martial artists and firearms

[ishi]

Wow, never knew there were so many Aikidoka here. Salutations! (bows)

:D

[Unearthed]

I took some Hapkido for a little while...it was painful to say the least. :)

[toreskha]

I have a 1st dan in Tang Soo Do (similar in ways to TKD) and have since studied some other martial arts. I don't consider firearms to be much different in principle from any other type of weapon. There's classes of bladed weapons, thrown weapons, stick weapons, and so on. Within those, there are more and more specialized groups - tanto, kubotan, short swords, long swords, multi-bladed daggers, etc. The same is true with guns - there's different sizes, calibers, classes and capabilities. The use of firearms is a modern martial art, and is probably the most equalizing of them all.

Just wait...in the 25th century, today's guns will be used in kungfu weapons classes, and the Brady Campaign Against Plasma Gun Violence will still be up to their old tricks.

[boris]

right on!!! myself and hk4u studied under michael and robert bussey. i had studied jujitsu before that. there are no superior martial arts, just superior martial artists, and the same could be said about firearms. no better guns, bt better shooters.

[kwo51]

I want you all to be my friends.My fight or flight instinct got up and left.

[HK4U]

Originally Posted by boris

right on!!! myself and hk4u studied under michael and robert bussey. i had studied jujitsu before that. there are no superior martial arts, just superior martial artists, and the same could be said about firearms. no better guns, bt better shooters.

Those were the days Boris. These days I would be happy just to be able to walk for more than 20 min. without my knees hurting.

[toreskha]

Originally Posted by boris

right on!!! myself and hk4u studied under michael and robert bussey. i had studied jujitsu before that. there are no superior martial arts, just superior martial artists, and the same could be said about firearms. no better guns, bt better shooters.

I should add, however, that the most useful martial art is prevention. That means not getting into bad situations to begin with, sensing danger when it occurs, and knowing how to expeditiously remove oneself (and others, if needed) from the situation. Going unnoticed is the best way, but a dramatic exit is sometimes needed. I know people talk about prevention all the time, but it's true, and often a subtly complex art.

Prevention has served me well, and so fortunately I have never had to actually put anything to the test in real life. I'm going to keep it that way for as long as possible. :)

[boris]

yeah, hk, those were good days!! i still count tat busted lip a highlight and it brngs a sil to my face!
tokresha, you bet. the first rule of self defene is to not allow yourself to get into situations where you might to shoot or fight. but always be ready....

[NickDanger29]

I was a Uechi-Ryu karate student a loooooong time ago, but about a year ago I decided to take a "reality-based" martial art and have been taking Krav Maga for a little over a year. I am a Police Officer and not a very big guy (5'6" 140lbs) and I was wanting to learn something that would help give me an edge. I have learned quite a bit about defending against typical self defense encounters. Krav Maga teaches gun and knife disarming, defense against chokes, headlocks and bear-hugs and includes a little ground fighting (enough to hurt somebody, get off the ground and back into the fight!). For those of you who don't know about Krav Maga, it was developed in Israel and incorporates familiar concepts from Muay Tai, Ju-Jitsu, Judo and other "traditional" arts. Krav is more a self defense system rather than a martial art. You learn practical application techniques from day one. The class I go to is frequently a VERY workout in that we do a number of drills to build cardio and fighting muscles. The Israeli military teaches this combatives system to its troops.

On my opinion (developed from reading and speaking to martial artists), a combatives/self defense system is better suited for protecting yourself than a traditional martial art. My Krav Maga instructor is a black bet in Tae Kwn Do, was a wrestler in high school and college, has a lot of other training in other arts. He thinks his martial arts training is helpful but for somebody that wants to learn to defend themselves, Krav Maga is the best way to jump right into it!

[Ektarr]

I respect and admire all of you Martial Artists and your accomplishments.

For myself, I have practiced the Runa Way technique for quite some time with varying degrees of success. I am also adept at Shu Chu when the conditions are right. When caught behind the wheel of my car, where self defense technique options are necessarily limited due to the confined space, I can employ Runyu Ova or the technique of Stabyu, either of which can be devastating.

It's nice to have a variety of options at hand... :D ...Grasshoppers.