# Karate Massacre **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2017, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934 "2017-10-04T10:22:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delicious)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/1 "2017-10-04T10:22:49Z")
A hypothetical mass killing: There’s a Karate Master, let’s call him Chopmaster, one day he walks into a crowded concert and karate chops 60 people to death, there’s a panicked stampede to escape and glancing chops that cause hundreds of injuries. The crowd escapes and the police arrive in short order, rather than be arrested, Chopmaster karate chops his own head off. On investigating Chopmaster’s house, police find loads of anabolic steroids, souped up arm exercise machines and lots of chopped mannequins, leading police to believe Chopmaster had been planning this for a while. Chopmaster’s computer records show that he was into weird conspiracy theories, he was something of a loner and maybe a little too into karate but no-one who knew him thought he’d do something like this. ISIS claims responsibility How would this be viewed compared to your standard gun massacres, what, if anything should be done following it? ---
**Author:** ![Trafalgar\_Laura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trafalgar_laura/32/2907_2.png) [@Trafalgar\_Laura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trafalgar_Laura)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/2 "2017-10-04T10:33:17Z")
Unless this starts an ongoing pattern of super karate masters chopping people’s heads off, I’m not sure there’s really a comparison or a need to change anything. Not to mention, learning karate to such a nigh-mythical extent seems a lot harder than purchasing and using a firearm. I say this as a daughter of a (very nice, somewhat former) NRA member who loves collecting firearms of various types, and I say this as a gun owner who enjoys trips to the shooting range for fun. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/3 "2017-10-04T10:33:43Z")
Interesting. The court of High Robots would have to convene a grand puppy jury to deliberate, but only on alternating brunch Sundays. Ask a silly question, right? Since there is no such thing as a person who can kill 60 and injure hundreds more with his open hand in the manner you describe, you can’t make the comparison you’re trying to make. It might be more appropriate to posit a dude with a big sword and, indeed, most states do not allow those to be toted in public. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/4 "2017-10-04T12:01:50Z")
So we’re talking about a supervillain? In that case, I’d recommend calling the Avengers. Or maybe since it’s relatively small scale, I’d call the Defenders. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/5 "2017-10-04T12:05:33Z")
Call the Super Friends. Superman and the Flash could take him down by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Delicious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@Delicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delicious)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/6 "2017-10-04T12:28:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Interesting. > > The court of High Robots would have to convene a grand puppy jury to deliberate, but only on alternating brunch Sundays. > > Ask a silly question, right? > > Since there is no such thing as a person who can kill 60 and injure hundreds more with his open hand in the manner you describe, you can’t make the comparison you’re trying to make. It might be more appropriate to posit a dude with a big sword and, indeed, most states do not allow those to be toted in public. Are swords not considered arms in America? I’d consider myself armed if I was holding a sword. Anyway, Chopmaster’s arm is _really_ strong, he’s been working out a lot and since the chops don’t make a gunshot noise, he probably gets a good few chops in before people notice and start panicking. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > So we’re talking about a supervillain? In that case, I’d recommend calling the Avengers. Or maybe since it’s relatively small scale, I’d call the Defenders. Now you’re being silly, what are the Avengers going to do? Kick his severed head around? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/7 "2017-10-04T12:43:13Z")
You’re describing a scenario which is completely implausible. Whatever point you’re trying to make about gun violence and, presumably, silencers/concealed weapons is not being made. Maybe you should just let us know your opinion on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/8 "2017-10-04T13:38:37Z")
Somebody with a CCW would have taken him out after the 4th chop. ---
**Author:** ![El\_DeLuxo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_deluxo/32/9043_2.png) [@El\_DeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_DeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/9 "2017-10-04T13:42:26Z")
The person who could karate-chop 60 people to death in one session would be just about impossible to stop without using serious and skilled weapons of an advanced nature, and probably a real bitch to contain as well, so there’s really not much anybody could do to stop such a one from doing whatever s/he wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/10 "2017-10-04T13:56:42Z")
Ah so it’s a fighting hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/11 "2017-10-04T14:04:28Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > Ah so it’s a fighting hypothetical. /thread ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/12 "2017-10-04T14:22:09Z")
I voted Other as this is probably the dumbest poll in the history of the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/13 "2017-10-04T14:50:42Z")
Ha! Gotcha ya! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/14 "2017-10-04T14:59:24Z")
What would be needed would be a few Good Guys with karate chops. Of course, they’d probably piss themselves while running away and crying, which is what most of them do when confronted by reality. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/15 "2017-10-04T15:02:07Z")
Nothing needs to be done - karate masters already have to register their hands as lethal weapons. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/16 "2017-10-04T15:05:47Z")
The only thing that can be done is the restriction of steroids, in this hypothetical. If the karate master achieved his killing powers through natural means, then I suppose you can only then ban the practice or learning of karate. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/17 "2017-10-04T15:25:08Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Nothing needs to be done - karate masters already have to register their hands as lethal weapons. > > Regards, > Shodan Yeah, but all it takes to obliterate the serial number is a nail file… ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/18 "2017-10-04T15:37:38Z")
If this happened, I would not want any laws changed. The first time. If it kept happening again and again, as it has with guns, then my opinion would be different. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/19 "2017-10-04T15:43:18Z")
The scenario is not believable. Everyone knows that his hands would have to be registered as lethal weapons, giving the cops a chance to catch him before he did something bad. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934/20 "2017-10-04T15:46:06Z")
People have aimed cars into crowds quite a few times over the course of my life and some day may do so to the 50+ dead rate. Its tragic, it splashes the news, and its forgotten. I figure the hypothetical would be about the same. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karate-massacre/797934.md?page=2)