Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 20:36:02 -0800 From: eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: Eskrima digest, Vol 10 #406 - 5 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.13.cisto1 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: eskrima-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13.cisto1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net X-Subscribed-Address: fma@martialartsresource.com List-Id: Eskrima-FMA discussion forum, the premier FMA forum on the Internet. List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Unsubscribe: , List-Help: Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: Send Eskrima mailing list submissions to eskrima@martialartsresource.net To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/eskrima or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to eskrima-request@martialartsresource.net You can reach the person managing the list at eskrima-admin@martialartsresource.net When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Eskrima digest..." <<---- The Sudlud-Inayan Eskrima/Kali/Arnis/FMA mailing list ---->> Serving the Internet since June 1994. Copyright 1994-2003: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Filipino Martial Arts. 1700 members. Provided in memory of Mangisursuro Michael G. Inay (1944-2000). See the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of the Eskrima/FMA list at http://MartialArtsResource.com Mabuhay ang eskrima! Today's Topics: 1. Hilot Info Needed (Sam Bell Jr) 2. Re: Tomahawks (DD Wright) 3. Training Knifes (Aluminum) (Shawn McCarthy) 4. Re: From a Site... (John Lee) 5. Re: Training Knifes (Aluminum) (Ray Terry) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: "Sam Bell Jr" To: Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 08:05:54 -0500 Subject: [Eskrima] Hilot Info Needed Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Can anyone tell me if there are any books out there about Hilot? Thanks, Sam Bell Jr. --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "DD Wright" To: Subject: Re: [Eskrima] Tomahawks Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 11:31:15 -0700 Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Off the wall: One of my favorite albums by Van Morrison is Veedon Fleece (1974), it has a tomahawk/hatchet lyric in the song "Linden Arden Stole The Highlights." Funny this comes back to me. It would be interesting if this was an actual account. "Cleaved their heads off with a hatchet," interesting choice of imagery for an Irish song writer in the 70's. Linden Arden Stole The Highlights Linden Arden stole the highlights -- With one hand tied behind his back -- Loved the morning sun, and whiskey Ran like water in his veins Loved to go to church on Sunday Even though he was a drinking man When the boys came to San Francisco They were looking for his life But he found out where they were drinking Met them face to face outside Cleaved their heads off with a hatchet Lord, he was a drinkin' man And when someone tried to get above him He just took the law into his own hands Linden Arden stole the highlights And they put his fingers through the glass He had heard all those stories many, many times before And he did not care no more to ask And he loved the little children like they were his very own He Said, "Someday it may get lonely." Now he's livin', livin' with a gun --__--__-- Message: 3 From: "Shawn McCarthy" To: Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 15:24:13 -0600 Subject: [Eskrima] Training Knifes (Aluminum) Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Does any one know of a good web site to order affordable aluminum training knifes? Thanks, Shawn stickfighter@charter.net --__--__-- Message: 4 Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:34:02 -0800 (PST) From: John Lee Subject: Re: [Eskrima] From a Site... To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net I picked up a beautiful Kukri in Rockland, Maine from a small store which imported goods from Nepal. This Kukri has a beautifully crafted one tang blade with cherry wood handles riveted to it. The sheath is made of wood,decorated with coins from Nepal and metal covering the point along with 2 sharpeners which are fitted into the sheath. The proprieter was selling them for what I felt was a very reasonable price of $55 dollars. Although small in size you can feel the power you can generate due to the thickness and design of these blades. I never knew the history behind the Kukri, thanks for sharing all the information. Out of all the blades I own it is my absolute favorite --- Jye nigma wrote: > The Origin of the Kukri" > > Kukri is the now accepted spelling; “Khukuri” is the > strict translation of the Nepali word. Either way > the thing itself is the renowned national weapon of > Nepal and the Gurkhas. > > > > A Nepali boy is likely to have his > own kukri at the age of five or so and necessarily > becomes skilful in its use long before his manhood. > By the time a Gurkha joins the army, the kukri has > become a chopping extension of his dominant arm. > This is important, because it is not the weight and > edge of the weapon that make it so terrible at close > quarters so much as the skilled technique of the > stroke; it can claim to be almost impossible to > parry. > > It is important to remember that the > kukri is a tool of all work, at home in the hills > and on active service it will be used for cutting > wood, hunting and skinning, opening tins, clearing > undergrowth and any other chore. From this it is > plain there can be no truth in the belief that a > Gurkha must draw blood every time before he may > return the kukri to its sheath. > > The oldest known Kukri appears to be > one in the arsenal museum in Kathmandu, which > belonged to Raja Drabya Shah, King of Gorkha, in > 1627. It is interesting to note that it is a broad, > heavy blade. However it is certain that the origins > of the kukri go far further back. There is one > tenable story that Alexander’s horsemen carried the > “Machaira”, the cavalry sword of the ancient > Macedonians, in the fourth century BC on his > invasion of north-west India. Its relationship with > the kukri is plain. A third century sculpture, of > which only a much later Greek copy exists, shows > what is probably a Scythian prisoner of war lying > down his arms. The weapon looks amazingly like a > modern kukri. > > In 1767 Prithwi Naraayan Shah, King > of Gorkha, invaded the Nepal valley: In September > 1768 Kathmandu surrendered and Prithwi Narayan > became the first King of Nepal. That his troops > defeated much larger forces must be credited at > least in part to their unusual weapon, the kukri. > It is reasonable to suppose that this was the > beginning of the universal custom of Nepalese troops > carrying the kukri, a custom that spread in time to > Gurkhas serving in the British and Indian Armies. It > was carried also by many other hill units, regular > and irregular: Assam Rifle Regiments, Burma Military > Police, the Garhwal and Kumaon Regiments. In the > Burma campaign of World War those British troops who > did not carry a machete carried a kukri, and > nowadays the Singapore Police Force also carry them. > > Most hill villages in earlier days > would have a Smith (or Lohar of the Kami clan) who > forged kukris for the people: now there is a good > deal of mass production, though the best are still > made by skilled craftsmen. In World War II Gurkha > recruits were issued with mass-produced government > kukris but nearly all brought back their own from > their first leave. Weight, balance and fit are > crucially important. > > The blades of ordinary kukris vary > much in quality. Many are made perforce from > inferior steel and cannot hold a sharp edge: Good > ones are forged from railway track and old motor > vehicle springs. The best are forged from the > finest continental steel and can be of the highest > quality, fluted and damascened. The scabbards are > made of wood covered in leather with a protective > metal cap over the point. Two pockets on the back > holding a blunt steel for sharpening the blade or > striking sparks from flint (the chakmak) and a > little knife (the karda) used for skinning small > game or as a penknife, some also have a little purse > for the flint. > > > > > > > > Most handles are made of wood, often > walnut or pat-pate (talauma hodgsoni). They are > secured to the handle either by rivets through a > two-piece hilt or by the tang inserted through a > one-piece grip and riveted over the cap. In a good > example the scabbard (dap) may be adorned with > cloth-work or engraving and the hilt made of bone, > ivory, horn or metal probably decorated. > > Village working kukris are much > coarser affairs, often with heavy wooden scabbards > and comparatively clumsy blades. > > Piuthan in the west and Bhojpur in > the east are well known cnetres of kukri > manufacture: Choosing examples from east to west and > from the 18th Century onwards, we can see many > styles and several types. The long, slender blade > is characteristic of early work and of eastern > Nepal; the shorter, round-bellied weapons are common > later and in western districts: but there are > exceptions to this rule. > > There is no specific set of > dimensions, but the standard length of service and > general use kukris is twelve or thirteen inches. A > Kothimora kukri may be any reasonable size though > many of the best are service length. > > The most impressive are the > ceremonial and sacrificial blades. They must be > capable of cutting cleaning through the powerful > neck of a water buffalo. They tend to be twice the > length and weight of a soldier’s kukri with the hilt > to fit a two-handed grip. > > One interesting curiosity is the > ‘kukri-bayonet’ for the old tower musket. There is > a drawing in Perceval London’s book “Nepal”, Volume > 1 page 96, of a Nepalese Guard of Honour (of between > 1813 & 1837) at the present, muskets complete with > kukri-bayonets: But each soldier had his own > fighting kukri in his belt. So clumsy a weapon must > have been for ceremonial purposes only. > > The notch (kaura) in the blade near > the hilt arouses much interest. Although it may > certainly act as a check to excessive blood on the > hilt, and be used to catch and neutralise an enemy > blade, it is essentially a Hindu religious and > phallic symbol. There is a strong analogy with the > hand-guard of the crusader sword, which protected > the sword-hand but equally represented the Christian > cross and was commonly used as the guarantee of an > oath- the right hand being placed on the cross with > such words as “by these hilts”. Reference will > later be made to myths but it is suitable to say > here that the “Kaura” or notch is not an ingenious > sight with which to aim an about to be thrown kukri. > Except in desperation, as a man might hurl his empty > rifles in a last defiance at the enemy; a kukri is > never thrown: the Gurkha prefers to keep it in his > hand. > > The religious significance of the > kukri must not be forgotten. In 1948 Maharaja Padma > Shamser Jangbahadur Rana, Prime Minister and Supreme > Commander of Nepal, wrote, “The Khukri is the > national as well as the religious weapon of the > Gurkhas. It is incumbent on a Gurkha to carry it > while awake and to place it under the pillow when > retiring. As a religious weapon it is worshipped > during the Dasain (the most important Hindu > festival) and other times whenever any sacrifice is > to be made. > > > > In the Army Dasain is of the greatest > importance: During it the regiment’s arms are > blessed, and goats and buffaloes are sacrificed in > the process – not now in this country. At home in > Nepal goats dedicated to various causes are > despatched and then proved and chosen experts > ceremonially sacrifice a male buffalo in the name of > the regiment. The large kukri “Konra” (in the > village) is used because the head must be cleanly > severed with one blow. When that is achieved, which > is nearly always, the blessing of the gods lies on > the people for the ensuing year. If the stroke > fails, leaving even so little as an inch of the > dewlap uncut, bad luck will follow. It is custom > the custom to honour the successful headsman with a > “Pheta” (white turban) bound round his forehead, an > honour much valued. > > Associated Myths & Legends > > The kukri has somehow produced a > fertile crop of myths and legends in the western > world; and the most impossibly wild amongst them are > the most tenaciously believed. Two already > mentioned are that a kukri once drawn in whatever > circumstances must taste blood before it is > resheathed. Also that a Gurkha, if he possibly can, > will take careful aim through the symbolic “kaura” > or notch and then hurl the weapon like a boomerang, > snick off the enemy’s head and casually snatch the > kukri === message truncated === __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree --__--__-- Message: 5 From: Ray Terry Subject: Re: [Eskrima] Training Knifes (Aluminum) To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 21:28:14 -0800 (PST) Reply-To: eskrima@martialartsresource.net > Does any one know of a good web site to order affordable aluminum training > knifes? Not cheap, but the best are from trainingblades.com. Ray Terry rterry@idiom.com --__--__-- _______________________________________________ Eskrima mailing list Eskrima@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/eskrima http://eskrima-fma.net Old digest issues available @ ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com. Copyright 1994-2003: Ray Terry, MartialArtsResource.com, Sudlud.com Standard disclaimers apply. Remember September 11. End of Eskrima Digest