I should of listen to Karda

[Jens Schuetz]

Now that is one scary proposition! 20,000 armed and trained Zulu men is nothing to scoff at. They also are very civilized to have so many armed people with so little problems. The same could be said about states with little or no gun control, those are the safest states to live in. Its the states that outlaw weapons that have issues. When you outlaw guns/knives/sticks, only the outlaws will have them. Its as simple as that, but it evades even the most educated liberal .

Ahem.
If facing an armed bad guy being unarmed is the worst thing. Agreed.
However if society as a whole has less legal guns then bad guys have less illegal guns as well.
Or do you think in gun less Germany all the bad guys travel to former East Block countries all the time to buy illegal guns?
Some do and if they are after you and you don't have a gun and the cops take at least 5 minutes you are dead meat.
Still the country as a whole has less gun violence and accidents because guns are outlawed.
Im honest. I'm an ass and care more about me and loved ones than about society so I'm pro gun just so that I can defend myself in an (admittedly super unlikely) worst case scenario. A few more dead in the country because of more legal and thus more illegal guns don't affect my personal life. I hope.

 

[gurkha berserka]

Ahem.
If facing an armed bad guy being unarmed is the worst thing. Agreed.
However if society as a whole has less legal guns then bad guys have less illegal guns as well.
Or do you think in gun less Germany all the bad guys travel to former East Block countries all the time to buy illegal guns?
Some do and if they are after you and you don't have a gun and the cops take at least 5 minutes you are dead meat.
Still the country as a whole has less gun violence and accidents because guns are outlawed.
Im honest. I'm an ass and care more about me and loved ones than about society so I'm pro gun just so that I can defend myself in an (admittedly super unlikely) worst case scenario. A few more dead in the country because of more legal and thus more illegal guns don't affect my personal life. I hope.

I am not sure I totally agree with you. I don't think more legal guns turn into more illegal guns. Take Australia for instance... They instituted a outright ban and destroyed most of their guns. Here are the stats on what happed AFTER the guns were all gone...

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent!). In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)

We will never be able to "get rid of guns", it is impossible. I think your Germany reference has more to do with the quality of life there and their economy. Germany is doing very well financial wise opposed to the rest of the world. Poverty and lack of opportunities are the biggest cause of gun violence, not the tool/gun itself. That's just my opinion... I did a rather large thesis back in my college days on this same subject and learned a lot. John Lott was hired by Handgun Control Inc. to do a study. His results were eye opening and Handgun Control Inc wanted nothing to do with their own scientific study because they didn't like the truth. Check into John Lott and it will open you eyes, he was and antigun person until he found the truth. There are more guns here in the USA than at any other time in history yet the level of gun violence has dropped steadily from the 1960's. You would never know that by the news, they try and scare us into giving up our rights. More guns = Less Crime... Its been proven over and over again.

 

[Bawanna]

I don't agree at all, your totally WRONG, but I'm not going any further on this discussion.

To say your pro gun and then type a post like that????

I dont' think so Tim.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Thanks guys. Not hijacking the threat.

Just that, will read on John Lott.

And why can't I be pro gun. I think (might change my mind after reading JLott) that even if guns harm society as a whole having one benefits my own protection. So I'm more pro gun than people who say they are only pro gun if it benefits the society.

 

[Bawanna]

I really don't care about society. I care about me and my flock. I am a sheepdog. There I said it.

Take care of your flock and society will take care of itself. Pull the teeth from the sheepdog and the wolf will have a smorgasbord of sheep to dine on.

California, New York, MA, Chicago, look around, it's easy to see.

Wait I said I was done, now I'm really done.

 

[cul4u01]

I really don't care about society. I care about me and my flock. I am a sheepdog. There I said it.

Take care of your flock and society will take care of itself. Pull the teeth from the sheepdog and the wolf will have a smorgasbord of sheep to dine on.

California, New York, MA, Chicago, look around, it's easy to see.

Wait I said I was done, now I'm really done.

Hey! I'm in California, and I'm a sheepdog! I guarantee it....well, ok, a sheepdog with illegal protection, it's only illegal, if you're caught with it, you know?

 

[J W Bensinger]

He is a banned member, so let's not dog pile too much here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan on his and have lost my cool with him before. However, in the spirit of Uncle Bill, let's just let it go. He can't defend himself...Although he would probably end up banned if left with a sufficient amount of rope to hang himself...it's happened before.

At any rate, long story short: HI rocks, we are so glad to have you here on board with us, and I think it's time to go chop something up

Well said. All in all I enjoy the two I have, and even the work was educational.
That being said, the only work I've done to any HI was to adapt the handle profile to my liking-and that's the genetic drive to mess with stuff, not a requirement.

 

[christcl]

I brought my HI AK15 to class once just to show the guys since it just arrived, they flat out said that the khukuri felt like a bizarre weapon and couldn't see how anyone with a khukuri could last against a samurai armed with a katana or even karate-doka with tonfa. I've never encountered so much arrogance in any other martial arts or gun class. In my experience, those who talk the most and proclaim the loudest and most absolutest have confidence issues. People who know they are good let their results speak for themselves and aren't shaken if they see other new or different ideas that might be pretty darn awesome as well.

BTW. I would love to see a Zulu armed with that giant shield and gladius-like spear with the giant blade go up against a samurai with a katana.

These guys are in every MA, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, European, Brazilian. In every profession or any group of humans for that matter. I bet there are even some Shotgun Gurus who want you to drink some cool-aid about which model is best or why some certain Ammo is superior.
Usually its not even about money but boosting their own ego. Works by either pretending (or actually believing) to know something better than others or by talking down other peoples knowledge and abilities.
Actually writing about them real dummies makes me feel pretty good myself ;-)
Works with MA's, opposing Parties, Football, Countries, Shotguns, Global Worming, you name it.

In MA either ignore whenever they talk crazy and only take the good stuff they can actually teach or find an entirely different set of teachers. Or get a shotgun, but it has to be Walnut. Everything else is for babies.

 

[Bawanna]

''People who know they are good let their results speak for themselves and aren't shaken if they see other new or different ideas that might be pretty darn awesome as well. ''

You pretty much described a Gurkha.

 

[cul4u01]

People who know they are good let their results speak for themselves and aren't shaken if they see other new or different ideas that might be pretty darn awesome as well.

Just my 2 cents, I have shown my HI blades to my Sifu (my M/A instructor), and he was impressed with the craftsmanship and excellence of the design, and immediately modified a short broadsword forms set (Kata for you Japanese M/A pactitioners) to utilize the khukuri's exceptional capabilities of chopping/slashing/and entrapping, by incorporating more circular movements to keep the blade moving, and keeping the practitioners body always on the "strong" side. Thus, with the blade moving, it's easier to change direction, and keeps the blade in motion; because a khukuri in motion is BIG trouble indeed.

I've always been taught to use whatever is at hand, a good M/A adjusts and is able to use anything in a lethal manner, even a bathroom towel.

I applaud you for your open mindedness and extraordinary understanding in that the best practitioner, is the one that adapts and accepts other useful systems of M/A.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

I brought my HI AK15 to class once just to show the guys since it just arrived, they flat out said that the khukuri felt like a bizarre weapon and couldn't see how anyone with a khukuri could last against a samurai armed with a katana or even karate-doka with tonfa. I've never encountered so much arrogance in any other martial arts or gun class. In my experience, those who talk the most and proclaim the loudest and most absolutest have confidence issues. People who know they are good let their results speak for themselves and aren't shaken if they see other new or different ideas that might be pretty darn awesome as well.

BTW. I would love to see a Zulu armed with that giant shield and gladius-like spear with the giant blade go up against a samurai with a katana.

I love these theoretical head exercises.
Samurai vs Viking, Speznaz vs .... and so on. Still I wouldn't claim to predict who would really win. There are a bunch of videos on YouTube were they put lot of thoughts, computer models and crash test dummies in. Still its kind of vague and some basic assumptions which the computer needs are often questionable. One guy of one martial art punches and then one of another. If one dude was stronger in this one test, does that mean his martial art and all its members are stronger on average?

Tonfa vs Kukri? I guess better than a chopstick. But a drastically curved blade can be fenced around the tonfa quite a bit. They doubt Kuks? Didn't Ninjas have sickle like weapons?
Katana? Well in an open fight, daylight, armored Samurai on horse would probably win. But is that how Gurkhas would have fought back then?
Anyways, what did you expect. They didn't know the weapon and still wanted to say something about it and then compared it in their heads against stuff they knew with a strong bias of course. If they were at least willing to discus and open to learn something new it shouldn't be an issue. I guess they weren't.
Spears are cheap and can kill a sword. Samurai knew that. There was some saying to that extent in one of the Japanese MA books I read a few years ago.

 

[J W Bensinger]

I brought my HI AK15 to class once just to show the guys since it just arrived, they flat out said that the khukuri felt like a bizarre weapon and couldn't see how anyone with a khukuri could last against a samurai armed with a katana or even karate-doka with tonfa. I've never encountered so much arrogance in any other martial arts or gun class. In my experience, those who talk the most and proclaim the loudest and most absolutest have confidence issues. People who know they are good let their results speak for themselves and aren't shaken if they see other new or different ideas that might be pretty darn awesome as well.

BTW. I would love to see a Zulu armed with that giant shield and gladius-like spear with the giant blade go up against a samurai with a katana.

I fought SCA heavy list with a rattan katana for a loooooong time, and let me tell you, shield guys are no fun at all...

 

[J W Bensinger]

I love these theoretical head exercises.
Samurai vs Viking, Speznaz vs .... and so on. Still I wouldn't claim to predict who would really win. There are a bunch of videos on YouTube were they put lot of thoughts, computer models and crash test dummies in. Still its kind of vague and some basic assumptions which the computer needs are often questionable. One guy of one martial art punches and then one of another. If one dude was stronger in this one test, does that mean his martial art and all its members are stronger on average?

Tonfa vs Kukri? I guess better than a chopstick. But a drastically curved blade can be fenced around the tonfa quite a bit. They doubt Kuks? Didn't Ninjas have sickle like weapons?
Katana? Well in an open fight, daylight, armored Samurai on horse would probably win. But is that how Gurkhas would have fought back then?
Anyways, what did you expect. They didn't know the weapon and still wanted to say something about it and then compared it in their heads against stuff they knew with a strong bias of course. If they were at least willing to discus and open to learn something new it shouldn't be an issue. I guess they weren't.
Spears are cheap and can kill a sword. Samurai knew that. There was some saying to that extent in one of the Japanese MA books I read a few years ago.

The spear was the king of the Japanese battlefield-the sword was the backup if the spear or the naginata went down. The Okinawans used the bo because it would outreach a sword-and the most common medieval English murder weapon was the quarterstaff.
Khukuri vs katana is doable-I spent a whole bear pit tournament mauling almost all comers with a dussack-18" blade-vs bastard sword, spear, pole ax and katana. All has to do with technique and violence of action.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

The spear was the king of the Japanese battlefield-the sword was the backup if the spear or the naginata went down. The Okinawans used the bo because it would outreach a sword-and the most common medieval English murder weapon was the quarterstaff.
Khukuri vs katana is doable-I spent a whole bear pit tournament mauling almost all comers with a dussack-18" blade-vs bastard sword, spear, pole ax and katana. All has to do with technique and violence of action.

From what little I know you're quite an expert in the use of blades. Maybe the others were a bit less experienced. And maybe with a Katana you might have done even better than with a Kuk?

 

[wildmanh]

Some day, I'd like to learn some Martial Arts techniques with a fast and light Khukri. Personally I think they'd do great. . .

Talk about thread drift, I love seeing the old traditions come back. Seriously though, The H.I. Forum used to be known for it. LOL!!

 

[Bawanna]

This thread drift makes me believe the earth is flat. Drops off bout Omaha I think.

 

[kronckew]

From what little I know you're quite an expert in the use of blades. Maybe the others were a bit less experienced. And maybe with a Katana you might have done even better than with a Kuk?

there is a story posted here, probably in the archives now, about a gurkha who went up against a japanese officer with a katana. it did not turn out well. he returned missing a couple of fingers. made it hard to carry the japanese guys head & katana. as i said, it did not turn out well. for the japanese guy.

in ww2 a gurkha went up against a japanese machine gun nest after shooting a sniper in a nearby tree that had wounded a few of his buddies, threw two phosphorus grenades in thru the slit, then killed 6 enemy soldiers who scrabbled out with his khukuri (they had rifles &bayonets), then crawled into the nest and killed two more with a stone, crushing their heads, as he didn't have room to swing his khukuri. he got a victoria cross. he died just recently.

just recently, a gurkha was attacked by the taliban, he fired around 250 rounds from his light machine gun, 180 rounds from his rifle, plus he used up about a dozen grenades and a claymore. the taliban swarmed up the wall where he was, and out of ammo he beat them off the wall with the bipod of his LMG. he sheepishly admitted he did not use his khukuri only because he'd forgot to bring it with him when he initially manned the position. they counted 40 talibunny dead in front of his position. he received a medal from the queen for conspicuous gallantry.

all in all, it's not the particular tool that is the ultimate weapon, it's the man using it.

 

[Jens Schuetz]

Of course JW or any Gurkha would have killed a few with a toothpick. But with an SAK it would have been a few more with a Kuk even more and a howitzer way more. Tools are important and if you have enough tests with different people you can take the man out of the equation and see which tool is best.

I do horibble with a manual screw driver. However with an electrical one I should beat even the fastest manual guys most of the time. Of course there can be some extreme exceptions and they will make the guiness books and news and some might even quote them as the norm.

When did a Gurkha kill a Samurai? WW2? There were no Samurai. Maybe some Japanese officer who carried a Samurai sword.
Also again it's one incident. Maybe the best Gurkha met the worst Samurai that day or the guy had diarrhoea? Maybe the Gurkha could have beheaded 20 Samurai that day and kept his fingers if he had an even better blade than a Kuk. Not saying there are any better tools but there might and maybe a Gurkha with a Katana could be even deadlier. Maybe.

 

[gurkha berserka]

Officially, the Samurai were banned, literally, legally, from the 1880's onward, the begining of the Meiji restoration era which I believe lasted until the mid 1920's. The transition into the 20th century was more painful for Japan than it was for everyone else; although its Samurai had protected Japan from European colonialism due to its geographical and political isolation, in the end that same isolation and close mindedness, left it too weak to dictate diplomatic terms with Commodore Perry's "black ships."

Although the Samurai were at an end their ideals, temperament, and "soul" were still ingrained in the hearts of the Japanese warriors. Bushido is alive and well today even though the Samurai have passed. Many of us today still live everyday as if it were out last... that is Bushido. Frugality, mastering ones martial arts, honor unto death are sadly missed in todays culture. Shinto and Zen Buddhism also influenced the Bushido way of life.

Bushido is still alive and well in many parts of the world as I am sure you are aware. The Samurai survives today in the souls of modern warriors. A mans soul is the greatest weapon!

 

[Shavru]

Just to throw in a couple pennies. Samarai were Archers first and spearmen second. The Naginata and Yari were the primary close quarter weapon until rifles made them basically obsolete. After they became easily available in Japan the matchlock rifle eventually greatly changed how Samurai fought. Contrary to popular belief, the rifle had nothing to do with the decline of the Samurai, who were the first to embrace the new weapon when it was introduced. Men like Nobunaga Oda for instance was notable for being among the first to use large numbers of rifles in combat. Also some Samurai specialized as snipers.

Swordsmanship, while the most famous Samurai fighting style, was far less common than typically depicted in battles. The katana, along with other swords, were mostly symbolic weapons. Samurai were well trained in their use for this reason AND for use as a "police force" during times of peace but they were less commonly used in actual warfare. The nodachi and odachi while long enough to match a spears length, where so difficult to forge that both were very rare. The introduction of firearms made the katana a much more common Samurai fighting style in combat. The value of spears dropped significantly as firearms became more commonly used. At that time many Samurai chose to simply use the katana in close quarters combat rather than carrying a spear, in addition to their rifle, bow, sword, and any additional weapons. Some Samurai, would only carry a katana into battle. This was done as a demonstration of confidence in their troops abilities rather than a confidence in this particular weapon.

Sorry just had to get some of the basics covered. Now on with the discussion...