Warning ... Long post.
This machaera sounds very interesting indeed. I'll have to check out that book. Thanks for the info. Please let me know if there is enough interest to get one made. I would love to have one, even if for no other reason than to use a training tool.
As far as practical self-defense, a lot of issues are raised there. I'm no expert at martial arts, but I have a few years of training. In my limited experience, blades are very bad for "self-defense" especially as martial artists. There are a lot of legal issues involved and martial artists are held to a much higher standard then most people when self-defense issues arise.
That being said, less obvious "weapons" are more practical in my eyes. For example, my keychain is a Sarret key caddy. The chain can be used for binding, whipping, or cutting. The key caddy also has a three foot reach plus arm length. It clips to a pocket and is very unthreatening to look at. In my humble opinion, that is a practical self-defense weapon. Another personnel favorite is a rattan staff. 6 feet long, flexible and could end a fight without serious damage to a man. The staff, however, attracts a lot of attention
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Other issues aside, My favorite blades to carry are the REKAT pocket hobbit and the spyderco starmate. Both draw fast, can be used as efficient striking weapons when closed and have about a 3" blade when open. They conceal well because of their size.
Modern day practicallity aside, a katana or 30" sirupati possibly the machaera as well would be the most effective blades in my eyes. The have reach, speed, strength, and in the case of the katana, unparralled cutting ability (assuming a well made blade of course). The draw of these weapons can be lighting fast and often their most deadly move.
The gun however, equals any fight. At distances over 20 ft. Anybody would be hard pressed to defend themselves at all.
If anybody has bothered to read this far, I thank you. To everyone else, I apologize, but I find this subject very interesting and would love to hear others opinions.
Thanks
Dave
