Weapons & Self Defense
by Donn Schucker
In this day and age, the necessity of
having the ability to defend oneself is constantly brought to our
attention. Violent crime exists not only in the cities, but also in the
suburbs and rural communities as well. Those who years ago sought the
relative refuge and safety that came with living outside the urban areas
now face much the same dangers as the city dwellers on a regular basis.
Volumes have been written on the
subject of awareness, self defense, personal safety, rape prevention and
other related topics. It has been said that in an ideal situation, one
would never allow themselves to be present where the threat of imminent
physical confrontation seemed likely. Hopefully the intended victim
would be able to sense or detect and avoid a potentially dangerous
situation before it reaches the physical level. After all as any warrior
can attest, greater safety lies in avoiding trouble than trying to
prevail in an actual confrontation.
Unfortunately, we don't live in an
ideal world. In our world school shootings, rape, murder and any number
of other horrific crimes occur with alarming regularity. All too often,
the unaware are caught in the crossfire (so to speak) and aren't trained
in the necessary responses to correctly and effectively deal with
the chaos unfolding around them. In one sense, I feel that Israel has
the right approach to this sort of ever increasing violence - they have
made it mandatory that each and every Israeli citizen serve at least two
years in the Israeli military. While there is no doubt that this likely
doesn't meet with the approval of many of Israel's people, it certainly
does make some rather large steps toward ensuring that each and every
citizen has tools at their disposal to help avoid becoming a victim of
crime or terrorism.
For many, their sense of security
comes from a small hand held weapon that they always carry on their
person. The exact nature of the weapon varies considerably - from
handguns to pepper spray to kubotans and more - many people are betting
their very survival on these tools of self defense. With good reason! In
trained hands, any of these can quickly and effectively diffuse a
situation and may well save lives.
The problem with weapons is the
general lack of training possessed by the very people who rely on them
for protection. Any weapon, whether it is a gun, knife, chemical agent,
club, etc. is only as good as the person using it.
About 25 years ago, an incident
occurred that drove home this point and reminded me of the importance of
proper training - especially when it comes to weapons. At that time, I
was a black belt and had roughly 20 years of training behind me. As a
friend introduced me to a co-worker of hers, she warned me that her
friend was a self proclaimed comedian and loved to heckle and joke with
just about everyone. The introductions were made and sure enough, before
long the heckling started! It was all very lighthearted and in fun, so
my friend told the heckler, "You better watch it, he's a black belt in
jujitsu!"
The heckler replied, "That's OK, I'm a
black belt in baseball bat!"
Everyone had a good laugh and we
enjoyed each others company.
That night, while reflecting on the
day's events my new friend's remark came to mind. It occurred to me how
silly it sounded to make the statement that one was "a black belt in
baseball bat," and I began to wonder if he really had any idea of what
that would mean. How long had he been studying the baseball bat? Who was
his teacher? Was he certified in it's use?
These are, of course, ridiculous
questions, but they make a good point. If someone carries a weapon for
self defense and relies on it for protection, they MUST be properly
trained in it's use!
A weapon can be taken from you, even
if you are skilled in it's use. This is potentially a tremendous
problem, and underscores the need for quality training that is effective
and directly applicable to what is likely to happen in the real world.
let's face it - there's always someone who is tougher, stronger, meaner,
or more determined to prevail than you. For this reason, it is
absolutely essential that all people who rely a weapon for protection be
well trained and familiar with all of it's inherent strengths,
weaknesses, and uses. In my experience, a considerable percentage of
individuals carry some form of chemical agent (pepper spray, mace, etc.)
but only about ten percent of them have ever sprayed it - if only to see
how it works.
How far will it spray? Is it a mist or
a stream? Is the trigger mechanism in a location that allows for a
natural hold and spray position, allowing for a good aim and contact
with the intended target?
These are questions that one must know
the answer to if the chemical agent is our weapon of choice. The same
goes for a knife, gun, kubotan, keys, etc. realistic analysis of how you
may be attacked and then frequent practice of how to use your chosen
weapon in defense of that attack is critical.
Training is vital! Practice is even
more mandatory to develop and then maintain the skill necessary to
effectively wield your weapon! We will never see a bus driver at the
controls of an aircraft, but somehow, people seem to feel that since
they can use a can of spray paint or hair spray they can survive a
violent attack by using a can of pepper spray. The same goes fro guns -
somehow, many feel that since they have been hunting deer for decades,
they will be able to use a handgun for self defense. It's just not so,
my friends! It's apples and oranges!
Training in any contemporary weapon is
not complicated, nor does it need to be a long drawn out process. The
initial training is, in fact, the easy part! The hard part is exactly
the same as the hard part of more traditional martial arts training -
having the willpower and motivation to practice, practice, practice
regularly.
If you carry a weapon - any weapon -
seek qualified instruction and then practice. Remember that a weapon -
any -weapon - is only as good as the person using it.
(This essay was originally written
by Sensei Schucker and published in the Fall 1994)
Donn Schucker, Executive Director
P.O. Box 2171
Florissant, MO 63032-2171
Phone: (314) 606-7306
Email: ds@smaa-martialarts.com
