# Knowledge of karate="dangerous weapon"? **URL:** \ **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:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/21 "2013-08-13T13:55:01Z")
> [@mdcatdad](#): > > 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? Both legal fallacies. The idea originated to express a point that one who is a martial arts expert can HURT/HARM another more in a fight, where an ordinary person could not, so the expectation of “reasonable force” “may” be higher for them. ---
**Author:** ![mdcatdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@mdcatdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mdcatdad)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/22 "2013-08-13T14:21:14Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > 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) Well, I also remember hearing of the response, “I know karate, judo, jiujitsu, taekwando, …and a lot of OTHER dangerous words!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/23 "2013-08-13T18:37:12Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > 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. NVM. The joke’s better only when [told once.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16566719&postcount=18) ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/24 "2013-08-13T22:06:38Z")
I used to be in the SCA, and we had regular social events on Saturday mornings in a public park. Every other month or so somebody would call the police and report a bunch of weirdos running around with swords. Almost inevitably the black and white would pull up next to our meeting spot, the officers would come over to take a look, and they’d spend the next half-hour checking out everyone’s swords and armour and dying to try them out. ---
**Author:** ![trupa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@trupa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trupa)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/25 "2013-08-14T00:05:34Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > OMG! Obama is going to take our hands away! I have hands, and I vote!!! I’m just a confused Canuck: I thought he wanted to disarm people… ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/26 "2013-08-14T00:23:19Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > 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. [moderator note] Obviously, you realized it would be taken as a political jab, or you wouldn’t have included the disclaimer. Keep the potshots in GD or the Pit. [/moderator note] ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/27 "2013-08-14T00:57:20Z")
Most people trained in karate who run into an experienced street fighter get pounded into mush. Martial arts is some pretty stuff but you have to lose a lot of blood and replace it with anger before you’re a threat on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/28 "2013-08-14T01:12:32Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Bumper sticker: “_I’ll give up my hands when they pry them out of my cold dead hands._” Better would be “_I’ll give up my hands when you pry them from my cold dead arms._” ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/29 "2013-08-14T01:36:41Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Most people trained in karate who run into an experienced street fighter get pounded into mush. Martial arts is some pretty stuff but you have to lose a lot of blood and replace it with anger before you’re a threat on the street. If you’re talking about strip mall martial arts schools, with instructors who have 3 or 4 years of training, sure. Otherwise…plenty of martial arts schools train in very practical fighting as well as the more flowery stuff. I’ve taught and practiced martial arts for years, and I ASSURE you that the dirty tricks that streetfighters learn the hard way are also taught in plenty of martial arts schools. But sure, there are plenty of 13-year-old “black belts” who aren’t much in a real fight, because they’ve only trained for 2 hours a week for 4 years. or some such. The generalization doesn’t hold across the board, though. If you disagree, I will be happy to direct you to plenty of people I know in the martial arts community who are plenty savvy about real-world deadly situations. Do you have any actual martial arts experience? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/30 "2013-08-14T01:48:35Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > 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. I know \*somebody \*who ain’t gonna be no clown in the rodeo! ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/31 "2013-08-14T03:07:47Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Most people trained in karate who run into an experienced street fighter get pounded into mush. Martial arts is some pretty stuff but you have to lose a lot of blood and replace it with anger before you’re a threat on the street. I love reading stuff like this. After a long, tiring day, I need a good laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/32 "2013-08-14T03:25:52Z")
Brief Q & A during Law Enforcement Boarding Party Training (USCG) Q: Will we be learning karate? A: Karate is great, but with ka-colt .45 acp you can drop the sucker at 25 yards. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/33 "2013-08-14T04:36:43Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > Most people trained in karate who run into an experienced street fighter get pounded into mush. Martial arts is some pretty stuff but you have to lose a lot of blood and replace it with anger before you’re a threat on the street. Spoken by someone who is neither a black belt, nor a street fighter. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/34 "2013-08-14T12:02:24Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Spoken by someone who is neither a black belt, nor a street fighter. Weren’t most of the guys from Street Fighter black belts? ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/35 "2013-08-14T12:41:27Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > … > Q: Will we be learning karate?.. Archer:The Dane Cook of martial arts? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/36 "2013-08-14T13:46:01Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Weren’t most of the guys from Street Fighter black belts? I don’t think Blanka owned a belt. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/37 "2013-08-14T17:38:51Z")
> [@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!" Oh now, [the guy’s only 5’-10"](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Wallace_%28martial_artist%29). 6’-6"/180 is not all that scary looking. If you exaggerate height, you need to exaggerate the weight to match. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/38 "2013-08-15T03:21:10Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Bumper sticker: “_I’ll give up my hands when they pry them out of my cold dead hands._” > [@Chimera](#): > > Better would be > > “_I’ll give up my hands when you pry them from my cold dead arms._” Better still _… cold dead guns._ ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064/39 "2013-08-15T15:11:28Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Brief Q & A during Law Enforcement Boarding Party Training (USCG) > > Q: Will we be learning karate? > A: Karate is great, but with ka-colt .45 acp you can drop the sucker at 25 yards. The only objection that I have to that is that sometimes the ka-colt isn’t available. The body always is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knowledge-of-karate-dangerous-weapon/666064.md?page=1)