Too Cool

[JOHN THURSTON]

Sensei:

Of course I am envious of the Bowie as well as the ones Hugh recommended.

Either Raffei Sense Or Wes Tasker wold be great guest instructors and I hope to reopen the guest instructor workouts when is gets warmer.

Hopefully they can come.

Of course an open invitation is extended to you Sensei Van and you Sensei Fred at any time that you are feelong ok and not too busy.

It's a Haul to Nowell.

I wish Hugh could come and just pass on his general and extenive knowledge of blades and blafe construction.

Although I m unlikely yo "swing it" Hugh's input of the appararent Depeeka Spatha owuld be good to have on hand.

I will repost some observations of the Hanwei Gladius.

It is comfrotable, needs polish and is a bit blade light---but then the Legiones perhaps up to (when Hugh do you think---the time of Constantine??) emphazed poont work.

The real basic thoughts I put up were just intended as an attempt to allow a karateka to more or less intantly have some guidlines.

The T'ai Chi "ward off' when performed with a protected arm wold seem to be logical.

Of of out stdents made the 'point' to keep "palms up" to minimize the obvious 'bleed out' type of cut.

Trying to control a knofe wielder with a Uechi Grab (altough critical in open hand) seems like a bad Idea when facing a bladed weapon.

It sounds silly, but wearing a sweatshirt and carrying a heavy but flexible paid of leater glove seems to be a common sense thing in some areas.

I appears, accroding to some sources, to be an almost endless pit of trouble to pull a firearm, although one does what one must do.

However, soometimes a pistol is hard to pull quickly and one could, intheory, pull ones suit jacket, coat or sweatshirt quckily over one lead arm (your choice-strong or weak side forward) and simultaneous thus allowing the use of some Karate or TC blocks from one's 'basic training".

This hypothesis would be very much bolstered by having a legal knife if the "offhand".

(Kali Fence Sensei Van--see I do read your stuff.)

I have also instituted 'sparrijg' with foam wrapped PVC safe Bo replicas.

We use football helms or paintball masks) and it seems to me that sparing with a covered arm and rubber knife and a Shortsword sized Shinai in conjuction with the "sqaurish" lick bags might, at lest, be fun and instructive.


Hugh--the Spatha review???

Toughts please.

This is not my area of expertise.

Anther common sense thought is not to try and grapple against knives at, at least, my level of skill.

A deep cut will, as Sesnei Van has often noted, bleed one out in minutes, so covering up "fist and wrist" on one side and wield one's hopefully legal knife on the off side jsut seems to make sense.

Maybe I can get some red paint for one class and paint the point and edge (not on $300 Gis) to test refelexes and thoeries.

Ideally, fo me, if legal, the Bowie swon with the wooden handle and leather lanyard (strong, 2/4 tanded with a deadly point and wicked sharp blade, would be ideal, If, again, it is legal. legal.

Haven't found anything that says it would not be legal to carry this weapon.

But use of deadly force would be judged harshly.

The retreat doctrine (except modified by the so called castle law) is in effect in the street.