A refreshing night

Friday night for the first time in several years I taught a knife class! A man I work with, and his twenty something year old son, came to our dojo for their first lesson. It was great! I had not realized how much I miss teaching this stuff. I teach industrial compressor an engine maintenance and theory for a living but it is not very rewarding. The theory of edged weapons is much more esoteric than the theory of gas engines. Knife fighting dwells in the realms of the indefinable: time, space, deception, and rhythm. My two new students were expecting something far different than what we discussed and practiced. They expected something more Erroll Flynn with wild blades flashing. Even good silver-screen knife fighters like Steven Segal can mislead aspiring students because it is the flashy moves that the camera prefers. Big moves are easier for the viewer to pick-up. Indeed, in the beginning we do teach large moves to develop fluidity. As the student progresses we work to tighten up their flow patterns without tightening up their movements. Any body parts extended “outside the box” become targets of opportunity for your attacker. To enhance their learning I brought a range bag full of knives from small Pakal style daggers to a Keating Crossada and about everything in between. We discussed the merits and disadvantages of each style and how they affected your movements. We also discussed the impression that certain knives make on non-knife people, or jurors and judges. They were both like sponges and absorbed everything I threw at them. There is so much more to the Art than people realize but they went away with a good foundation. I am already looking forward to the next session in two weeks. Now if only I have one of these classes every week I might find life more rewarding.

Spartan Blades Dagger

Spartan Blades: It seems like every time I think I am finished reviewing knives a new one comes along. This dagger is one that I could not exclude. On my Fairbairn-Sykes website I challenge knifemakers, custom or factory, to produce a knife to equal the WW-II Case V-42. None of the modern replicas comes close to the quality of the originals. I believe that challenge has been met in a collaborative effort by Spartan Blades owners who produce the collaborative version of the V-14 dagger, designed by Les George. Every knife produced is made in America of American-sourced materials. The two founders of the company, Curtiss Lovito and Mark Carey, are both retired Special Forces guys and super conscientious about the quality of their products and service. Les George of Corpus Christi, TX has become very well known for his rugged custom folders and also his custom version of the V-14 and other fixed blade knives. Les is a USMC veteran. As soon as I saw a photo of the V-14 dagger I was on the internet emailing Les and Spartan Blades. Unfortunately the first run of knives was already sold. Les contacted Curtis at Spartan Blades, they called me and within about 2 weeks I had one on its way to me in my choice of handle and blade colors. I had been one of the very early dealers for Spartan Blades, and while their products are second to none, my business acumen is less than stellar. I sold a few very quickly and then life changed and I closed our E-Store. Spartan Blades continued to grow and broaden their product line. Their success is well earned and I am happy to see their success in such a flooded market. Now I challenge you, the reader, to look at this knife and not reach for your credit card to immediately put in an order. SPARTAN BLADES USA 625 S.E. Service Road Southern Pines, NC 28387 910-757-0035

Maybe there is hope for a change

Maybe there's hope.

I decided to go down to our small park for a music in the park event. The Suttons (our mechanic) sponsored it and the band was from the small town of Woodhull. It was made up of men and women from age 9 to 83. The park was  filled with locals. Many of them are good hard working people but we have our share of welfare, poorly clothed and unkempt. Some families are lower IQ and sloth like. Then there are the aged and infirm. People with canes and walkers. Its an elderly community. One woman walked in (with some help) who is 96. A few young men in their 30s came with their families. Bright eyed kids raced around the park. I found myself comparing this crowd to the hundreds of beautiful people we saw vacationing in McCall last month. It has become a bad habit that I look at people and wonder how will they survive if The SHTF? Who will look out for them?

The local band is amateur but enthusiastic. What can I say I was a rather mediocre drummer in highschool band. The first thing they played was the Star Spangled Banner and everyone stood without any announcement. There were no Obama's groping their crotch like he does when he is bored and doesn't know what else to do. The next musical piece was dedicated to all of the veterans in all of the branches of service. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. As the band played the marching song for each branch they asked veterans to stand as theirs was played, and a veteran of that branch of service walked carrying the correct flag. Everyone there cheered and clapped loudly for each flag. And I thought to myself, would all of the "beautiful people" in cities across this nation would have done the same? I would hope so. Then they played a melody that started with taps to honor the deceased veterans. Taps always chokes me up......

I don't think that anyone in congress or the white house could have provided a more touching tribute despite the occasional wrong note or missed drum beat. Underneath the gathered poverty and the shaggy haired rag a muffins, inside the overweight and underweight, bent with cancer and aged bodies, beats something that many parts of America have lost or conveniently forgotten. Maybe beauty is only skin deep after all.

How do we preserve what little is left of this nation? That is the challenge ahead of us.