typewriting_monkey wrote:
Would an Aikido practitioner learn to use various weapons simply for the sake of defending him/herself from those who would use them offensively,
yes.
typewriting_monkey wrote:
or do Aikido practitioners occasionally use weapons for offensive purposes (i.e. knocking someone unconscious, assistance in a joint lock, etc.)?
I guess my answer to that question is:
if one needs to. A good example I thought of is in the case of multiple attackers, I'd lock them all up I could. Given that I only have two hands, I wouldn't mind knocking someone unconscious.
-Adrian