Sword Stories.

[arnisador]

Crossbows, samurai swords to be banned (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/02/1056825457398.html)
Swords banned in crackdown on gang violence (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1061207.htm)

Swords to be banned in Victoria.

[Sheldon Bedell]

Fighting in the streets with cross bows and swords
makes me think that I'm in a time warp
Must be some nasty gangs

[arnisador]

Machetes cutting a wider swath of fear in U.S. communities (http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=MACHETES-03-02-06&cat=AN)




One jurisdiction that is wrestling with machete problem is Fairfax County, Va., a sprawling suburb of Washington. Police there have tallied more than 110 machete cases in recent years. Most were linked to gangs, particularly the notorious and fast-expanding Latino gang Mara Salvatrucha, whose members have been identified in more than two-dozen states. Also known as MS-13, the gang has adopted machetes as the weapon of choice, at least partly because of the fear the blades engender with their implied threat of gruesome wounds or even death.

[arnisador]

He's 18, plays basketball and carries this ... (http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/meet-a-melbourne-teenager/2006/03/10/1141701695883.html)



WHEN this one and his mates are out and about, so are their knives. Sometimes he takes his sword, a brutal 30-centimetre, scimitar-shaped blade with a curling dragon handle, that he bought for 100 bucks in a Deer Park hobby shop and has to carry in his footy bag.

But that is mainly for show — a frightener. Most nights he takes what he calls his cleaver, a 15-centimetre, wide-bladed butcher's knife that is easier to hide in a pocket or down the back of his pants


The second page contains some interesting data:



Ms Nixon said this week that police statistics showed knife attacks had fallen over the last 12 months. But the Australian Bureau of Statistics says knives are still used in 28 per cent of homicides and 32 per cent of attempted murders, compared with firearms, which figure in 13 per cent of killings.

RMIT University associate professor Julian Bondy, author of a four-year study into knives carried by young people, says most who do so — which is a minority — say it is because they feel vulnerable, have little confidence in traditional authority figures, or because of bad experiences such as being bullied or threatened. Most never used them and eventually grew out of the need to carry them, he says. Those who do use them are often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, unemployed, have been involved in drugs and/or been victims of crime themselves.

Professor Bondy says banning so-called fantasy knives is not the solution. The overwhelming majority of attacks are with what Ms Nixon this week described as "garden-variety kitchen knives".

Associate Professor Ken Polk from the University of Melbourne's criminology department agrees. "People reach for what's available," he says, adding that that holds especially true for domestic killings. "People have been using knives in domestics for a long, long time and houses have lots of knives. So I don't see much possibility through weapon control of reducing those."

A former Melbourne criminal barrister, now a judge, says there is a grim saying in legal circles: "The Staysharp is a barrister's best friend. It keeps us in work. Most people who get stabbed, it's done with a knife out of the chopping block," he says. "It's not these great monsters, the Crocodile Dundee type, you can't conceal them. My experience is that most people are stabbed with knives less than six or seven inches long out of the kitchen drawer."


When are there too many blades for a blip? (http://www.theage.com.au/news/editorial/when-are-there-too-many-blades-for-a-blip/2006/03/11/1141701729445.html)

More statistics.

[arnisador]

Man convicted of ‘honour killing’ of sister’s lover (http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=world_news&month=november2005&file=world_news200511243477.xml)

I often see people ask whether anyone still studies the Arabian scimitar. I don't know about that, but here's a case of it being used against someone:




LONDON: A man was found guilty at a London court on Tuesday of the "honour killing" of a man who had a secret relationship with his sister.

Afghan-born Ahmed Bashir, 21, was hacked to death after 20-year-old Nighat Afsar's family found out about their relationship, which they deemed an insult to their "honour" as Muslims.

Her brother Waseem Afsar and Nisar Khan chased Bashir into a garden and inflicted 40 stab wounds, mainly to the groin, with a scimitar sword and a 10-inch (25.4-cm) knife.
As he tried to intervene, Bashir's friend Abdul Ebrahimkhail, 24, was also wounded

Surely that man with the sword isn't. . . oh yes he is (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/03/14/nroyal14.xml&sSheet=/portal/2006/03/14/ixportal.html)

There are many stories on this scimitar demonstration for the Prince of Wales on his visit to one of Britain's biggest Sikh temples, in Hounslow, west London, in advance of a visit to India. There was also a Gatka dDemo.:



At the end of the visit, they sat down to watch the traditional Sikh martial art, Gatka - which dates from the early 17th century - performed by the Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara, from Leyton, east London.

The 14-strong group, whose youngest member was only five, demonstrated Gatka moves with sticks. Then more experienced members staged mock duels with large ceremonial swords called kirpans.

The team, whose members include a chiropractor, an engineer, a police officer and a teacher, travel the world demonstrating the ancient art.
Gatka was originally practised by the Sikhs in the Punjab to defend themselves against the Mogul invaders.

According to its adherents, it is so effective that when the Golden Temple was attacked in 1984 by the Indian Army, four Sikh warriors stood at the doors swinging their swords in a Gatka movement and no Indian soldier could get close to them.

[arnisador]

Man arrested over tomahawk attack (http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18522912-29277,00.html)



A 19-year-old man will face court in Perth tomorrow after a tomahwak attack on a middle-aged man at a train station.

The attack, which took place at 1am yesterday at the Kelmscott Railway Station left a 48-year-old with serious head and facial injuries.

Thumb hacked off in tomahawk attack (http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fingers-chopped-off-in-tomahawk-attack/2006/03/23/1142703476687.html)



An apparent row over a woman in Leichhardt has resulted in a 22-year-old having his thumb hacked off by a tomahawk, police say.

The victim was visiting a house in Allen Street, Leichhardt, around 2am when a fight broke out between him and a 33-year-old man who lives at the address.

He suffered lacerations to his hands and face, as well as having one of his thumbs severed.

[arnisador]

Machete-wielding youths fight in E. Timor (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060531/ap_on_re_as/east_timor_violence_92;_ylt=AoqY3AqdLLvPijXszaGGFN jCeiEB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl)


Machete-wielding youths battled in East Timor's capital Wednesday amid burning and looting as more foreign troops bolstered a force struggling to stop the unrest that has destabilized the country.


Roaming bands of youths fired sling shots, threw rocks and hacked rivals with machetes.

[arnisador]

Sale of swords to be outlawed under new measures to fight blade crime

(http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1180732006)


SWORDS will be banned from sale in Scotland in a new effort to tackle the country's "booze and blades" culture.

[arnisador]

Busta Rhymes won't face weapons possession charge


A judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors could not charge Busta Rhymes with possession of a weapon — a machete found inside a sport utility vehicle — following his Aug. 12 arrest on an assault charge.

[...]

According to prosecutor Harrison Schweiloch, a machete was found in the rear seat pocket of an SUV in which Rhymes was a passenger when he was arrested following a performance at the AmsterJam Music Festival on Randall's Island.

[arnisador]

Sword attacker's release condemned (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2074494.stm)


A parishioner at a church where a man attacked the congregation with a samurai sword has condemned his early release from a secure mental hospital.

Police hunting mystery swordsman (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/6251079.stm)



The officers were threatened by a man with a knife after they discovered armed men trying to break into a house in Laygate, South Shields.


Another man armed with a samurai sword appeared and attacked the man with the knife, before leaving the scene.


Stepson gets 25 years to life in samurai-sword killing (http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007701180378)

[monkey]

The only sword story i know of is

1998 Mike Jackson gave a concert in Japan!
As a gift they gave him a great sword from their archives & Samuri uniform!
When going threw coustoms--the singer was searched &
the sword taken!
No Archive item can leave the country with out propper documentaion!
Do to the singer lost of said or not getting it!
The sword was returned to it's spot in the archives!
He did get to keep the authentic Samari Uniform!
I have the photos of it to this day!

[arnisador]

Teen's sword picture can go in yearbook (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_re_us/yearbook_lawsuit)



Rhode Island's education commissioner ordered a high school on Friday to publish a yearbook photo showing a teenage medieval enthusiast with a sword.

Portsmouth High School authorities can regulate editorial content in the yearbook, but they acted unreasonably by rejecting Patrick Agin's photo, hearing officer Paul Pontarelli wrote in a ruling approved by Education Commissioner Peter McWalters.


Agin, a 17-year-old fan of the Middle Ages, wore chain mail and slung a prop sword over his shoulder for his senior portrait at Portsmouth High School. School officials said the picture violated a zero-tolerance policy on weapons and rejected the picture for the yearbook.

[arnisador]

Brazilian pries grandson from anaconda death grip

(http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070209/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_brazil_anaconda)


A 66-year-old Brazilian man wrestled with a 15-foot (5-metre) anaconda for nearly half an hour to free his grandson from the snake's crushing death grip, local media reported on Friday.


Joaquim Pereira was driving home when he heard the screams of Matheus and his cousin Flavio, 8, who ran to get help.


Pereira jumped into the ravine and grappled with the snake, which started coiling around him as well.


"I started fighting the animal and tried to loosen its grip on the boy's neck but the snake was too strong," Pereira told the Bom Dia newspaper of Sao Jose do Rio Preto.


Pereira then attacked it with stones and a machete.


"I kept hitting it with the machete but it felt like a rubber tyre, it wouldn't tear," he said.


He killed it after a long struggle to free the boy, who needed 21 stitches on his chest where the snake bit him.

[arnisador]

Sword fight ensues after S.C. break-in (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRF_SWORD_FIGHT?SITE=ININS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT)


A man toting a 3-foot sword apparently met his match when he broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment: The woman's roommate grabbed a sword of his own and sliced the intruder, police said.

The roommate, a sword collector, fended off the ex-boyfriend, who was cut on the arm, police said.


Elvis Javier Polanco, 18, was treated at a hospital and charged with burglary and aggravated assault, Beaufort County sheriff's Capt. Toby McSwain said. He said Polanco broke a window and climbed on his friend's shoulders to get into the apartment.


The roommate, Louis Delgado Hernandez, disarmed the intruder while the woman called police, McSwain said.

[arnisador]

Teen's sword picture can go in yearbook (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_re_us/yearbook_lawsuit)

According to a 16 March story in USA Today, a new policy has been instituted that prohibits students from posing with any objects as a work-around for this situation. So, no sword pictures in the future.

[arnisador]

Retired British couple left for dead in Caribbean machete horror (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/08/04/brit-pair-left-for-dead-in-paradise-machete-horror-115875-21569759/)


Robbers burst into home

A retired British couple were fighting for their lives last night after a brutal machete attack at their Caribbean holiday home.

Peter and Murium Green suffered appalling injuries as the robbers hacked at them with the blades when they burst into the property.

Mrs Green, 59, had part of her jaw chopped off but incredibly managed to crawl out on to the road to call for help.

Mr Green, 65, had wounds to his head, eyes and nose and has been placed in an induced coma.

[arnisador]

Crackdown on samurai swords (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/crackdown-on-samurai-swords-1874325.html)

Weapon finally banned after a surge of violent assaults (http://www.independent.ie/national-news/crackdown-on-samurai-swords-1874325.html)


Ireland bans samurai swords, effective yesterday:


A BAN on samurai swords, which are being used increasingly in violent assaults, will come into operation today.


The swords have been added to a list of offensive weapons as a result of changes to existing legislation. Anyone found guilty of being involved in the sale, hire, manufacture or importation of the swords will face a jail sentence of up to seven years from today.


The list already includes weapons such as flick knives, machetes and knuckle dusters and is contained in the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act.


The legislative changes will target easily obtained samurai swords, which are more likely to be used by criminals.



But exemptions to the ban are included to cover samurai swords manufactured before 1954, when Japan introduced a regulatory system.

[arnisador]

Hopkins student kills intruder with samurai sword, police say (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story)

Off-campus house was burglarized Monday; suspect recently freed from county jail (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-sword0915,0,4027961.story)



A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday, a Baltimore police spokesman said.

More info.:
Cops: Student uses sword to kill intruder (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32855934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/)

Cuts off man's hand, lacerates his upper body, police say (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32855934/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/)

[arnisador]

Looters roam Haiti streets as US troops pour in (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5irFaS-I42NVauCpGyZdfflHVQD8A)


Machete-wielding looters brought more terror to Haiti streets Friday as US troops poured into the quake-ravaged nation to start streaming tons of aid to traumatized and destitute people.
[...]
"Men suddenly appeared with machetes to steal money," said Evelyne Buino, a young beautician, after a long night in a neighborhood not far from the ruined city center. "This is just the beginning."


"We need to protect and guard (our home). There are many armed men, a lot of looting," Eglide Victor, whose shabbily built house was the only one left standing on his street in the heart of the Haitian capital, told AFP.

[sjansen]

People always think that guns are the problem until gangs are forced to use much more barbaric methods of killing. They don't kill less, it just hurts more. Look at Australia or Great Britian. They took guns out of law abiding citizens hands and had to deal with sword and knife threats which they can't contrl. It just led to law abiding citizens being lambs for the slaughter.