Martial Arts & Self-Defense Weapons – What IS a Kubotan

If you do a search on the internet, there seems to be no end to what has been written about this simple, yet powerful weapon. There seems to be no small supply of writers who have used dramatic titles to add to the impact of an otherwise so-so article on the subject.

“Fistful of Dynamite,” “Rod of Pain,” and many others lead the way as writers share their own knowledge and insight into this inconspicuous, and yet surprisingly powerful little weapon. Unfortunately, far too many of these articles serve little to no real purpose in helping you to actually create results. And, these articles range in scope from the generalized “what it is” variety, to the overly bloated tome that includes what seems to be every single detail and supposition that the author wishes to impress you with.

Believe me, I have read a lot of what’s available, and while there are certainly a number of valuable resources from real experts, they are buried in a cyber-world of practically worthless “chatter.” While you can feel free to recreate my extensive research on the subject, I’ve brought it all together so you don’t have to.

So, what, exactly, is a Kubotan (pronounced “koo-bow-tahn”) anyway?

Good question. And to answer that, you can read the book titled, KUBOTAN: Self-Defense Keychain to get a much better idea. But, for now, I’ll give you the short, “what’s it look like and what else might it be called,” version. For those interested, the above book covers the viewpoints of “where did it come from and how long has it been around,” as-well-as others in its other chapters.

In my other articles, you can take a quick overview of the strengths and weakness of this popular self-defense weapon. But, for now…

The Kubotan, also known as a…

1. Pocket-stick…

2. Self-Defense Keychain…

3. Mini-Stick, and…

4. many others…

…is arguably, the most common self-defense weapon, next to the handgun, in the United States.

While many new tactical weapons continue to find growing acceptance within the law enforcement and security communities, there seems to be little change within the realm of private citizens. It appears that, once people find a good thing, they tend to “stick” with it. (Yes, pun intended!) According to many experts in the field of defense and personal protection…

“…the most popular, and quite possibly the most versatile, personal defense weapon is the Kubotan.”

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll refer to the weapon throughout this article as the Kubotan or, more simply, the self-defense keychain. However, regardless of the name given to it, this powerful little compliance tool, carried by thousands of men and women – martial artists and non-practitioners alike – is an awesome means of deterring and controlling an attack situation.

Besides being, quite probably the cheapest weapon you can buy, in the hands of even a person skilled in only a few basic moves, the Kubotan is a formidable weapon for stopping an assailant in his tracks. And, for those with more training and developed skills, the self-defense keychain is one of the most effective self-defense tools that you can use today.

The weapon is simple in appearance, inexpensive to acquire or make, and fairly easy to conceal. While not as versatile and convenient as a clipknife like the Delica from Spyderco – my preferred weapon/tool of choice, by the way – it is definitely easy-to-learn and even easier-to-use.

Depending on the manufacturer, the Kubotan is just a basic rod made of metal, plastic, or wood. It’s about 6 inches long and, as the name suggests, usually has a key ring attached at one end. The “official,” patented, Kubotan weapon “invented” by a man named Tak Kubota, has grooves machined into the weapon to identify it as a unique creation. But, just like “Band-aid” has come to be the generic name for adhesive bandages and “Q-Tips” the same for cotton swabs, the bar-shaped, self-defense keychain is almost universally called a “Kubotan.”

There are other variants of the basic model, including what is billed as the “Ninja” version of the weapon. This little piece of imaginative effort, created during the ’80’s when every weapon had it’s own “Ninja” version, has two thinner spikes protruding out from the side of the weapon that fit between your fingers when you grasped the main bar of the tool.

Let me assure you that, regardless of what you ever read or hear, the Kubotan or self-defense keychain is NOT a Ninja weapon – officially or unofficially. It’s ancestors that gave rise to the modern version, at least in Japan, were used by almost all trained warriors – not just the Ninja.

The more commonly recognized variants of the weapon are generally manufactured from heavy-duty plastic or aluminum. The official Kubotan, and third-party copies, are simply straight rods with blunt ends. However, many self-defense key chains have at least one tapered end with the key ring attached to the squared, blunt end. Needless to say, some of these “centerpunch-like versions, are extremely dangerous – as they have the capability of actually penetrating the target and doing more severe damage.

And, for those of you who are fashion-conscious and need to make sure that your self-defense weapon doesn’t clash with your Armani, these little gems even come in a variety of colors and high-tech shapes to match just about any ensemble.

So, to answer the question, “what IS a Kubotan?”

It is a simple, easy to learn and use, self-defense weapon that can be effectively used by the smallest defender, to bring the largest assailant to his knees in seconds. Quite simply, it is the best weapon for the person with little to no formal training and who wants to be able to learn to defend him or herself with the least amount of time, effort, and money.

eagle idaho real estate

During those days, many Bald eagles live in this region. And they still carry on being seen until the present time. This is probably because these eagles love the mild the weather that exists in this part of Idaho.

* Friendly and close-knit neighborhood

If you ever would care to check with the other people which relocated to Eagle, Idaho, among the list of factors that motivated them to buy their own piece in the plenty of Eagle virginia homes available is the kind of environment that could be observed among local residents that live in this city. Supportive and friendly environment stay alive within this community; wherein new residents are generally welcomed with warm phone coverage to make them feel at ease and comfortable in their new residential location.

* Commitment to market arts works and budding artists

The city and also its particular leaders acknowledge the talents health of their residents and this is usually shown by establishing this Eagle Arts Commission. This organization was formed to help in educating residents using arts and culture and as well function in supporting your promotion of local artists and their artworks.

* Valuable education system

That Meridian School District serves as being the home for schools within Eagle, Idaho. Families with school age kids would don’t have to worry about sending their kids to top quality schools with great and outstanding academic programs.

* Dynamic festivals and annual celebrations

Eagle houses many festivals wherein people and their visitors can take pleasure from. This celebration is one the most enjoyable and family oriented festivity celebrated in the city of Eagle, Idaho. That features fireworks, games and also other elements of fun brings about the celebration pleasurably pleasing for residents and their own guests.

* Several opportunities for outdoor activities

There are plenty of recreational establishments located with Eagle. From golf courses, hiking and biking tracks, parks and other enticing amusement areas that all contribute to the fun and enjoyment of folks living in Eagle.

* Constantly thriving business community

One of many primary reasons that punctual home buyers to make the leap into investing in Eagle real estate is due to the positively growing business community that exists. This facet of the community opens in place great opportunities for businesses that will pave the way to make available plenty of career opportunities.

With admirable indications that enter prosperity to Eagle, Idaho, it is not surprising that more and more people are searching for available Eagle virginia homes featured in many top quality Eagle MLS. They are looking forward to belong in a friendly residential community that illustrates positive and continuous economic growth and higher investment yields in the future.
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If you are considering buying any from the plenty of Eagle homes for sale you can buy of real estate buildings, it is important that you really gain valuable information to get the best buy which you could obtain from this aggressive market. Eagle is just about the most interesting and flourishing cities inside Boise County of Idaho. The reason why it’s called Eagle City is because there are plenty of bald eagles that is so visible in that area of Idaho that is nestled between Boise Rier and Boise foothills. Once you have finally decided to get hold of home in the Skull cap City of Idaho, the following are four of the very valuable secrets that you need to focus on to make sure that you will get the best buy possible:

The Louvre, From Supply Depot To Art Museum

The Louvre is generally regarded as the premiere art museum in France. With a collection of about 35,000 items contained in 652,300 square feet, it’s not hard to understand why. Why would you go anywhere else when every piece of art and antiquity you could ever want to see are contained in one place? But the Louvre is obviously not the only art museum in France. Several decidedly smaller art museums in France house collections comprehensive enough to rival the Louvre.

These lesser known but equally compelling museums include the Muse de l’Orangerie, the Muse d’Art Moderne de la Vile de Paris, even a geographically confused Palais de Tokyo – the list goes on. One particularly successful museum is the Muse d’Orsay. The Muse’s collection’s scope is admirable and covers several centuries of European visual and decorative art.

The history of this particular museum is long and illustrious. The Muse d’Orsay used to be a railway station, Gare d’Orsay. This railway station was built specifically for the glorious 1900 Exposition Universelle. This exposition was a World’s Fair held in Paris, and featured the rededication of the Eiffel Tower, which had been created for the previous World’s Fair. The Gare (“gare” means railway station in French) was elaborately constructed in the fashionable Art Nouveau style.

The design was the pride of the three architects who created it; Lucien Magne, Victor Laloux, and mile Bnard were top designers at the time. The vaulted ceilings of the Gare were made of tiny interlocking panes of glass, and intricate stone carvings paneled the walls. The sizable Gare, carefully crafted out of innumerable tan stones, overlooked the glistening Seine River.

For the time of the World’s Fair and up until WWII, the Gare . The Nazis appropriated the now-dingy railway station for transporting munitions, soldiers, and even looted possessions from European citizens. After the fall of the Third Reich, the Gare fell into further disrepair. The unstable economy of France prevented the Gare from getting the restoration it needed until the early 1970s. By that time, the station wasn’t large enough to adequately support a large amount of train commuter traffic. For a few years it was used as a hotel until in 1977. Because of faltering profits and public pressure, it was decided to convert the Gare into a museum. The conversion was complete in 1986 and was dedicated by then-president Franois Mitterrand.

Today, the Muse is home to an impressive collection of mainly French art. It is now well known for its broad selection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, of which it has the largest collection in the world, and is no longer a railway station. These include renowned artists such as Paul Czanne, Gustave Caillebotte, Mary Cassatt, Gustave Courbet, Paul Gaugin, and Vincent van Gogh, The list is endless.

There are even eighty-six Monet paintings in the Muse’s catalog. It also holds decent architecture and photography exhibits. While there are several larger Muses in France, the Muse D’Orsay should definitely be a priority for anyone going on vacation in France.

Artsnyou Present Online Many Arts And Panting Gifts

Ever wondered what is missing in today’s’ hectic life and what to do to make it complete, interesting, exciting and full of fun. Today, many of us have almost everything in life from designer clothes to swanky cars. But still something is there that constantly pinches you and makes you feel like a loner. Is there someone special left behind in the backstage that once meant everything to you and always took the center stage? With so much happening around – personal life, friendship, office that we often forget how much your life is indebted to your life posters or someone special.

We all know from within, that the love is still there but just remembrance isn’t enough and such love and emotions should be showed or communicated in such a way that takes your beloved back to those lovely days. Remember the first time when you held her hand and proposed her lifetime of togetherness, love, warmth and care. How you looked into her eyes and said those three magical words. How she responded back with a yes with glittering eyes. The real problem is not that you have lost the loving feeling but it is about breaking the ice because sometimes the gap widens so much that it is almost impossible to strike a conversation.

Gifts are the key. Gifts are one of those arrows in the bow which can mend the broken threads of relationship. They remind the love you shared and cherished for long. They keep the spark alive and keeps the love flames burning around your lovely relationships.

Who on earth does not want to relive those magical moments but for many its a puzzle as they do not know how and where to start there search for gifts. In today’s world, nobody needs to step out in the scorching sun and other unfriendly weather conditions; neither there is any need to roam around crowded marketplaces. If technology has taken the peace out of life, it has also provided with options to weave the broken thread of relationship. It provides many social networking sites which bring your loved ones near. Online shopping gives you another opportunity to surprise your beloved by her most memorable snap, picture which has long foregone memories captured but forgotten. Bring back those Golden moments which were long forgotten and they need to be wrapped around your love to make them a unique gift.

Time gone never comes back and thread broken are hard to mend. The wait will not be over by waiting, waiting for the right time to come. The festival season is near which bring new hope and enthusiasm in life, lets celebrate it in full jest and become part of every celebration the life offers. There is no better way to bring change in life than planning family get together to redecorate the life. This will have amazing affect and will brings joy, happiness and prosperity across when each home will be filled with rekindled romance, love, passion and happiness.

One of such place to look for perfect gifts: ArtsNyou.com

Combining Martial Arts Like Wing Chun And Aikido

Most martial arts don’t fit together easily. You take the circular hands of Chinese kenpo Karate and try to put them atop the linear stances of Japanese shotokan, and you are going to get an uncoordinated mish mash. Or, the quick and slick jabs of boxing might fit with wing chun, but the round house power punches don’t fit at all.

And, of course, there are arts that do fit together. You can put aikido together with pa kua chang, but it is going to take discipline and logic to categorize individual techniques. And, this leaves the creator with a problem of how do you teach the beast without confusing.

That all said, I was taking an Aikido class one day, I was a mere beginner in that art, though I had seven years of kenpo and karate and a bit of wing chun. So they asked me to partake in randori. which is the freestyle aikido employs to train students. And, it was a sad experience, at best.

I didn’t want to give them my punches, karate had taught me to lock down and become immoveable, and the result was that nobody could throw me, and the give and take of the randori exercise broke down. I blame no one, it was mixing apples and peaches, and one could argue they should have been able to make their art work, but I should have been able to work with them. Interestingly, it was what happened after that that became interesting.

Paul, one of the advanced black belts came up to me and wondered where the breakdown had been. Other black belts, lower ones, stayed away from me like a pariah, but he wanted to learn, and that was the mark of an advanced belt.

So I explained about l how I had been taught to lock down my stance, and we looked at that in conjunction with aikido techniques, and how things could have been different. Nothing was really making sense, until I asked him if he had ever heard of sticky hands. When I showed it to him the lights began to go on.

Wing Chun, you see, has more mobile stances, and we spent hours figuring out how to get the feet to go fast enough to keep up with the aikido centrifugal action. Slowly, we figured out how the feet were supposed to cross or circle with the action of the attack. We began to go into advanced techniques, Paul excited because of all he was learning, myself grinning, because I was getting a super advanced lesson in higher Aikido that the other fellows in the school, the lower black belts, would have died for.

It takes logic to put arts together, and very few people are successful at the endeavor. I succeeded wildly, and this because I always seem to run into people that are willing to look a little deeper, and willing to share what they learn. If you think you know it all, if you’re proud, if you look down on other students, then you will never open your mind and be able to ingest all the wonderful truth that flows so freely in the universe.