The "Non-Lethal" Weapon Question

© COPYRIGHT 2009 BY BRADLEY J. STEINER - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Sword and Pen – August 2009 Issue

[Reprinted With Permission]

http://www.americancombato.com

http://seattlecombatives.com

OUR position, with apologies to no one, is that modern lethal weapons are properly integral to all close combat and self-defense training that is worthy of the name. Weapons have always been part and parcel of the martial arts, with unarmed combat being, in reality, the least desirable way in which one would be expected to engage an enemy. After all, to remind anyone who may have forgotten, MARTIAL arts are ARTS OF WAR. To exclude the appropriate weaponry of the times — whether those weapons be swords, maces, spears, or bows and arrows (during feudal times), or handguns, fighting knives, and shotguns (un this 21st century) — is absurd. The martial arts (NOT THE MARTIAL "SPORTS") have as their purpose survival in combat. For the military man, this means the battlefield. For the law enforcement officer, this means street patrol. For the private citizen this means anywhere trouble may find him — at home, at work, at play, or ANYWHERE!

A very popular item today is that category of so-called "weapons" that go by the designation "non lethal weapons". They are extraordinarily popular with precisely that type of individual who needs to become trained and educated in LETHAL weaponry; i.e. the rather soft yuppiesh soul who finds violence so vulgar and crass, yet who believes that the ever-present threat of its perhaps intervening into his own "non violent life" these days, makes it desirable for him to do something . . . "just in case". But he could never, mind you, actually "kill" or "cripple" anyone! No. Not him.

The absurdity that passes for acceptable "self-defense" measures in the statistically average adult's mind(?) today is startling. "Non injurious unarmed defense skill", "Humane tactics of controlling assailants", and "Non-lethal weaponry". What foolishness.

When a predatory felon targets his prey he hardly gives a moment's thought to being "careful" and "considerate" about the amount of injury he inflicts. His concern is to GET WHAT HE WANTS, AND THEN TO GET AWAY!

The victim of any violent atrocity whose concern is both to defend himself and not to "hurt" the individual against whom he is conducting the defensive action "too badly" is — putting it as politely as possible — UNREALISTIC, IN THE EXTREME.
First and foremost, everyone should understand that "non lethal weapons" of the type that are available to private citizens over the counter or through the mail (and even, in most cases, of the type that law enforcement organizations utilize!) ARE NOT RELIABLE OR EFFECTIVE AGAINST THE MOST DANGEROUS AND DETERMINED PHYSICAL ATTACKERS. And these types are, let us hasten to remind everybody, the ones against whom a means of defense is most critical.

"But what about those demonstrations I've seen where big, strong cops are totally rendered helpless by a MACE or pepper type spray?" one might ask. Or, "Gee whiz! I got a demonstration of being tasered, and I dropped like a rock and couldn't do a damn thing!"

The answer to such questions or comments is: "YES INDEED, BUT YOU WERE NOT AN INSANE, ENRAGED, DRUG-INFLUENCED KILLER WHO WAS FANATICALLY BENT UPON DOING MURDER, WHEN YOU WERE ‘TASERED'. AND WHEN YOU SAW THAT ‘BIG, STRONG COP' CRUMPLE UP AFTER BEING SPRAYED, IT WAS DURING A DEMONSTRATION, WHEN THE COP WAS NOT MURDEROUSLY AROUSED TO A LETHAL FIGHTING PITCH, AND OR WHEN HE WAS DRIVEN BY THE INFLUENCE OF NARCOTIC SUBSTANCES, LIQUOR, OR LITERAL MADNESS."

We have been shown actual police reports where large canisters of some damn spray failed to stop a felon. The cops used the stuff because they were MANDATED TO DO SO, before — finally — resorting to more realistic measures to bring the dangerous freak that they were battling to a halt. We have also seen reports where tasering went UNNOTICED by madmen who were determined in their insane path of destructiveness, and who finally needed to be dropped by more effective means, after law enforcers "followed policy" and zapped the murderous nut before moving on to "step two".

Private citizens almost never have the luxury of acting in concert with others in order to stop their attackers; and they do not have an array of followup weapons that may be resorted to if or when their "lesser means" should fail to work effectively. The police (sometimes at the cost of injuries to themselves) do have and use these options, after their "lesser means" fail.

But the truth is that non-lethal weapons are a scam.

If you wish to be capable of offering serious resistance to armed, dangerous, potentially deadly felonious attack, then you want to be armed with firearms, knives, hardwood clubs, or tomahawks. These are the modern weapons of personal, individual close combat, and there is not a single reason on earth why sensible private citizens should not avail themselves of these protective tools.

Unarmed combat skills are necessary, and critically so. Their study boosts self-confidence through the roof, improves physical coordination and the ability to use all other hand held weapons. Their study also fosters courage and the will to fight and to prevail — vitally necessary for the self-defense student. Additionally, by mastering unarmed combat you will not see any weapon as a "crutch", and you will be much more amenable to proper, responsible weapons usage because you know that, even if you are without any manufactured weapon, you can still make good use of the equipment provided you by Nature!

But do not make the mistake —no matter what you may be told by others or read — of believing that non-lethal gadgets make sense, and that if you "don't happen to like" guns, for instance, all you need is some pepper spray or a taser device. YOU ARE PREPARING TO DIE, IF YOU BUY INTO SUCH IDIOCY.

If real weaponry intimidates you, overcome your personal weakness. Believe it: YOU WILL BE A LOT MORE INTIMIDATED IF YOUR HOME IS EVER INVADED BY TWO OR THREE SEWER RATS WHOSE INTENTION IT IS TO ROB AND KILL YOU. The sprays and the taser device won't help. A .45 automatic or a 12 gauge shotgun WILL, providing you now how to use it.

No sane human being wants to have to use a deadly weapon or deadly force in any form on another person. However, when we advocate firearms, fighting knives, and other lethal weapons for personal defense we do so precisely for that purpose and that purpose only: LAWFUL, MORAL, LEGITIMATE, ABSOLUTELY JUSTIFIABLE AND UNAVOIDABLE SELF-DEFENSE. The same reasons we advocate unarmed self-defense and the application of weaponless combatives. We personally abhor violence, do not condone it or advocate its use ever, save when circumstances not of the individual's choosing make it necessary for defense and survival.

In all honesty we remain unable to fathom how or why any intelligent, peaceful, law-abiding adult would have any problem or point of disagreement with our position. If you do, please understand that the only possible beneficiary of your timidity and reluctance will be an egregious, dangerous, violent criminal. And we believe that you do not want that ever to be the case. Neither would your loved ones, should you oe day be the bulwark standing between them and death.