Why don't martial arts teach you to use weapons..?

I know they teach black belts..to use weapons like the sword and the bo...but in real life..why dont these school teach you to use some thing like a knife or maybe even an ice scraper ..some thing you might have in your car ..or some thing at home..some thing you might even carry with you with out getting arrested..like umbrella..instead they teach you useless katas..that you need to preform hundreds of times ..what ever happen to real self defense...

Why don't martial arts teach you to use weapons..?
my advice: find another style. there are quite a few that teach you how to turn everything into a weapon. try krav maga. its an Israeli combat system that was originally taught to soldiers for urban guerrilla warfare. so its basically fighting using whatever you can get your hands on. its a lot more practical than traditional arts like karate and TKD.
Reply:They want you to be prepared to defend yourself without anything. To train you with weapons or improvised weapons means you need that weapon without it or something similar you are defenseless that's basically 'why'.
Reply:Some martial arts do teach you to use practical weapons.


Eskrima


Arnis


CHA 3 kenpo


Silat


Krav maga
Reply:Usefulness of weapons are only as good as how your mind thinks to use them. Most good martial ats schools want to teach your mind first before your hands. What this means is that you must first learn how to be aware of your surroundings and learn how to exploit them. Weapons can be anything- an umbrella, a wall, but most importantly (because you always have it around) your body. That is why empty hand forms are always taught first.





A weapon is an extention of you body. If you are given a weapon without cultivating your body and mind, it is useless to you. Also, respect for the weapon is earned through maturity, which is why many styles wait until blackbelt to teach them. This protects people with little skill and giant egos from cutting off appendages (although many blackbelts have these qualities too).





Last, as a side-note, legitimate self-defense is out there. However, please don't confuse self-defense with streetfighting. What I wanna know is, what ever happened to "run away" or "don't start fights"? That's self-defense too.
Reply:Actually, a lot of martial arts do teach weapons. Okinawan karate has several (nunchaku, tonfa, shai, bo, etc), kendo uses the shinai (bamboo training sword) and the Filipino Martial Arts are predominantly weapons-based, but unlike other systems they teach weapons as a basis for empty handed combat.





The reason why most people think martial arts are all empty handed is because most of the more popular systems are taught as mostly empty handed. The impracticality of bringing a weapon with you is one reason why such systems became popular. But if you look at the history of the empty handed systems, almost all have had weapons as part of the system at some point in their history.





Weapons should still be taught as part of martial arts training. It adds a new dimension to the intensity of practice and connects the student to the culture and traditions of the arts. Some arts teach weapons that are highly practical even in the modern times. The Filipino Martial Arts are well known for their knife and machete skills, and these are still applicable nowadays.
Reply:uhm..katas arint useless...they are a way of meditating...and focusing........and they do teach weapon styles...just cuz urs doesnt doesnt mean all dont.....
Reply:There is a martial art that teaches the use of a knife or stick fighting.It is mainly used in the Philippines.The reason as of why they do not teach you to use a weapon is mainly a weapon is used for killing not deffending.Martial arts is the use of self defense.
Reply:Ok, if you learn the basic principals of edged, flexible, projectile / throwing and blunt weapons you will be able to apply those skills to anything.





Learning Butterfly knives may seem pointless becasue you can't legally carry them around however you can apply the principles to meat cleavers of carving knives.





Pole or spear transfers directly to unbrella, pool cue and even baseball bat as there are more effective ways to apply a bat that just swinging for the bleachers...





Flexible weapons such as rope dart, chain whip ect transfer directly into using clothing such as jackets, curtains, peices of rope, extension cords.





Throwing weapons transfers directly into kitchen knives, rocks whatever is light enough to throw in your opponents direction.





So really it's not a matter of learning how to use everyday objects as weapons, it's a matter of learning what makes a weapon and what are the effective and possible uses of an improvised weapon.





You need to understand whether it's designed for stabbing, slashing, clubbing ect ect ect ect.
Reply:most freestyle karates(if they have a good instructer) teach weapons from about blue belt and they teach you to pick up almost anything and use it as a weapon.and you obviously know nothing about martial arts.try getting a brain and asking a question instead of making a statement about something you nothing about.
Reply:we do in my school, I'm instructor told me that to defend against a knife its best that you know how to use one! well also train you how to use house hold items , chairs, plates,towel ? how to stop someone from dragging you into a vehicle? self defence in the kitchen , utensils etc? some nights il tell the class "street self defence tonight? dont worry bout your uniform ,civilian clothing only" we hold courses/classes for free to local schools , we get asked to hold special courses for hospitals ,to teach nurses how to read body language and ambulance staff how to deal with aggressive people when there in the back of the ambulance etc, my instructor trained New Zealands first riot police units introduced them to the PR24 baton! yet mate, we are a traditional based school, Shaolin Chuan Fa Assocation of N.Z arts taught like Chuan Fa/Kempo/Tai Chi/Ba Gua etc. My teacher said that "forms(kata) are the keys to the art" not only are they about manures or fighting they where developed at a different stage for what ever reasons in past history.
Reply:Hi there





It really depends on the style of the art as to what the philosophy is on teaching students weapons.





It does amuse me when certain styles wont allow students to train until they have reached black belt level. The view being that you need to master your body before you can use weapons. Very silly when the street thug can pick up and use anything he likes without any formal training? It puts you at a disadvantage before you even start!





The only rules that should apply in my opinion is that you should be at least 16 years of age, of sound mind and have no criminal record.





All good weapons systems should teach the practitioner the principles behind different weapons such as chains, projectiles, sticks and bladed weapons. Once you know these you can then use anything at hand. Again learning weapons forms is of no use if you cant apply what you have learned from them.





I have been thrown in class by a chair, Paint roller, coat hanger etc. So you really can use just about anything at hand when you know what your doing.





It does help to have a good understanding of natural body movement and knowledge of the weapons you are using such as the weight balance. If its a knife then knowledge of type of blade you are using and why it cuts.





You then need to be able to swap between unarmed and armed at any moment plus be able to combine different weapons together. These are far more valuable skills then just collecting various forms.





The only efficient thing that seems to throw me around these days is the wife. ;-)





I better go do the washing up then!





Best wishes





idai
Reply:Some places will teach you to use weapons from the start depending on the school and discipline. Most places want you to be a black belt because they've supposedly had enough training to handle themselves properly.





If you want to learn how to defend yourself against something "real" try Krav Maga. They'll teach you defense against things like guns %26amp; knives from the very start.
Reply:Your training in a martial art...your hands, feet and mind are your weapons. And any good training program will also emphasize escape techniques and teach that you should never escalate a situation beyond getting out of it. You're not going to use martial arts to start the fight. Any one of the moves that you practice hundreds of times can be used for self defense. And the moves get easier to do, become easier to remember, and there for you don't have to think twice in a situation where you are up against someone in "real life" to know what to do. Remember (or perhaps you should watch) the Karate Kid? I know it's a movie, but, there's a lot of truth to the "wax on/was off" drill...he did it hundreds of times and then when Miyagi told him to "show him" those things, he was blocking like he should without thinking.
Reply:or why not guns? Actually many martial arts teachers incorporate all of these. I don't, but it's my choice. I seperate my shooting (I enjoy skeet shooting) from my martial arts.
Reply:You could check out Canemasters who teach the use of a regular walking cane as a self defense weapon. You can carry those anywhere.
Reply:they taught me weapons when i was a yellow belt in hap ki do and thats only the second belt in

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