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Carrying a knife to the gym? (Texas)
- Thread starter Bryan Lasalle
- Start date
Put a baseball bat in your pack. Going to the Gym batting cage.
You tell a cop you're carrying a knife for self defense, you got problems. You use a knife for self defense, you got big court type problems and you might end up working out with some guys you don't want to.
Best choice find a work out buddy with a car or a closer gym.
You tell a cop you're carrying a knife for self defense, you got problems. You use a knife for self defense, you got big court type problems and you might end up working out with some guys you don't want to.
Best choice find a work out buddy with a car or a closer gym.
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- Dec 27, 2020
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I haven't thought about that option yet.. goes to show just how much more thought I need to be involving into this whole process. I definitely would never keep anything in the gym lockers though due to the amount of moisture and humidity probably seeping around in there as well as the whole possible theft aspect.
Sounds like it would be a whole lot easier option and I will definitely keep it in mind.
Thanks!
- Bryan
It might be easy to cut a stationary object with a knife but its not so easy when that target is moving and swinging back. Also you're going to be exposed to bodily fluids and possible pathogens.
Knives mess stuff up but I vote learning how to fight unarmed. It can be very effective and short of being disabled or restrained you'll never be without it.
Knives mess stuff up but I vote learning how to fight unarmed. It can be very effective and short of being disabled or restrained you'll never be without it.
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Unfortunately, I very much see how it could be a lot bigger of a hassle than I'm wanting to deal with than just not carrying a larger knife at all.
Especially openly.. I think I will end up going with the suggestions here regarding the ARK and Spyderhawk in carrying at least one or the other concealed so no big issues arise. These words are really what I need to hear over and over again to realize the whole reality of a situation in which I really might need to defend myself, what happens in the moment, what happens after, the impact of what happens next, my life changing because of it.. it's all very real. Nobody wants to go through it. I know I don't.
Thanks!
- Bryan
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B
Bryan Lasalle
If you are looking for a full size Kabar, I really like the Fighter model. It does top your blade cap at 8", but the 1271 is a bit wider and come with a combo edge. Easily had under $80.
If you are looking for a full size Kabar, I really like the Fighter model. It does top your blade cap at 8", but the 1271 is a bit wider and come with a combo edge. Easily had under $80.
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That sounds like a very good option, I like the price and the fact that it would be very easily replaceable rather than carrying an expensive one and losing it.
I've always wanted to try out a Cold Steel knife. I'll definitely see about getting one, even if just to own.
Thanks!
- Bryan
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That is a very nice looking blade, I don't know how I never saw this model from them. I personally love larger knives and am most fond of Bayonets myself, so a few hundredths of an inch longer wouldn't ever dissuade me. For that price I believe this will also be a purchase I intend to make in the future.. I loved the full sized KA-BAR that I bought my older brother for Christmas, and wanted one myself. I'm never against buying used either, so the price should be perfect.
Thanks for another awesome recommendation!
Thanks!
- Bryan
DocJD
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cutting ropes , nets , etc . especially in salt water environment .
But it is very rustproof and lightweight .
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Please don't do this... I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not giving legal advice.... but I'm pretty sure a baseball bat alone could be considered a "club" in Texas.
There better be some open gym batting cages st that hour...
Check the laws around you.
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I believe there has been a case regarding this exact sort of problem back in 2012. Alonzo CHOPPS, Jr., Appellant, v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee. No. 14-01-00398-CR.
(1) "Club" means an instrument that is specially designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury or death by striking a person with the instrument, and includes but is not limited to the following: (A) blackjack; (B) nightstick; (C) mace; (D) tomahawk.
Unlike a large wooden stick you find on the ground, or predesigned for use by law enforcement (nightstick), I believe it's been ruled that a baseball bat in itself is not of grounds for unlawful carry of an (illegal club), but if it were to be modified in any way, shape, or form from it's original design, it would then become one.
It would be a lot easier for prosecutors to allege that its modified design intent was specially created for the use of causing bodily harm to another individual in a case of somebody walking around with one. But traveling with a baseball bat in your car or on your persons, I believe is not inherently illegal. At least from cases I've seen. (Not to be taken as legal advice)
Might be more trouble than it's worth though, officer sees a guy walking down the street holding a baseball bat, they're probably gonna get stopped and questioned.
Thanks!
- Bryan
DocJD
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Stout wooden cane .
Have a medical need , even just balance problem . It is not legal to question your need .
This is a federally protected right !
ETA : In skilled hands a cane can be a very potent weapon for SD .
It gives superior reach and is normally viewed as a weapon of opportunity and "less than lethal" .
This doesn't mean you can be stupid and aggressive with a cane and be excused .
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A bat and some balls or just your gym gear in your pack on the way to the gym would attract zero legal attention as there is no law being broken.
Carrying a couple of knives, possibly fixed blades on your way to the gym for self defense is asking for trouble.
I've carried a bat and glove in my pickup for 40+ years,been stopped numerous times and been only asked about them a couple of times.
"They belong to my son, officer". Never an issue. I never play baseball.
Not legal advice,. Common sense.
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lol if you are really set on carrying a fixed blade with you to the gym you might as well just go all out then, buy a cold steel drop forged wasp or cold steel marauder
personally i still recommend an easy to carry folder and some pepper spray.
personally i still recommend an easy to carry folder and some pepper spray.
Congratulations on your birthday and even more so on your decision to start going to the gym! Good on you for trying to think things through before doing something stupid. Although, threads like these always make me frown a bit.
Every time we have a thread like this it veers into the ridiculously hypothetical space. You wouldn't use the gym locker because of the moisture in there? How long do you intend to work out? 3 months per session? Or are you one of those annoying people who claims a locker permanently and stores half your household in there?
The answer is ridiculously simple: Carry what you would normally carry.
Using knives for self-defense is a ridiculously hypothetical scenario, too. A lot of knives aren't suited for fighting, and those that are, aren't suited for cycling or working out. You really don't want to take a dive off your bike with a knife strapped to your waist. Also, you'll look like an absolute idiot at the gym. It'll flop everywhere and look ridiculous.
I'm Dutch, so I'm not really sure about the legal restrictions in Texas. Here's the thing: Almost nobody does. Even lawyers get it wrong sometimes. Even judges do. In the end, the interpretation of the law is the result of a process in which lawyers and judges come to a judgement after an incident has occurred, and even then it's sometimes overturned. The thing is, in practice, cops are in charge of interpreting the law, and they are even less qualified for it. And believe me, cops can really make you have a bad day. So don't focus on the law, but use common sense.
Being Dutch, I do know a thing or two about riding bikes. Get a red light on the back of your bike and a white one for the front. This is a requirement in the Netherlands for a reason. Get two locks (a small one and a chain). Make sure your bike looks a bit shabby and not too new. It'll do more for your safety than a knife ever will.
I also know a thing or two about going to the gym. The entire point of going to the gym is that you keep going to the gym regularly. Otherwise you'll start to flunk out and lose your progress. So it's really important that you find a gym with a good atmosphere and that you enjoy visiting. So don't just settle for the closest one, but explore multiple options. Do multiple trials. A good gym is worth cycling a bit further for.
Here's what I do: I carry whatever I normally carry when I go to the gym. I dress in the locker room and put my knife with my other stuff in my bag in the locker (lock it and take the key with me on the little bracelet). Then I work out for about 2 hours. Then I shower and dress back. I take all my stuff with me when I leave. Easy peasy. No worries about moisture or anything (and even if there were, most of my stuff is in the bag.)
Also, I'm friendly with most of the people in the gym, so no worries there. And even if one of them were to start something, the rest would probably back me up. Also, in the gym there's blunt stuff lying all over, so why would I go for a knife first?
Every time we have a thread like this it veers into the ridiculously hypothetical space. You wouldn't use the gym locker because of the moisture in there? How long do you intend to work out? 3 months per session? Or are you one of those annoying people who claims a locker permanently and stores half your household in there?
The answer is ridiculously simple: Carry what you would normally carry.
Using knives for self-defense is a ridiculously hypothetical scenario, too. A lot of knives aren't suited for fighting, and those that are, aren't suited for cycling or working out. You really don't want to take a dive off your bike with a knife strapped to your waist. Also, you'll look like an absolute idiot at the gym. It'll flop everywhere and look ridiculous.
I'm Dutch, so I'm not really sure about the legal restrictions in Texas. Here's the thing: Almost nobody does. Even lawyers get it wrong sometimes. Even judges do. In the end, the interpretation of the law is the result of a process in which lawyers and judges come to a judgement after an incident has occurred, and even then it's sometimes overturned. The thing is, in practice, cops are in charge of interpreting the law, and they are even less qualified for it. And believe me, cops can really make you have a bad day. So don't focus on the law, but use common sense.
Being Dutch, I do know a thing or two about riding bikes. Get a red light on the back of your bike and a white one for the front. This is a requirement in the Netherlands for a reason. Get two locks (a small one and a chain). Make sure your bike looks a bit shabby and not too new. It'll do more for your safety than a knife ever will.
I also know a thing or two about going to the gym. The entire point of going to the gym is that you keep going to the gym regularly. Otherwise you'll start to flunk out and lose your progress. So it's really important that you find a gym with a good atmosphere and that you enjoy visiting. So don't just settle for the closest one, but explore multiple options. Do multiple trials. A good gym is worth cycling a bit further for.
Here's what I do: I carry whatever I normally carry when I go to the gym. I dress in the locker room and put my knife with my other stuff in my bag in the locker (lock it and take the key with me on the little bracelet). Then I work out for about 2 hours. Then I shower and dress back. I take all my stuff with me when I leave. Easy peasy. No worries about moisture or anything (and even if there were, most of my stuff is in the bag.)
Also, I'm friendly with most of the people in the gym, so no worries there. And even if one of them were to start something, the rest would probably back me up. Also, in the gym there's blunt stuff lying all over, so why would I go for a knife first?
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Thank you very much for the kind words! I greatly appreciate them!
Now that I've had a bit of time to reflect on these decisions, and with the kind advices and words of the members of the forum..
I believe that the whole becoming of age thing has sort of clouded my sense of logical and rational judgement and a part of the reality spectrum.
I now realize how ridiculous it would be to carry such a large fixed blade when going to a place that is the one of the very least practical places for carrying one.
It seems to me that if I had decided to take this course of action myself, I might not have gotten the outcome I had expected or intended to have.
Which is why I very greatly appreciate having resources like these forums open for anybody to post, ask questions, or give answers, and I especially appreciate the kind folks here for their courtesy and generosity in their willingness to lend me further knowledge and guidance that will help me grow as I learn more and more about the practicality of using knives for everyday purposes.
I still love big knives, but different environments call for different elements, and I hope that I can continue to post on the forums and someday possibly contribute my own knowledge, and help guide others for the better, just as all of you have done for me.
Thanks again!
- Bryan
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I would advise you not to carry a knife for SD until you have trained with it and been taught how to use it, I mean don't just go to a few classes, make sure you really know what you are doing and have done lots of sparring and drilling, probably for a good few years. I won't say don't carry a blade for SD or it's a bad idea I train in blade based martial arts myself, Eastern and Western, just make sure you are good with it before you pull it out.
I carry a 3.75" bladed assisted opening folder in the right front pocket of my cargo shorts & a Ruger LCP .380 in the cargo pocket - when I bike.
Twice a week - Tuesday & Thursday - I bike to the gym/pool.
Both stay in the pockets when I get to the locker room & change into my swimming suit.
The gym is posted - No Firearms Allowed. (Here in Ohio - if they discover you with a firearm, they can charge you with trespassing - but - 99.99% of the time they just toss you out, then after that give you a hard time if/when you come back to check-in. It's a stupid policy - like - WTF do they expect you to do, lay the gun on the bike seat while you go in?)
I did talk to one of the local patrolmen that police the bike/hike trail about carrying both. He said since I'm an old fart (68), he'd probably just let it go, but, anyone younger could expect some sort of inconvenience out of carrying ( even legal carry).
In your case - I'm inclined to go with the folder crowd & stick it in a gym bag or backpack when you work out.
Something pounding against you while you try to work out - gets real old /real fast.
Twice a week - Tuesday & Thursday - I bike to the gym/pool.
Both stay in the pockets when I get to the locker room & change into my swimming suit.
The gym is posted - No Firearms Allowed. (Here in Ohio - if they discover you with a firearm, they can charge you with trespassing - but - 99.99% of the time they just toss you out, then after that give you a hard time if/when you come back to check-in. It's a stupid policy - like - WTF do they expect you to do, lay the gun on the bike seat while you go in?)
I did talk to one of the local patrolmen that police the bike/hike trail about carrying both. He said since I'm an old fart (68), he'd probably just let it go, but, anyone younger could expect some sort of inconvenience out of carrying ( even legal carry).
In your case - I'm inclined to go with the folder crowd & stick it in a gym bag or backpack when you work out.
Something pounding against you while you try to work out - gets real old /real fast.
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I look forward to hearing your contributions to the forum. By the way, I've carried a Delica in the gym clipped to my waistband. Not that I thought I would need it for defense, I just like to have a knife in case I need to cut something.