I am thinking about starting martial arts training of some kind and it occurred to me to explore whether there is any style that integrates well with firearms training, or that incorporates firearms training in a useful way. My goals in taking up a martial art would be both to improve my fitness level and to acquire practical self-defense skills. I would like it very much if it also helped improve my shooting/gun handling skills. I trained a little bit, long ago and far, far away, in aikido and in kung fu. It was long enough ago, and little enough, that the training is largely irrelevant at this point, but I did enjoy them both when I did them. Google yielded some weird results that didn’t help much, at least on the first pass. The members of m4carbine.net seem like a good group of people to ask, and this sub-forum seems like the right spot. Thanks in advance.
Krav Maga is what I have trained in. They also incorporate firearms training with a system called KAPAP. It is what the IDF uses. Combat Proven. I believe the Us uses some of it as well, but not positive.
I suggest finding and training in an effective martial art, then figuring out how to work in your firearms skills. Most systems that I’ve seen that try to be all-encompassing tend to be lackluster in most aspects.
I am afraid in many traditional Martial Arts you won’t find much. Just like you won’t find many Martial Arts instructors teaching MA along with guns. MCS (my company) is open hand combatives, impact weapons, and edged weapons, and firearms within seven yards.
It is hard to do with traditional arts since they are all based on impact and edged weapons. They all require physical contact. Firearms allow you to gain distance but need to be able to deploy it during/after physical contact. This is a stumbling point for many. Good luck- George
IME it depends mostly not on the style but on the school and the instructors.
Look for teachers with a solid documented background and full contact sparring (yes, pads and spring floors), then speak with those instructors and ask about your concerns. Most any good school should allow you a couple classes to try it out.
The school I attend teaches TKD and Judo. Tuesday sights are self defense night. The alst half of the class works on incorporating movs from other disciplines, mutliple assailants, weapons, ect ect ect. The teachers are VERY good and are very interested in Self Defense. The primary firearms instructor I work with takes Judo there and they hold classes on weapons retention and diarms and we even just had a free seminar on MA as an adjunct to pistolcraft.
Most tarditional MA’s will work, when taught and practiced properly. IMO the key is not to somehow combine the 2 (firearms and MA’s) but to be able to use the MA to create the time and space to delpoy the gun, or to use as an alternative means of force.
Now intergrating knives, bats, ect with a MA… that may be another discussion.
I just skimmed over this thread so apologies if I missed the ‘gist’ of it…but are you wanting a MA that incorporates ‘Offensive’ weapons techniques or ‘Defensive’ techniques?
Perhaps not the ‘Coolest’ MA with all the (IMHO largely BS) MMA stuff on TV…but Aikido is my MA of choice for many years Yoshinkai style…Chudokai Federation. I’ve been out for a while now and am preparing to get back in but I always found after trying several other MA’s…Laugar kung-Fu and Shotokan Karate…then American Kempo here in the US (as is most of my Aikido training)…Aikido is simply IMHO (and YMMV)…the best practical self defense MA I have ever tried…great way to dominate an adversary without having to worry about the legalities of having smashed his face in…(although you can do that if you want to incorporate a little more of the Aiki-Jitsu element)…Great, Great knife and gun disarms…but of course no ‘Offensive’ stuff…unless you travel around with a Bokan, Kitana or a Bow-Staff:D
Any MA will greatly improve your motor skills, reflexes and coordination. i noticed it many years ago when I caught a vase and some other stuff before they hit the floor after knocking them off the counter!!
Kali, or any of the Filipino arts. It is weapons-based (club, baton, blade)and translates very well to empty-hand. There is a reason CQC training in militaries around the world are heavily influenced by it.
Just my .02
As far as the question of whether I’m looking for a martial art that incorporates offensive or defensive techniques, I’d have to say, “Yes.” The fact is, I don’t know enough about martial arts to tell you what I’m looking for in that regard. I know that I’m a fan of the KISS principle. I also know that, for me, with pistol handling techniques, and based upon what little I remember from training years ago, with martial arts, the building blocks concept works well. I like skill sets that build on and reinforce each other. Which is pretty much what got me thinking to ask the first question I posted. Thanks to all for your input.
Aikido for the win!
I have studied it for about 7-8 years, and feel it has some skills that are a plus when fighting with a weapon.
1, You can create space for you, not the bad guy.
2, Retention, ever try to take somthing from a person who know’s aikido?
3, The principles are close with those of firearms, so people who practice with them can move to aikido without fundamental differences in they way they work with the body.
I’ve yet to see an Aikido practitioner do well when matched against another MA. BJJ, Muay Thai, Judo, and Karate would all be better choices. Most importantly, become well rounded. No good being great on the ground if bad at stand up and vice versa.
As far as incorporating firearms into training it may be that you have to do this on your own. Almost any dojo has open mat time that may allow you to do this.
