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By Bradley J. Steiner, American Combato
In American Combato we incorporate weapons into our curriculum, just as the martial arts of Asia did . . . except we do not teach or advocate the antiquated weaponry of yore.
In this 21st century, in modern Western societies, there can be no argument about the fact that guns are the ultimate personal weapons.
Our opinion is that firearms should be unregulated, while crimes of violence—with or without firearms—should be dealt with via the harshest and most extreme penalties.
We fully appreciate that many will disagree with our opinion and that is their privilege; but there is not, never has been, and never will be, any way to keep violent offenders from possessing and using firearms.
The strictest laws imaginable (in Japan, for instance) do not keep the Japanese underworld—notably the yakuza—from arming with everything from handguns to fully automatic weapons.
In that once magnificent and beautiful City, New York, firearms are as readily available to the most despicable offenders as firearms are available to the police!
But laws keep decent private citizens from going armed 24/7; something that would quickly see a diminishing of violent crime, and a diminishing in the population of that type of predatory scum we refer to as “violent offenders.”
Look at where the gun laws are strictest, and you will see that those are precisely the areas of our Nation where horrific violent crime—gun violence, specifically—is most prevalent.
“The problem is guns coming in from other cities and states!” the political bastards simper and whine . . . but no one seem to react to their efforts to disarm the decent citizenry by pointing out that those cities and states where the “guns are coming from” are locations where gun violence and violent crime in general is lowest.
Look, we have no interest in converting true believers in the anti-gun movement that they are wrong. We couldn’t care less about these individuals. If you do not like guns, do not own or use any. But stay the hell out of the private lives of those who do wish to avail themselves of the option of being armed with guns.
Naturally, the responsible adult will learn how to handle firearms safely and correctly, and then learn how to effectively use them for the purpose for which they were intended: i.e. against violent intervention into their lives, and against those who would violate their persons and property.
Modern weapons are as naturally integral to modern, practical martial arts as the weapons of days gone by were the legitimate province of the martial arts that flourished then.
We have encountered some odd individuals over the years who, as students of martial arts, embrace swords, long bow’s, nunchucks, shaken and shuriken, Manrikigusari, and so forth, and see nothing wrong with using those weapons, but eschew firearms as “too much.”
Honestly, we cannot help but think of these individuals as deluded fools.
We are not against the study and practice of classical weaponry IF it is understood to be an antiquated form of weaponry. But anyone who believes that carrying nunchucks is the equivalent of carrying a .45 automatic for personal and family defense in modern society is not playing with a full deck.
We urge those who are reasonable and seriously desirous of being fully prepared to defend themselves and those they love: Master unarmed and armed close combat; and follow whatever rules and laws exist in your state, city, town, or municipality in order to legally acquire firearms.
Before making any purchases, take a good course in proper gun safety and handling. We would then recommend a good combat shooting course (i.e., training in point shooting).
When you can handle firearms safely and correctly, and after you have gone through the legal hoops required to purchase your weapon, then obtain the weapon and train with a competent teacher in close combat handgun shooting.
This is NOT competition shooting, use-of-the-sights long distance shooting, or any elaborate shooting. It is anti-personnel shooting . . . “shooting to live” as William Fairbairn put it.
Just what the modern student of all-round self-defense needs.