Category: Martial Arts

James: I’d like to comment on some of the restrictions on long blades and impact weapons: Thinking about the gap between empty hands and a firearm is a false exercise for most people, most of the time.  Most people spend at least some time traveling, and most live in restrictive legal environments that don’t allow the carrying (or sometimes even ownership) of “weapons.”  Don’t forget readers that the vast majority of people live in countries with very different gun and weapons carry laws than the U.S.!  Even if you live in country like the United States their are large areas …

James: If you are going to carry a weapon, in many jurisdictions within CONUS, it doesn’t matter if it is a pistol, knife, or brass knuckles, all are illegal to carry concealed without a permit. (These laws vary widely, depending on blade length regulations, and so forth.) In fact, in some jurisdictions such as California, concealed carry of a “martial arts weapons” (Liberal oxymoron–aren’t weapons martial by definition?) is a felony, but having a Glock tucked into your waistband is a “Class A” misdemeanor [for the first offense.] Therefore, if you are going to carry, then why not carry something truly …

In survival situations, men use tools to get an edge over their opponents. If a man has a pistol, you want a rifle; if a man has a knife, you want a pistol and so on and so forth. Firearms are not very useful without training and the same can be said about bladed weapons such as knives and swords. Eventually guns do run out of bullets or malfunction and you might find yourself in survival situations with only a knife or a machete. Things that can go wrong in survival scenarios seem to go wrong. You may be separated …

Mr. Rawles, I’d like to throw in a different angle on SHTF-oriented fitness and martial arts.  A little over two years ago I felt the need to get back in shape, I remembered what I could do as a Marine in my early 20s (I’m in my mid 30s) and wanted to at least get within shouting distance of that.  Going to the gym solo just never worked for me.  So I started doing some research and came across Japanese Kendo — the modernized Samurai sword fighting sport.  The pros are many.  You don’t have to start in great shape …

Mr. Rawles,  Reading your blog on Thursday, I was interested in the Self-Defense Advice posts. I absolutely agree that unless you have mastered the basics and developed the muscle memory that comes with it, learning Self-Defense from a book or from a video or from an online program is difficult to near impossible. That said, if you have the muscle memory and skills that come from training for a number of years, and you have someone of equal or greater skill level to work with you, it might be possible to obtain information from a book or video, but it …

Sir: I noted that some letters responding to the subject of unarmed combat (self-defense advice) referred to Tae Kwon Do as a form of self defense. I have been involved in the martial arts for over 40 years and my opinion is that most modern martial arts are sport forms and not suited to real world self defense. Even mixed martial arts (MMA) forms while formidable, concentrate on fighting in the ring (or octagon) and not on the street. My current pick for self defense instruction would be Krav Maga – Israeli hand to hand combat. It has the following …

Dear Jim, Tae Kwon Do is a perfectly adequate martial art, and very accessible. However, it is so popular it has morphed into several markets. Make sure the school you are attending teaches fighting and self-defense. If they say they are “non-competitive,” then they are a glorified exercise program, not a martial art. Also, while all sparring is good, there’s sparring intended for learning to compete, and sparring intended for learning to disable attackers. Stress to the instructor you want to learn self defense and have no interest in competing in tournaments. If they are unwilling to accept that, they’re …