The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency

[S.T.A.R.S. Armourer]

When I think of American martial arts, I think mostly about boxing and wrestling. America has the best collegiate wrestling program in the world if you ask me, and boxing programs a lot of people are envious of. Maybe not best in the world, its a big place...but its very popular.

But these aren't American inventions.

We all know the martial arts of the far east, their modifications in places like Brazil, and their origins. But is there a purely American martial art or form of fighting?

I think so, and it came to me in a roundabout sort of way.

Listening to my teacher yesterday, a Swiss gentleman and top notch gunsmith, talk about pistols. He decried the lack of accuracy of Second World War pistols, including the Colt 1911 and lamented a few times their best purpose was for an officer to commit suicide.

I couldn't believe it. Blew my mind, no pun intended.

Someone calling the Colt model of 1911 useless as a fighting tool. Didn't say anything, let the teacher teach. I can talk about it outside of class. But I couldn't get over it.

I realized its a very European point of view.

Europe knew beans about fighting pistols.

That's not a disrespect. Europeans happened to know a LOT about fighting rifles, and we have them to thank for many of our own. European countries also produced very fine riflemen.

But their pistols always kind of sucked. Lots of sissy calibers, lots of heel magazine releases, lots of odd looking little guns that were probably more symbol of authority than they were fighting guns, and I don't think the Europeans ever regarded or trained with them as viable fighting tools.

North American, and specifically American heritage puts a lot of emphasis on the pistol as a battle impliment. Our history is littered with examples. We issued more pistols than anyone else militarily, and there are many famous examples of soldiers using them with great success. we learned the hard lessons that 38 cal small cartridges could not be counted on long before other places began chambering autoloaders in them.

And one thing I do like is that this martial art was developed not in secret, not disguised as a dance, or any other such. It was developed in the open and in plain sight, out of freedom.


What do you guys think?
_________________
And it's on through the night
and I know deep inside
that something evil stands in the way
Sing it all through the night
Through these hot summer streets
And take no for an answer?
no I'll never walk away

[T-90]

That was an interesting read and I agree completely.
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[LunarHunter]

The fighting pistol martial arts started even before that. If you look into the old west, gun fighters honing there skills... it's really amazing when you read about some of the exploits or see some of the old films.
_________________

That which we do not understand may one day come to understand us. Pray for our souls.

[S.T.A.R.S. Armourer]

Thats the historical precendent I am talking about though. Where else in that time period, save maybe England, could a person carry a sidearm openly in public?

And even then that was not middle or lower class.
_________________
And it's on through the night
and I know deep inside
that something evil stands in the way
Sing it all through the night
Through these hot summer streets
And take no for an answer?
no I'll never walk away

[LunarHunter]

Well... if you live in NH like I do... you still can .

But I get your point. The United States really honed the art of the pistol.
_________________

That which we do not understand may one day come to understand us. Pray for our souls.

[eyeq360]

[S.T.A.R.S. Armourer]

Thats a really good example, EyeQ

Another one is Alvin York gettin bayonet charged by a whole squad of Germans, pullin out his Colt, and dropping 7 of em with 7 shots.
_________________
And it's on through the night
and I know deep inside
that something evil stands in the way
Sing it all through the night
Through these hot summer streets
And take no for an answer?
no I'll never walk away

[Warhawk1982]

That was awesome insight. I never thought of it that way.
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Peace through superior firepower.

[1911A1Bob]

I think you're really onto something there, STARS. Nicely stated!
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[S.T.A.R.S. Armourer]

Thanks dudes, just some random shit that struck me.

Culture is really our operating system. Makes up a lot of what we bring to the table as far as mentalities and mindset go, fighting included.
_________________
And it's on through the night
and I know deep inside
that something evil stands in the way
Sing it all through the night
Through these hot summer streets
And take no for an answer?
no I'll never walk away