# Knowledge of karate="dangerous weapon"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 12, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064 "2013-08-12T19:32:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mdcatdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdcatdad)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/1 "2013-08-12T19:32:21Z")
Was it ever true that those with a black belt in karate had to “register their hands as dangerous weapons” or, as one Doper suggested, just a line from an early Woody Allen movie?
In broader terms, are those skilled in martial arts under any legal obligation anywhere (in a Western democracy) to announce same before engaging in a street fight?
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/2 "2013-08-12T19:37:23Z")
No to both.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/3 "2013-08-12T19:39:23Z")
You might have to explain it to a jury later, but there’s no obligation up front.
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### Author:  [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/4 "2013-08-12T20:16:42Z")
It was occasionally used as an advertising gimmick to promote professional fights.
“Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace is 6’6”, weighs 180 pounds, has a 5th degree Black Belt, and his hands are registered as lethal weapons! Come see him live, at Madison Square Garden, this Saturday Night! Tickets on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets!"
(Note: I don’t know if Bill Wallace ever actually used the gimmick, but back in the 1960s and 1970s, most pro fighters did.)
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### Author:  [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/5 "2013-08-12T20:22:52Z")
And yet… no other weapons are registered.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/6 "2013-08-12T20:39:14Z")
> [@mbh](#):
>
> It was occasionally used as an advertising gimmick to promote professional fights.
>
> “Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace is 6’6”, weighs 180 pounds, has a 5th degree Black Belt, and his hands are registered as lethal weapons! Come see him live, at Madison Square Garden, this Saturday Night! Tickets on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets!"
> (Note: I don’t know if Bill Wallace ever actually used the gimmick, but back in the 1960s and 1970s, most pro fighters did.)
Well, it’d be especially ironic for somebody called “Superfoot” to register his hands…
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/7 "2013-08-12T20:39:16Z")
OMG! Obama is going to take our hands away! I have hands, and I vote!!!
Note, that’s a joke. Not intended as a political jab. Intended as a jab at the idea of registering our lethal extremities. Have fun.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/8 "2013-08-12T20:40:29Z")
Never been any such thing.
Imagine, our elementary schools filled with the ‘deadly weapons’ of kids with black belts. Why, they’d be clammoring to outlaw the teaching of martial arts to children!
Some years back;
Idiot: I should warn you, I have a black belt.
Me: Yeah? So do I. And a couple of other belts. Big deal. Fuck off already.
Idiot: (Looks around sheepishly, walks away)
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### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/9 "2013-08-12T20:59:39Z")
Previous threads:
2001: [Do black-belt martial artists have to register their hands as lethal weapons?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=71881)
2002: [Hands as Lethal Weapons - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=140177)
2006: [Hands are lethel weapons? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=399548)
Sam Stone, 2001: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=1333697&postcount=9](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=1333697&postcount=9)
I’m not sure that applies across most US jurisdictions though.
ETA More:
> **[My hands are lethal weapons: Where would I go to register them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=179959)**
>
> Well, mine personally are not lethal. That’s just hypothetical. I’ve heard at various times that boxers and martial arts experts had to register their hand as deadly weapons. What government agency handles (or handled) the registration of the...
[http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get\_topic;f=107;t=000169;p=0](http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=107;t=000169;p=0)
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### Author:  [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/10 "2013-08-12T22:14:51Z")
I had some lame brain tell me once I had to register my swords, including my freaking _fencing foils, sabres, and epees._ :smack:
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### Author:  [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/11 "2013-08-12T23:49:47Z")
In our country, yes. But this was back in the 70s during martial law. And it was specific, a karate man’s arms and legs were considered dangerous weapons, unlike a trained boxer whose qualifications are just his arms (and maybe his forehead.)
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### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/12 "2013-08-12T23:58:03Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#):
>
> I had some lame brain tell me once I had to register my swords, including my freaking _fencing foils, sabres, and epees._ :smack:
Next time: “Oh I don’t need to register my swords _because I have already registered my hands._” 😃
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/13 "2013-08-13T01:10:45Z")
I’m so witty I had to register my vocabulary as a deadly weapon.
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/14 "2013-08-13T01:12:56Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#):
>
> I had some lame brain tell me once I had to register my swords, including my freaking _fencing foils, sabres, and epees._ :smack:
The blades are longer than 4", right?
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/15 "2013-08-13T01:16:20Z")
While I’m not aware of anywhere that requires a blackbelt, or boxer, or any other combat trained person to register themselves as weapons, courts will consider training and skills as factors in determining severity of charges and punishment.
[Martial Arts and the Law: Does Having a Black Belt Make Your Fists Deadly Weapons?](http://zenlawyer.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/martial-arts-and-the-law-does-having-a-black-belt-make-your-fists-deadly-weapons/)
> [@](#):
>
> The Court held “Although a fist or hand is not a deadly weapon per se, it can become a deadly weapon if in the manner of use it is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.” Additionally, the court stated, “To support a deadly weapon finding, [it must be shown] only that the accused’s hands in the manner of their use were capable of causing death or serious bodily injury.”
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/16 "2013-08-13T01:37:25Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#):
>
> The blades are longer than 4", right?
They don’t have blades. They have straight flexible blades with plunger-type sensors on the end (or rubber balls if they’re practice swords). They’re about as dangerous as a telescoping antenna.
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### Author:  [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/17 "2013-08-13T04:00:44Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> They’re about as dangerous as a telescoping antenna.
You could put an eye out!
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### Author:  [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/18 "2013-08-13T05:10:20Z")
Bumper sticker: “_I’ll give up my hands when they pry them out of my cold dead hands._”
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/19 "2013-08-13T13:35:53Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#):
>
> They don’t have blades. They have straight flexible blades with plunger-type sensors on the end (or rubber balls if they’re practice swords). They’re about as dangerous as a telescoping antenna.
That should have said “they don’t have edges or points”, not blades. :smack:
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### Author:  [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)
#### Post date: [August 13, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/20 "2013-08-13T13:51:37Z")
I guess sex offender registration is about as close as there is.
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