shouldn't assume too much, though.

[Ryu]

Originally posted by No_Know
That is polite of them to axe first.

wakka wakka!!

Those *******s..... looks like a visit from the "Chivalric Bully" is in order.


*knock knock*

*gang member opens door*

Ryu: Hey, sissy, why don't you fight with your hands, huh?

*pushes gang member down in the mud*

Ryu: AWWWW you gonna cry about it?? Cryyyy little baby! Wahhhhh!

[cho]

weren't Chinese triads known for using watermelon knives?