Welcome to Gaia! ::

I have a guild based off of the end of the world situation. I ask that anyone with survival, fighting, building, cooking, and any other experience with surviving to join my guild. There is a facebook page also. It is based off of real life. Please join if you want to survive. The guild name is the post topic.

Agreed ... you can have the skills ... but to focus solely on survival tactics ... well you kinda end up like that gun guy from Tremors ... or Sarah Conor ...

The problem is you can never truly be ready ... the world could end in so many ways (flood, plague, war, famine, astroid, alien invasion, hell for some, financial decline) ... when it happens ... it happens ... it is right now that matters ... living life to the fullest at this moment ... not to worry about the supposed end ...

It does not hurt to prepare on a basic level. Martial artists already have a leg up, since they are already accustomed to adverse situations and defensive tactics. So take the following as given in any of the potential situations that could result in the "end of the world":

1) Not one time in history has any disease totally wiped out all members of a species. Species extinction from disease tends to stem from lack of remnant breeding population and inability to innoculate. Therefore, in a human-disease situation, proper quarantining and potential medical breakthrough reduce the risk of extinction level disease to almost nothing even in the event of extreme diseases such as anthrax.

2) Most apocalypse level situations that do not render the surface of the planet uninhabitable (i.e. asteroid contact, sun going nova, etc.) are survivable by pockets of humanity if not the larger part of the population. Sustenance of a species population and repopulation typically requires (in humans and simians) roughly 1000-2000 breeding pairs, or 2000-4000 people to maintain genetic diversity acting on the assumption of a roughly equivalent male-female ratio.

3) Zombification is unlikely, but fun to speculate on. However, I think that falls under the province of the first likelihood and the author Max Brooks.

4) Given that post-apocalyptic events will result in significant portions of the population reverting to instinctive behaviors as dictated by Stone Age predecessors. Hunter-gatherer behavior and group survival are prevalent, as is a general degeneration of modern social order into a more pack-like format supporting an alpha of some sort (or a matriarch, in certain world demographics). This, of course, leads to hostile interaction between "packs" or perhaps "tribes" would be a better word. In this situation, it is not hard to imagine habits that promote Darwinistic expansion to become prevalent.

So given the above, if you are to survive in an post-apocalyptic situation (regardless of cause!) then you are already a leg up if you are a martial artist for the following list of reasons:

1) Martial artists in general tend to exhibit better self-discipline and an awareness of "greater good" mentality that helps to prevent the development of pack mentality.

2) I believe the self defense aspect is self explanatory in this case.

3) Martial artists tend to be more adaptable, as they have trained for years to hone their minds to alter on the fly for changing situations.

4) People who give in to the "only-the-strong-survive" mentality need to be weeded out if society is to be rebuilt. Martial artists act far more responsibly in this role than most.

Having a leg up does not necessitate paranoid survivalist reaction. I live in Montana, and we have more than our fair share of back woods survivalists who are determined that the government is out to get them and they can survive for years without power, communication, and so on. This is an unrealistic goal for most, as it is expensive and time-consuming on a level that most people will never attain. More realistic are basic precautions. In the even of an apocalyptic event, listen to the local authorities and follow instructions. While Hollywood often makes this out to be a bad idea, I hardly see how it can be too horrible a plan to listen to the people who have received special training to deal with situations such as this. Have a few backup supplies just in case, such as a flashlight, a few spare blankets, perhaps some leftover MREs if you can get them. Water is easy to keep in jugs, just be certain to boil it first so that it stays fresh longer. If you can get to a store to buy and stock up on distilled water, so much the better. A small radio will help to listen to the instructions of the authorities and keep tabs on the situation.

DO NOT run out to the nearest hunting store and buy a rifle/pistol/crossbow/bow/chakram/throwing axe/bola and so on. If you don't have one, it'll be too late when the end hits. I myself keep a .45 magnum which I practice with regularly, but I do not like guns over much. It's simply a precaution, and something fun to do with friends on a Sunday afternoon.

Have a plan regarding rendezvous with people you intend to work with in the event of an event. Be prepared to travel, with necessary supplies in the event that you must go a long ways to find a military base or police station. Avoid hospitals, as these will be crammed with the unprepared. Your friends and family will stop looking at you like you're nuts when the event occurs and your plan can take smooth action. Do not seek a stronghold of any sort until you are certain it is safe to do so. My own recommendation is that once you stop hearing from the authorities, it's time to consider finding a place to colonize with whatever people you can gather.

The final admonition is this: martial artists are a very cooperative group of people as a rule and can use this to their advantage to formulate pockets of harmonious civilization that can ride out whatever storm has taken place until either the authorities can reestablish control or government as necessary can be formed. Do not be immediately hostile. Give people a chance to prove that they are friendly and helpful. Everyone has to work together to survive in this sort of situation. Choose a leader and stick by them. Decide on a destination and stick to it. Have a plan, trust your martial artist, and you'll survive the end of the world to start anew.