AIRSOFT - where does it come from?

We all love stories. Some people prefer adventures of imagined characters like Indiana Jones, other ones are in love with the historical dramas: famous battles, glorious victories. Even if you don't like that kind of stuff you probably enjoy gossiping. Since we agree on that point it’s time to ask question what kind of stories do WE like, in particular? Of course about AIRSOFT itself. But before I start narrating about famous skirmishes let me start from the basic thing: the history of the AIRSOFT. Let’s go through the most important stages of development and check how did we get to the point we're in.

The very beginning – Japan loses World War 2

At the first glance it may look completely unrelated but in fact it was the reason why did first replicas arise. After WW2, when American Soldiers had started to occupy Japan its army was radically reduced. For the first few years there was a ban for guns, even for soldiers. Small Japanese army in order to maintain ability to defend country was forced to train with some equivalents. They needed an invention that would look like a gun, behave like a gun but wouldn’t be as fatal as a gun. Sounds familiar, isn't it? After the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, when Americans agreed that Japan needs more effective army phenomenon only developed.

Bushidō

Probably you all have heard about famous Japanese Samurais. They were highly skilled warriors with strongly developed moral code. A true samurai would rather die rather than break its rules. That kind of lifestyle was called Bushidō. It was not only a base for the Kamikaze pilots ideology but also for the basic social norms in the far East, especially those related to being honest and respecting your opponents. Fortunately that set of moral values was exported simultaneously with airsoft guns.

Japanese Samurais 

Transfer to the civilians

We may date the beginning of the AIRSOFT as a sport for the late 1970s. Even though it was illegal for Japanese people to own firearms they were very into them. As you may predict manufacturing harmless replicas was a brilliant idea: people loved them and AIRSOFT spread over other countries. In the 1980s to Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines, and at the beginning of the 1990s to western Europe and Northern America. This process still takes place: AIRSOFT is developing in central and eastern Europe, south America and God only knows where else. Millions of people all over the world shoot each other but for the first time in the history it is not a bad news.

Airsoft vs… SoftAir?

When the new sport was transferred to the USA for some time it was called SoftAir. Even until nowadays it’s pretty confusing because people use various names for one game. In fact, it was probably coined by the Daisy company: manufacturer of replicas. The owners of the company put names on its products as a kind of ad in order to increase sales. Nowadays the term SoftAir is mostly used as a synonym of Cybergun: a firm that acquired Daisy. Feel free than to play AIRSOFT itself!

AIRSOFT gun by Daisy

Where are we today?

Contemporary AIRSOFT is strongly developed all over the world. You can meet its players in every continent. There are slight local differences but in general it is all about friendship, challenge and trust. More and more players go to international meetings and  in the atmosphere of healthy competition play with their friends from foreign countries. I believe this process will only develop: more and more people will join the community and promote AIRSOFT as a great hobby and lifestyle.