2007 Disappointments and Surprises:

2007 Disappointments and Surprises:

It is November of 2007 and our new book, When Two Tigers Fight, isn’t as close to being finished as I would like! As to be expected there have been several setbacks along the way. Some of these delays have already held-up the progress of the book for months. One disappointment was the mile-long laundry list of excuses from a knifemaker who strung me along for way too many months. Each email offered a future delivery time only to be missed time after time. Actually this was not an isolated incident. I have come to the conclusion that two weeks from a knifemaker means two galactic weeks, which is about the equivalent of about 6 Earth months. Remember what I said that a man is only as good as his word? I meant the quality of his word not the quantity. Most of the knives have finally shipped, they are finely made knives, and all’s well that ends well, I suppose.
Then there was the long lost Laredo Bowie. This time it was my turn to send copious emails. When it finally came, almost 6 months late, it was not the latest San Mai version as promised. It was not made in the USA or in Japan, but the cheaper version made in Taiwan. Admittedly the price was less than originally quoted, but I wanted the best example of the knife to review for our book, not the cheapest. I offered several times to pay an additional fee for the better knife, but what I got is what you’ll read about in the book.
Also a disappointment were the people to whom I sent free copes of my first book intended for their review and comment. Some of these folks never even acknowledged its arrival, not even an email. What did I expect from a guy who likes to be called Animal, and a few others, but hey Chris what happened, no reply or comment from you? By the way, I bought videos or books from all of these people. One of the worst disappointments was the Editor of Paladin Press saying The Rhythm of One was a good book but it didn’t really have anything new to offer. What it really boiled down to was that it said a lot of new things that might have conflicted with a named writer who seems to have a stranglehold on the genre’. If you cannot figure that one out, open a copy of their catalog and see whose name appears as an expert on just about everything knife related.
A personal disappointment was not attending the 2007 Riddle of Steel. Truly there is nothing else like it in the world! But, it would have been less than a total experience for me without having my best friend, training partner, and daughter along to share it with. One of the last "male bastions" and all that, geeze guys grow up. Women warriors should always be welcome anywhere. Google the names Morrigan, Scathac, Boadicea, or Tomoe Gozen and see what you find. But enough whining already. That’s the rules and I either acquiesce or stay home.
There were also some very pleasant surprises in 2007. Some of the best custom knives that I bought this year came secondhand at good prices from one Ebay seller. They were also by makers previously unknown to me. There were also some very nice reviews of The Rhythm of One and my Cobra by Michael Thau, Mark Davies, and others in the self-defense trade. Thanks guys! The photos of the Cobra finally made it into Tactical Knives magazine, my thanks to Steven Dick, Editor. This year I discovered the Usual Suspects Network (USN). What a cool place to check out new makers, new knives, and delve into some interesting topics. Its going to get expensive belonging to this forum I think. I did manage to sell a total of five Cobra knives in 2007 and the buyers were all very pleased! That’s not exactly enough business to provide me with a comfortable retirement, but it was satisfying to know that the basic design is solid, functional, and saleable. Hopefully next year there will be more sales of the Cobra and our new "MIK" (Modern Indonesian Knife) from Zola Octanoviar. This should be a modern take on the venerable Rencong.
The very best thing to happen this year was the opportunity to finally meet Gary Bradburn in person! He is an old school gentleman, good friend, and maker of the nicest Shobu tanto this side of the Pacific, maybe this side of the Galaxy! Gary is a man who always goes the extra mile to make his customers happy. Although thousands of miles separate us I feel like I can count Zola Octanoviar among my very best friends too. Check out our articles on Zola and the Noesantaraa knives further down the blog. Zola is going to strike out on his own and we are going to help support his efforts. For next year I have to figure out how to meet Mark Davies, since we have shared emails, websites and such. Hey Mark, thanks for the Black Devil F/S. All in all it was a good year and I am going to ignore the disappointments and forge ahead with work on our book and spend more time with those folks whose company and correspondence I enjoy. I have also had the pleasure of correspnding with Tom Sotis of AMOK! and knifemakers James Coogler (dragon karambit)and Mark Terrell (the Hangnail)whose karambits are sweet knives! I wanted to add a thankyou here to Peter Parkinson and Brent Sandow for the terrific work they did making my chisel-tipped Fairbairns for testing. An article will be posted on the tests later. Great knives from two great people.
When all is said and done, the bottom line is this: While the function of steel is to cut, it can also bind. If you’re a warrior you’ll know what I mean.
As a reminder, check out Mark Davies’ website here. http://www.tacticaledge.co.uk/instructional_articles.asp
and Gary’s website here.
http://www.bradburnknives.com/

Dances With Knives

Dances With Knives

Remember the header at the top of this page? It says: "sometimes irreverent, often opinionated, and always brutally honest?" This blog is one of those moments. It is based on the cool reception our knife demo received at the Taikai. When we finished we felt as though we had exposed something primal and unsettling. As it was often inscribed on ancient maps, "Beyond this point there be serpents." For many of the people there we had gone beyond that point.

If you take reptile brain thinking and polish it over and over, long enough and hard enough, polish it with focus and sincerity, add in some pain and suffering, you know what you get? Eventally you get a person with a warrior mentality. I already see the questions and concerns forming on your brow. You’re thinking why would anyone want to do that? You’ll tell me that your martial arts school is all about creating peace and harmony, polishing the soul and improving your character. Those are admirable goals, and part of the true warrior’s makeup, but they are not a martial art, nor are they a self-defense. I think you have your definitions mixed up.
Modern martial arts are suffering from a case of piñata syndrome. With piñata syndrome you take a lot of goodies and place them inside a hollow form created by building up layer upon layer of bland paper mache’. To make it more attractive you paint it with bright flashy colors. (You know its still only hollow paper mache’ but you don't tell your students that.) Your piñata is worthless, its what is inside that gives it value. To get to the goodies you have to ruin the paint job and break through all the built-up layers of paper. How do you do that? You use your reptile brain, and a big stick, and beat on it until it breaks wide open. Depending upon how many layers thick it is it might take a few seconds or a few minutes.
Statistics say that the average knife fight lasts no more than five seconds! That’s right, five seconds. Even if you have learned all of the right techniques, but you have buried them (along with your reptile brain), under layers of philosophy, civility, morality, and legality, can you get to the goodies in under five seconds? My insurance agent says that funerals are running in the $7-10,000 range. That’s a big out of pocket expense for a five second lapse in judgement. One of my sword students told me he would rather be dead than spend his life in prison for defending himself! Really? Folks, based on the questions in response to our knife demo, I am worried. It bothers me when honest, upright citizens, and trained martial artists, tell me they are more afraid of facing jail time for defending themselves with a weapon, than they are of the injury or death that might result from being attacked by an armed assailant! This is ludicrous, it is unjust, and it is unbefitting a nation and society such as ours. Our personal timidity, false morality, layer upon layer of ambiguous laws, and our liberal minded court system have made victims of us all. We are fruit on the vine for thugs, muggers, and murderers, who have the skills, the intent and the desire, to simply reach out and take what they desire. These people have not polished their reptile brains but through concerted training, whether on the streets or in prison courtyards, they have strengthed the body it drives.
My student brought up the old argument: "what good does it do to know how to fight with a katana when no one carries them on the streets?" He studies kobudo, the use of farming implements as weapons. Well you don’t dare use real weapons today since that would be incompatible with peace and harmony. Kobudo in martial arts schools today is more like dancing with weapon look-alikes. Schools use rubber Nunchaku, and blunted wood or aluminum Sai and Kama. The real articles are illegal in most states. Therefore, I’m going to turn his question around and ask you the reader, what good does it do to train with these non-weapons? Indeed it does no good to train at all if the intent of the student is only to learn how to dance with weapons. These canned routines (often performed to music) may teach coordination and rhythm and maybe improve your focus. The dance itself will not polish the reptile brain nor will it develop a warrior mentality. More importantly, learning to dance will not extend that five second window of opportunity you have when someone comes at you with a knife. If you polish the reptile brain, hone the warrior mentality, everything becomes a weapon. You will not need to carry a katana or a kama, but if you do you will know how and when to use it, and when not to. Dancing with rubber knives, kamas, or sai will not save your life nor will it prevent you from going to prison, but it may give you the peace and harmony that that you say you are training for, that peace that comes from entering into eternal rest.

Iaido

A Cherry Blossom's Fall

I decided to insert this article as a change of pace. At the White Shadow dojo one of our major studies is iaido, the art of drawing and cutting with the katana. I wrote this article a while back for some of my Iai students. I hope you enjoy it.


I mention in every class that students should work slowly and purposefully. Still most students seem more intent on increasing their speed. While this is not uncommon, it is a fault normally associated with beginners.


Iaido is primarily a post Sengoku Jidai--the Warring States Period—art form. Many of the kata are no more than 150 years old, many are less! The purpose of Art, despite what the modernists would have us believe, is to create beauty in ways and places where before there was none. There is a tremendous difference between an accomplished swordsman, and a killer with a sword. A critical part of that difference is Art, beauty. Beauty can be as delicate as a cherry blossom falling to the ground, or as awesome as the water cascading over Niagara Falls. There is a time and place for each of these. Both of them, while at opposite ends of the spectrum of power, share certain attributes of form, movement, time and space.


In any Art, one of the artist’s aspirations is to achieve a balance between the positive and negative spaces, and create a sense of dynamic tension. In this photograph you can almost taste the tension between the two figures. This is not a point from which either of these two swordsmen would wish to rush forward precipitously. It is a splendid example of Yang energy (on the left) and Yin energy (on the right). At this point, the death of the man on the right seems to be a fait accompli, but the swordsman on the left is not rushing into the trap, nor is the man on the right breaking his composure, or posture, or admitting defeat.


It is important to notice the grip of the swordsman on the left. The sword is held lightly, delicately poised to strike. His arms are opened wide to prevent constricting his energy and no emotion is displayed on his face. This is a unique example of art, a moment frozen in time, lingering between a movement and a rest, between life and death.


In your own practice try to incorporate the power of both the waterfall and the cherry blossom’s fall, balancing your timing and energy. Try to create beauty in your postures and movements, working your forms slowly and purposefully at first. Make each move as if it were going to be photographed and recorded as your last moment on earth.

Goldsworthy Knife

Mark Goldsworthy Pakal Knife

I just received my Kwi Kwa Ju pakal knife from Mark Goldsworthy. It came in a very reasonable time, compared to my recent experiences with another custom maker. The knife and sheath makes a terrific package at an attractive price! I suggest you contact Mark soon about one of these little beauties. The thing that impresses me most is the handle. It is as smooth as polished stone and yet so ergonomicaly shaped that it is very comfortable and secure in the hand. It fits in almost every grip equally well. The double edged blade is also impressive, perfectly ground, and the top grind is quite complex. I just can't say enough good things about this knife. It has quickly become one of my favorite EDC knives. I will be buying more knives from this guy as soon as the coffers are up to it.