Sword Ban Petition!

Andy nice one!

 

Nice one Andy!

It affects most of MAP and theres multiple threads on it across the forum, so I'm ok with it.

Let me know what you want doing or if you spot anything and I will get it looked at

 

Thanks guys. I'm crapping bricks. If I screw this up I'll go down in history as the guy who lost us our swords!

Incidentally, believe me when I say I didn't want this at all. But now I've got it so I'd just better do the best job I can.

 

Like I said in PM, I believe seeing is believing. I'm sure the JSA community all over the UK could put on a stunning demo of the Japanese sword.

All you need to do is find a willing and influencial audience for us to blow the socks off.

 

Do you have a copy of the home office consultation documentation, I have, I'm not sure how to get it to you but I'm willing to drive up from Pontypridd if you need it, or any other help if you need that too.

Dave H

 

I'm game. It would take a hell of a lot of networking, but I'm game.

 

All help and offers gratefully received!

I've got approximately two months to draft and submit this report. I've already got some notes made. However, I'm not going to do anything firm until the weekend when I can really sit down, study the paperwork and make some proper notes from which to begin.

I think that Scott's idea (by PM) of a programme of education, perhaps including demonstrations of some description may have some merit. Certainly I want to incorporate some form of description within the report whereby the reader can gain an outline understanding of the various types of swordsmanship practiced, the equipment used and so forth. But I'm going to have to bear in mind the target audience. This will be read by politicians, not martial artists. I'll need to use the kind of language they understand to a large degree.

 

This was just brought to my attention by one of my colleagues.

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-ban-offensive-weapons-0307

The Consultation Questions are as follows (see the .pdf document for full details):

1. Should curved, single edged swords (sometimes known as “samurai swords”) be added to the Offensive Weapons Order?
2. Do you agree with the definition as suggested and should there also be a minimum length of blade for the weapon?
3. Should there be any exemptions for genuine Japanese swords? On what grounds?
4. Should there be an exemption for martial arts practitioners? How should this exemption be framed?
5. Are there other weapons which have been used in violent crime that should be banned?
6. If so, how are these weapons best described?
7. Are their any exceptions, exemptions or defences in respect of existing offensive weapons which should be added?

May 28th is not that far away. In addition to Andy's petition, this could help curb Her Majesty's government's ol' jerky knee when regarding swordsmanship in the UK (Not just Japanese sword arts, but also classical & traditional Chinese and Western sword arts as well)

Well? What are you standing around gawping at the screen for? Chop chop!

 

Just bumping this back up, since it is of importance to numerous British Mappers.

 

And welcome back to the UK...
Hope the flight wasn't too rough...Oh, I decided, I'm staying here in Japan for the forseable...
I'll still sign it though...Just like Japan more..

 

Thanks Fifth.

Nah the flight was fine apart from a screaming over-priveliged three year old. :bang: Kid had more toys than Hamleys with him and he was still having temper tantrums.

If a ban is set in place despite our efforts, I think a good response would be to campaign for a licence law to enable legitimate practicioners of any sword based martial art to continue their study with both live and dulled blades.

If anything, I think a licence system like they have in Japan would be a good thing. You only have shinken licenced in Japan, the same could be done here, which means iaito and mozato would be exempt from this law, since they cannot be sharpened. In Japan, they have what is called a Juhotoken Torokushomeisho or in English, a firearms and sword registration certificate/licence.

It might be a way of compromising if things turn sour.

 

Well a response was recieved from the Government regarding the sword ban, as anyone who petitioned will have recieved the e-mail. The response is not favourable.

So do we take that as a "NO"?

 

The response is typical of the government - "we are in power, and we say no and you cant do anything about it! Ha ha ha!!"

:bang: :woo:

 

But the reply specifically mentions samurai swords. I'll be fine with my Chinese Broadsword and Butterfly knives.

 

Hehe ban samurai swords. I use a nihonto, seeing as the samurai class was abolished.

 

Citizen, if a police officer says it is a "samurai sword", then it's a "Samurai sword" it's going to be confiscated if he wishes it so.

Civil liberties in the UK mean naff all these days, otherwise, we'd still be able to demonstrate at parliament square, rather than one mile away in an exclusion zone.

 

Okay, let's for the sake of argument say a sword is a sword is a sword right? You go out and about swinging it it's going to get taken off you and you're going to be sleeping in a jail cell.

Now, what about Kwan Daos?

 

What will the police see? A sword on a polearm. You're nicked sunbeam. :woo:

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!


When the heck did that happen ? No one sent me the memo.

 

Do we know what the haps is with this ridiculous law? I've just realised that the shop opposite my work place no longer have swords on display either in the window or in the shop itself...