I'd like to say a few words about the utility of Airsoft guns as part of your martial arts training regimen.At some point in training, every martial artist is taught a few nifty gun disarms. These are almost always prefaced by the standard words from sensei about "Only try this in the most life-threatening situations." Usually, the disarming movements are taught with a simple mock-up. When I started my training -- many years ago -- the state of the art was a pistol shaped chunk o'wood. Some forward thinkers used lightweight toy pistols. Nowadays, we can choose from a variety of plastic guns made to more realistic designs and weights. I have a couple of ASP red guns which nicely mimic weapons I am frequently around.
While these are nice, they still don't go bang. Enter Airsoft pistols. These little Asian imports are made to resemble every real firearm in existence. They use a bit of compressed air to shoot a 6mm bb with just enough oomph to sting you (or put out an eye if you don't use goggles -- so use care and goggles). I cheap model can be had for as little as $19.95. What's nice about these is that in disarm training, you can actually have your assailant pull the trigger. This adds an urgency to your movement and teaches you the real limitations of handgun disarm techniques.
It isn't perfect. For one, the person performing the disarm has to be careful not to break the shooter's finger when the weapon is peeled out of the hand. Second, the secondary effects of close-range gunshots (light, noise, heat flash, and shock wave) are not accounted for bor the little poof of air. But it can make you think different about your super-human martial arts abilities.
I also own a repeater airsoft pistol to practice basic marksmanship skills in my own house. It's much cheaper in time and money than going to the range everyday to maintain those deadly point and shoot abilities. I can practice my presentation, sight picture, breath control, and trigger press. The airsoft also lets me practice magazine changing drills and reholstering. Again, it isn't exactly the same as a real pistol, but it's pretty damn close. And it's convenient. For those of us how don't have ammo budgets larger than the Marine Corps, or the ability to bulletproof our basements, it's a reasonable alternative and adjunct to live fire range time.
I know this may be heresy to professional gunfighters. But I'm not a pro gunslinger. I take my training where I can fit it in. And really, is a quality airsoft pistol any less than the modern equivalent to a bokken?
8 comments:
I like the comparison to a bokken. After the class last week, I need to spend more time training with firearms. Airsoft would be a good first step. Thanks for the insight, jrf.
I like the comparison to a bokken. After the class last week, I need to spend more time training with firearms. Airsoft would be a good first step. Thanks for the insight, jrf.
"Good first step" being the operative words here.
Nothing is going to replace live fire shooting if you are planning on having that skill in your tool chest. My point here is that not all of us are able to get to the range as frequently as we might like, and having a back-up plan is better than nothing.
There was a time when my cash flow and schedule permitted my going to the range once a week. I put in a half-hour to an hour of time. It doesn't seem like much, but the consistency kept my ability to put lead on target pretty high.
Now, I'm lucky if I get to the range a couple of times a year. To be perfectly honest, I hadn't even fired the airsoft pistols in a couple of months. I put a few pellets through the airsoft this past weekend, and boy, did the sloppiness show. But by going back to my basic techniques of grip, presentation, stance, sight alignment, breath, etc. I was able to improve pretty quickly. Those skills aren't going to change between an air gun and a firearm.
Most of my pistol manuals suggest a .22 for training purposes. The idea being to work on basic skills with a cheap and manageable round. So is the idea of shooting an airsoft different?
Another possibility of airsoft pistols is force-on-force training. Two teams (one or more individuals per side) armed with airsoft and goggles. There's a hardcore group of geeks who do the whole roleplay thing with this concept and try to train like SWAT or Spec Ops guys. I actually get a little skeeved out by that, but the concept is undeniably sound.
Electric, gas, or spring airsoft? What are the differences, and what would be a good place to start?
BTW after the weapons class I concede the moniker broken.wind to the one formerly known as shinobi.wind.
I have a spring and a gas pistol. Electric is usually reserved for longarm replicas that fire full auto, and they are pretty expensive. Expensive enough that you could buy an actual firearm.
Spring airsoft are single action and must be cocked to pump air into the reservoir for every shot. Spring guns can be as cheap as $10 on sale at discount sites.
Gas guns use a special compressed air from environmentally friendly areosol cans. This is called "green gas." Gas guns tend to be very realistic in function. In my pistol, each replica magazine holds the bb magazine and the gas reservoir. Gas guns are double-action repeaters, meaning that pulling the trigger fires the bb, and cycles the action to load the next bb into the chamber. Gas guns start at significantly higher expense, and you have to pay for the special gas too.
For the purposes of most of my reader, I would suggest considering a relatively inexpensive spring gun. You merely have to buy the airsoft pistol, and possibly a supply of bb's. This can be used for (careful) disarm practice, and also for practicing marksmanship basics. If you enjoy it, then look at gas guns.
I strongly recommend that at the start your airsoft arsenal closely mimic any actual firearms you come into contact with. Building the muscle memory is an important passive skill in this training. It is easy to be taken in by the exotic replicas available. I too would love a gas gun replica of the Mark 23 HK SOCOM offensive pistol with flashlight attachment and fake suppressor. But I can't afford it, and it isn't like anything I own.
Thanks, jrf. I appreciate your suggestions.
jrf- Greetings O Sensei from the ever challenging world of food services. I have been taking your advice and purchased a 20.00 airsoft gun to practice with. Just in the couple of days that I have had it both my shooting skills and gun disarm skills have greatly improved. I take it to work and practice on breaks and at lunch. My co workers I am afraid just don't understand and my boss is even less impressed with my martial endeavours. Her current attitude stems, I think, from an incident in which I plinked the paper hat right off her head at a staggering 21 feet. Thats gun fighting range....right? I use a real cop grip. Gun fully extended, in one hand while grabbing that hand at the wrist for support. I had thought about just laying the gun over the support wrist but that looked too much like charlies angels fake crap. I also purchased some clothes from the military moron site that you suggested. Once again jrf-good call. I will continue to practice these skills you have taught. Only thing I don't like about the airsoft gun is that it doesn't make any noise. So I say the shooting noises when I practice. Wow.
Mr. Simmons;
This is indeed excellent news. I'm glad you are using the Official TJ Hooker gun grip. However, before you disrespect the "Charlie's Angels" grip, I would like to point out that no-less an expert than Roger Moore-era James Bond used this grip and it always worked for him (not to mention how it impressed the ladies).
21 feet is indeed well within "pistol fighting" range. Keep up the practice, but please refrain from shooting at animate objects. You must remember the student creed for our youngest martial artists: I will not use my karate on any living thing. Your airsoft is just an extension of your karate practice.
Making the "bang bang" noises is not only perfectly acceptable, I encourage it as part of your kiai training!
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