FEATURE
ACTION AIR - TAIWAN
THE
AIRSOFT ACTION’S “MAN IN
TAIWAN”, STEWBACCA, GETS
HIS GROOVE ON AS HE WRITES
ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO
TAIWAN AND INTO ACTION AIR
OF ACTION AIR
“In East Midlands; Lincolnshire, born and raised,
on the airsoft forums was where I spent most of my days,
planning games, arguing and buyin’ softin’ goods,
then shooting friends and strangers out in Midlands woods.
“When a few politicians worked up some reports,
and started making it harder for me to play my sport
I got fed up of the laws and to myself, I despaired;
I’m moving to Taiwan, and getting into Action Air!”
T
hat somewhat (intentionally) whimsical and musical summary
as a nod to everyone’s favourite Will Smith TV series, at least
sets the scene for a subset of my numerous activities since I
arrived in Taiwan in late 2017. While a lot of my previous writing
and playing has been centred around “traditional” skirmishing - if
there is such a thing - and particularly a focus on CQB games,
indoor or urban playing and involvement in Copehill Down
weekenders or operations in Spain before my move abroad, since
arriving on my island paradise I’ve become increasingly aware of
Airsoft IPSC, or “Action Air” practical shooting disciplines.
With the long-standing restrictions in Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Macau and, of course, the Chinese Mainland that mirror the last
few decades of tightening firearms regulations in the UK, those
who wanted to get involved in target shooting and related sports
on this side of the world usually had to resort to trips to Thailand
or Cambodia - including myself, having finally gotten hands on
with a real M16A1 and AKM in Siem Reap back in 2015, on my
third trip to Asia.
Whilst IDPA and IPSC are growing in the less restrictive Asian
countries - including a great deal of shooting sports or public
ranges and firearms ownership in the Philippines these days -
those of us who are less mobile, or want to practice on a regular
basis, are “relegated” to the use of airsoft GBB pistols to get our
fix and work on our drills.
6MM TRAINING
The transferability of weapons handling experiences gained in
airsoft, being applied in real steel environments, is probably
worth an entirely separate article when I find the opportunity. No
doubt most people are aware of TRex Arms’ Lucas Botkin, taking
a Japanese player, Liku (who had never had experience of real
firearms but plenty of GBB usage), under his wing and having
him burn down the range among more seasoned US real steel
“WITH THE LONG-STANDING RESTRICTIONS IN TAIWAN, HONG KONG, MACAU AND,
OF COURSE, THE CHINESE MAINLAND THAT MIRROR THE LAST FEW DECADES OF
TIGHTENING FIREARMS REGULATIONS IN THE UK, THOSE WHO WANTED TO GET
INVOLVED IN TARGET SHOOTING AND RELATED SPORTS ON THIS SIDE OF THE WORLD
USUALLY HAD TO RESORT TO TRIPS TO THAILAND OR CAMBODIA ”
28
JUNE 2020