Mike Chen (陳大宇) has a thing for World War II. He often dons the light gray uniform of the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) famous Big Knife Troop (大刀隊) and reenacts anti-Japanese campaigns as a member of the Fukuo Association (復國會). Last weekend, he paid NT$100 and appeared in full regalia at the 2007 Taipei Hooha Military Toys Show (台北武哈祭冬季展), a three-day trade fair that occupied the third floor of the Taipei Youth Activity Center like a military invasion.
His replica Mauser C-96 "Broomhandle" pistol stuffed into an authentic wooden holster, meter-long Chinese greatsword slung across his back, Chen showed off his gear and posed for photographers on the catwalk at what was billed as Asia's largest convention for military buffs. More than 5,000 fans, many wearing complete US army fatigues or 1930's vintage Nazi German tank commander outfits, mingled with toy gun salesmen, purveyors of action figures and models wearing bikini tops and camouflage hot pants.
Though uniformed guests like Chen attracted most of the attention at last weekend's convention, the focus was on the sale of airsoft guns, authentic-looking replicas of real firearms that shoot plastic pellets and are used in combat sport games similar to paintball or laser tag. Airsoft originated in Japan and by the 1970s had become popular in Taiwan and other East Asian countries where possession of real guns is illegal. Airsoft magazines, or clips, hold hundreds of plastic 6mm BBs. Airsoft sniper rifles use 8mm BBs and can be accurate at distances of up to 50m. Being hit with one round stings, being shot with a sudden burst of pellets hurts.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF COMBAT KING
Coober Hsu (許麗怡), an editor at Combat King (戰鬥王) magazine, the convention's organizer, estimates more than 20 serious teams are active in the greater Taipei area, with more than 300 scattered across the country. Most teams are comprised of around two dozen people, while the largest embrace up to 10 times as many.
The biggest airsoft events used to take place in Japan, Hsu said, but the killing of an old woman there with a BB gun that had been modified to take unregulated amounts of carbon dioxide for extra power prompted a government crackdown on the sport there. "This was Asia's biggest show this year," Chen said. "If not for the typhoon warnings, there would have been even more people."
While it is illegal to brandish a replica firearm in a public place anywhere in Taiwan, there are plenty of shops in Taipei and courses in Taipei County that cater to military re-enactors and airsoft players. Some enthusiasts, like Chen, are avid students of a specific conflict; in his case, KMT dictator Chiang Kai-shek's (蔣介石) ultimately doomed attempt to defend the Great Wall of China (長城抗戰) against what the Japanese called Operation Nekka.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF COMBAT KING
Most players, though, just like dressing up as soldiers - uniforms worn by the US army, police SWAT teams and the German GSG9 elite counter-terrorism unit being among the most popular styles - and shooting at people. Until a few years ago, it was possible to do this in the city, at an empty school in Dazhi (大直) and a former Army base near Taipei 101. Now airsoft players go to abandoned buildings in Taipei County, including a former bus terminal in Sinjhuang (新莊), or head to jungle courses in the southern suburb of Sindian (新店) or to the northwest in Wuchihshan (五指山). Most are men in their 30s or 40s, and 10 to 20 percent of players at any given course are women.
Games usually follow an honor system: a player who is shot leaves the game or has to wait for a short period of time before re-entering. Alternatively, some follow a different set of rules: a player doesn't "die" until he or she can't stand the pain of being hit with multiple bursts of plastic pellets. Most people get shot at a range of around 5m. It is considered impolite to shoot someone who is closer than 3m.
A new airsoft AK-47, the weapon of choice for players who favor a minimalist, economical approach to the game, can be bought for NT$6,000 to NT$7,000. AK-47 buffs recommend buying an extra magazine and second battery, along with a mask that protects the eyes, face and ears. Wear baggy clothes that don't retain heat but cushion the sting, and a baseball cap turned backwards protect the neck. And invest in an inexpensive sidearm like a Glock replica (NT$5,000) - which, like most airsoft handguns is powered by a gas cylinder - in case something goes wrong with the Kalashnikov.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF COMBAT KING
Alternatively, Combat King's Chen recommends beginners purchase a replica US M-4 or Russian AK-74 made by Japanese brand Tokyo Marui. He said other companies' versions of the UK standard-issue bullpup-style L85 assault rifle are also good guns for beginners. In addition to a helmet and head-protecting mask, he says players should wear a mock Kevlar vest, which takes the sting out of being shot in the abdomen or groin. (Those who favor simplicity, however, say the vests are too hot, especially in summer.) Airsoft weapons can be modified with more powerful springs for increased muzzle velocity, though only other people with similarly enhanced guns will take on someone with a more powerful gun, and some courses will check a gun's calibration. Other add-ons include a red dot scope, a laser scope, different barrels, BB "grenade" launchers and larger magazines.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Many airsoft shops also organize teams and welcome beginners interested in the sport. The following Taipei airsoft shops have been recommended by Combat King magazine and foreign enthusiasts.
Shilin's War Wolf Family (榔頭模型), at 17, Ln 38 Hougang Rd (台北市士林區後港街38巷17號) organizes the Hammer airsoft club, which includes foreigners. For more information, log on at www.bbgunworld.com.tw or call (02) 2885-8856.
In Taipei's Songshan District, TOT (TOT生存遊戲專賣) sells airsoft guns and its team has defeated the city police department's SWAT team in an annual competition. TOT is located at 310, Songlong Rd, Taipei (台北市松隆路310號) and can be reached at (02) 2760-2168.
Modal Work, in Neihu at 19, Alley 28, Ln 30 Chenggong Rd, (台北市內湖區成功路30巷28弄19號), is another Taipei shop popular with English-speakers. For more information, call (02) 2795-6039 or go to www.modelwork.com.tw.
Source: Taipei Times
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