Martial arts weapons can be fun and exciting to play with some times but they are also extremely dangerous. These implements of war were not made to be toys, they are designed to kill people and they will do just that in the wrong hands. Teach your children to properly handle a martial arts weapon whether it is a genuine article of just a toy, both can hurt if no care is taken.

The best way to insure that your children will be safe as they play around with a martial arts weapon is to put them in a martial arts class. In a martial arts class, whether it is Kung Fu, Goju, Tai bo, or Kendo, they are going to be amongst martial arts professionals who know what they are doing and your children will be taught the proper methods of handling their martial arts weapons.

There are a variety of different weapons out there for you and your children to get their hands on if you are so inclined. It is important to start learning how to use weapons with safety in mind. Start by picking up one of the more blunt weapons. A sharp sword or bow and arrow might not be the best way to begin practicing the use of weaponry. You wouldn’t pick up a machine gun or bazooka if it was your first time learning to fire a gun, so why would you pick up a katana right from the start?

Choose a blunt weapon like the bo staff or eskrima stick. These won’t hurt you as you swing them about the class room and even if you choose to spar amongst your peers these won’t accidentally chop off fingers, ears, or toes. You can also find bo staffs and eskrimas that are padded for added protection. Practicing with a padded weapon is the best way to start learning how to use a weapon. No harm, no foul, just learning.

The skill required to use martial arts weapons is an important one to develop. It will teach you how to have patience and how to defend yourself. You will also be able to speak accurately about yourself when quoting the movie Napoleon Dynamite when you tell people about your skills with a bo staff and nunchaku.

Remember, be safe and try to master what you are doing. If you take the time to learn as best you can you will be happier in the end and defeating opponents left and right before you know it.

by Matthew Proctor

Edited by Admin.

Original article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matthew_Proctor

When looking for a sword there is only one question you should ask: What is the intended purpose of the sword? This question should guide you through the purchasing process and determine the type, quality and price of the sword.

Let’s go over a few common answers. Most sword purchases are for decoration, a costume, a sword collection, a production or reenactment or sporting event. The purpose should determine which sword you should buy. This article should help you help decide the sword you want and the price you pay.

The first consideration is what type of sword you want. The most common types of swords are historical replicas, fantasy and movie swords and fencing swords. You probably have something in mind, so this should be a fairly easy step.

Next is what are you going to do with the sword. Here is where you can really save some money. Many people pay more than they have to or get less than they need by not thinking carefully about this.

Decorative Swords:

Buying a decorative sword is simple and can be inexpensive. Just find one you like. There are a couple things you will need to consider. First is the materials used. Does the sword have a stainless steel blade? Carbon steel blades rust and require much more cleaning and maintenance than stainless steel. We recommend you can find one you like with a stainless steel blade. Less maintenance and looks good. Second, what does the sword come with? Many decorative item com with a plaque for wall mounting or a stand. Why not save money and get as much as you can.

Costume Swords:

A costume sword is a little more complicated. One main consideration is does it have a scabbard. You’ll need a scabbard if you are going to wear it. Also don’t forget you will also need some way of attaching it to wear. Many scabbards don’t come with a belt, belt frog or hanger. Don’t forget to buy something to attach it to your costume if your sword doesn’t come with one.

To find the appropriate sword, you may have to go with a carbon steel blade for your costume. Many replica swords come only with carbon steel blades. This is not a bad thing. The qualities of the materials are much better and more authentic. They may be a little more trouble but closer to what you will be happy with. However, if you can find a stainless sword that fits, go for it and save.

Sword Collections:

Sword collectors generally know a great deal about the swords they buy. The main advice here is shop around, don’t pay too much. Google shopping is a great place to find price comparisons by manufacturers’ numbers. This is a great way to save.

Plays and Reenactments:

Here is where it gets more complicated. You have to deal with price, quality and safety. You should always put safety first. A sword of inferior quality can not only spoil your performance but be dangerous if broken. If you have control over your actors and can restrict them to light or moderate use then you can get away with a functional sword under $ 300. If not we recommend going with a more expensive battle ready sword that can take heavy use.

We also recommend practical swords. Practical swords have unsharpened blade and also feature a rounded point. You might want to also consider fencing swords that come with safety features, like blunted or safety tips. Even an unsharpened blade with a sharp point can cause injury.

There is a lot of good information on the web from production weapons masters on what you might also want to consider.

Sporting Events:

Fencing and other martial arts sports that require swords have become more popular over the last few years. They provide great exercise and enjoyment. They can also be very expensive.

The key here is not to wind up with an expensive wall hanger. Until you are sure the sport is for you, there are a lot of stores on the web that carry good and inexpensive equipment. Don’t invest a fortune in expensive equipment and find out it’s not for you. You can always upgrade later and use you less expensive equipment for practice.

When searching on-line for the many types of swords, include in your search the key words Sabers and Rapiers.

Summary:

We hope this buying guide will assist you with your purchase. Whether you’re involved in martial arts, a member of  the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., a fan of the movies Braveheart and Excalibur, or you just enjoy English and Japanese History, sword collecting can be exciting and fun. The key is to find the balance between buying enough sword to meet your needs without paying more than necessary. As your involvement in Martial Arts or SCA grows, we hope your sword collection will, too. It is highly advisable to perform your due diligence when buying a new sword–especially when purchasing on-line.

by Larry W Smith

Edited by Admin.

Larry is the owner of Brothersmith-Swords.com and retired from the US Army in 1995. He has operated weapons stores and sites since 1997 and has always been interested in history and weapons.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_W_Smith

Throughout the course of your day you have to watch out for theft, safety violations, and possible child abductions and that is on a good day. Never mind that you have to keep an eye out for possible gang activity, terrorists, and crazed gunmen with a death wish. Welcome to the world of private security where the hours are long and the work always has the potential to be dangerous because you’re always first on scene. During your career you may never be in a life or death struggle, but don’t ever think it can’t happen to you. Whether you have gun on your hip or just a radio you need to be ready for close combat.

For legal and insurance reasons most licensed security guards are restricted in the weapons they can carry and you’re limited in the level of force you can employ. In New Jersey, for example, guards can carry batons, but only if they have a permit to carry a firearm. Laws vary state by state, so before you start your first day find out exactly what the rules are for your job, and what your company’s policies are when it comes to the use of force. Legally, you might well be within your rights to stop and hold a shop lifter, but if the client doesn’t want a scene you could end up in a lot of trouble. So, keep your eyes open and never hesitate to call for help if you think you need it, and remember someone else’s property is never worth your life.

For the most part if you catch someone stealing or if you stop someone at the door and they don’t have the correct identification the incident probably won’t turn violent, but you have to be ready for the rare time when it does. You might be trained as a martial artist, but evaluate what techniques would work best for you on the job. Will your Taekwondo help you against someone with a box cutter, and do you really want to take the fight to the ground if you don’t have to? You need to train for realistic scenarios beforehand, and you need to have skills that will work in a variety of situations. Most people will give up when caught or simply run away, but you have to be ready for those who want a fight.

Security guards have prevented school shootings and terrorist attacks by being vigilant, so never think your job isn’t important. It isn’t easy staying awake if you’re doing a double shift, but if you’re not careful you could end up being the first casualties. Serial killer Ted Bundy drove passed a guard shack on a college campus with mangled body of a co-ed in his back seat and none of the five guards noticed because they were too busy talking. Be aware of your surroundings and follow the rules and you’ll be fine. You might want to be come a police officer or just want to pickup some extra hours, but make no mistake you’re on the frontline so you better be prepared when you’re on post.

by William Pehush

Edited by Admin.

Original article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Pehush

You may consider yourself “streetwise” and able to hold your own in a fight. You may even work-out at the gym on a regular basis. Yet, anyone can become a victim of street crime or burglary at home. So, how do you avoid being a victim?

In today’s troubled times with economic woes, rise in drug use, and upsurge in violence and crime in general, the chance of being attacked or assaulted increase. More and more people are thinking about defending themselves. Gun sales are up tremendously. Interest in personal self-defense is on the rise. If you are one of these people interested in learning self-defense, then consider this.

Some martial arts systems have lost knowledge of basic self-defense tactics and techniques. Finding a school that teaches self-defense tactics is hard since most schools train for show and sport. Most martial arts schools have gotten away from the rigorous traditional training methods and replaced it with easy physical exercise type martial arts. The techniques taught in these schools lack in power and strength. This is why so many people trained in martial arts will choke when attacked on the street. Overcome this by learning combat self-defense from an instructor teaching solid tactics and techniques, a form of street fighting martial art.

So, many people run around like zombies with no ambitions or direction. You can see it in their eyes. This is a display of weakness. Their head bent down looking at the ground impervious to the environment and people around them. Criminals prey on these types of people. It’s a known fact. They know what to look for. They look for weakness! They look for vulnerability. They look for someone with their gaurd down, someone who is not paying attention.

These people can change their outlook on life immediately preventing them from becoming victims.

7 Tactics to Avoid Becoming a Victim:

1. Know and be aware of your environment
2. Keep the head and eyes up. If some scrupulous person looks at you, don’t just abruptly look away. Smoothly with the head up scan the room slowly keeping the eyes up. This appears as a non-threatening action but shows confidence. 3. Show confidence at all times. Stand up straight with shoulders pulled back in a comfortable position. Talk with authority when talking.
4. Know when to hold your ground and when to retreat.
5. Learn to read threatening body movements
6. Don’t clinch your fists when confronted.
7. If verbal invectives come into play, raise your hands to about shoulder height with the fingers pointing up. This has a tendency to let the person know you are aware of the situation in a non-threatening way. If something does happen the hands are ready to react.

6 Lifestyle Self-Defense Tactics:

(1). Stay away from bad areas. Every town or city has them. Avoid them as much as possible drive around them if possible.

(2). Know the neighbors. A lot of time is spent in the neighborhood. Know the neighbors and their demeanor.

(3). Lock car doors: Whether the car is parked or driving keep the doors locked. Don’t roll down the window for just anybody especially at a stop sign or stop light.

(4). Lock house doors: The same is true with the home. Keep the house doors and windows locked when not around or preoccupied in another area of the house.

(5). Public places are usually safe. It’s when walking from the public place to maybe the parking garage where problems arise. Stay in well-lit places.

(6). Self defense techniques that involve striking another individual should only be used as the last resort. Just remember the entire body can become a weapon. The techniques available are hand strikes, elbow strikes, kicking techniques, and striking with the knee.

This is by no means a complete list of self-defense tactics. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Do not develop a state of paranoia thinking about all this. These tactics are tools to help in the prevention of violence and crime. Live and Learn. Live Free and Live Strong.

by Fred Nichols

Edited by Admin.

Original article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_P_Nichols

A trained martial artist will be aware of how the attacker is holding his body, and what this positioning means even if a fight is a frantic affair from the outset. This article is about my thought processes when I formulated a plan for handling attackers. What is nice is that you don’t have to go out and find a mugger to see if it works, it is workable in freestyle.

When sizing up an opponent one of the earliest things I learned was based on how he moved when you made a quick move towards him. If he blocked he was a blocker, if he moved back he was a runner, and if he moved towards you he was a fighter. This theory was put forth by Joe Lewis, and supposedly was originated by Bruce Lee.

I came up with my own plan of action, as time passed. My observations were not based the fact that if you have feinted towards an opponent to make a response you have wasted a motion, and if he is not wasting motion you’re already in a fight. I realized that in a real fight I wouldn’t have time to feint because the fight was already started

First, I began to dissect such factors as speed and mass. If he was strong and chunky, he would be more likely to close and grapple, and if he was quick and lean he would be looking for speed and striking. And, of course, there wasn’t much value in this general an analysis.

So I asked myself which hand was forward, and began to isolate whether he was right handed or left handed. This was much better, and told me where the power was coming from, and even what angle. Still, maybe a ten per cent gain in my overall knowledge, and not enough to give me an edge.

Still, knowing which hand he was attacking with made me aware of whether he was setting up for a kick. Distance played a part in this, and I gauged how far an opponent was, and how I should angle my attack. The real key, however, was just being aware of how he was standing, whether he was shifted to free one leg up or not.

Understanding the importance of the positioning of the feet and the hands, I began to separate the body in half. I would view it as two pieces, and estimate, from the angle he was facing me, what what angle I should take on the defense, and what angle he would take on the attack. This invaluable observation drove my effectiveness up by 70%.

There will always be a bit of mystery as to what is going to happen when you start fighting. Still, if you cut the body in half, top to bottom and side to side, you’re going to have a distinct plan and reduce the mystery. Try it, and feel free to send me your observations, good or bad, I’ll be very interested in your results and progress.

by Al Case

Edited by Admin.

Original article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Al_Case

For centuries martial arts instructors have been training students to deliver the most efficient and devastating punching techniques. In Okinawa the same is true. Karate instructors perfected Karate punching techniques to penetrate armor worn by the Samurai.

Only after years of training and experimentation could the Karate student achieve this proficiency. To execute an efficient and devastating punch, a student had to perform the technique about 10,000 times correctly to master it. This applies to any technique a modern day Karate student learns. Once the techniques were mastered only then could a student deliver a devastating strike without even thinking about it. In some cases they wouldn’t even remember doing it.

Very few Karate students totally understand the concept of Karate punching. They have never really been told all the aspects of the punch because these were part of the secret techniques. There were only a few extremely faithful martial artists who had access to the secrets and would only use the information for personal and family self-defense. They did not what this information to get in to the wrong hands. Some of this information, for years, never left a small group of practitioners protecting the secrets of Karate.

To actually understand the proper way to execute a Karate punch, the karate student must first understand the three basic human responses to danger and how to deal with them. These are primitive in nature and still exist in humans today. The three basic responses to danger are Freeze, Flight, or Fight mechanisms. These responses effect the body’s reaction. In other words your response to danger is to first stand perfectly still, second is to run, and lastly if cornered fight. As a martial artist, to respond to danger you must first overcome the freeze response to take action against the threat. If you freeze when someone is throwing a punch at you, you are going to get hit. The flight mechanism is a good defense and first defense that should be considered. The fight mechanism should only be utilized when you have no other choice. With some training and knowledge overcoming the basic responses is relatively easy.

A punch or strike can be quick and fast but not powerful if not executed correctly. The effect could be a stinging strike to an opponent instead of a knock out blow. Delivering a punch off balance will lose a large portion of stunning strength at contact. The physics state Force equals Mass times Acceleration. In this equation speed can make up for inefficiencies in technique. Looking into the equation a little deeper if mass and acceleration are at maximum the force delivered can be devastating to an assailant.

There are several aspects to the karate punch, they are focus, muscle control, eye location, breathing technique, mental attitude, unification of mind and body, formation of the fist, ready stance, hip action, shoulder action, arm movement, elbow placement, knowledge of maximum power range, recoil, and an understanding of the Physics of the strike. It sounds like there’s a lot to remember. Actually it’s not, with proper training and an in depth knowledge of the basic aspects. The practitioner can deliver a powerful explosive Karate punch without consideration to all the aspects of the punch. Subconsciously the mind reacts so fast no thinking is required. The subconscious mind controls the body allowing the body to react to any threatening conflict or danger.

Secrets on Karate punching: The punch must be executed with no inhibitions what so ever. Execution must be precise, on the mark, without thinking, and delivered with speed, balance, and proper technique. Abrupt body movements waste energy and redirect the striking strength of the technique. Your body should be upright with eyes up looking to the front to increase your peripheral vision and vision of the striking area.

Smoothly executed techniques deliver the most power without wasting energy. Most Karate students spend years learning this. Some never learn it and quit because they haven’t mastered these basic concepts. Understanding these concepts will help tremendously with developing Karate punching techniques. Basic knowledge of how to execute the Karate punch will lead to a greater understanding of all Karate techniques.

by Fred P Nichols

Edited by Admin.

Original article source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_P_Nichols