More on Foot Wrappings!

                My girlfriend contacted me yesterday inviting me to meet her in a large shopping centre for a coffee. When I arrived the cunning trap was soon sprung! Turns out she needs new boots for work. We found a nice pair of ankle boots at a reasonable price. My girlfriend wanted to wear the boots so she swapped her sandals for her new acquisitions. She mentioned that she ought to buy some socks but she was hungry so we went for something to eat.

                The meal took longer than expected and by the time we had finished it was dark and the local shops had closed. We headed for a pub where my lady had to meet someone and after a little walking she complained about one of the new boots rubbing against her bare feet.

                Given the problems I have with my feet there was no way I could give her my socks. I began to look around for alternate solutions. I had a bandanna in my pocket, still knotted from when I had recently used it as an emergency head covering on an unexpectedly sunny day. Remembering my research on foot wrappings a year ago I offered it to her. She wrapped it around her ankle so that it covered the potential blister.

                We walked to the pub and several times my lady told me “this bandanna is really comfortable!” For the rest of the night her feet gave her no problems as she was running around socializing and dancing.

                I am going to have to dig out a couple of suitable bits of cloth and give the foot wrappings a try!

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Knife Defense Video.

                A friend sent me this video for comment. It rather echoes the my recent posts on Silver and his comment that “with this weapon there are no grips and no wards”.

                For the most part this video is better than many I see. Knives are poor defensive weapons but they are good counter-offensive weapons. My main criticism of this video is that the knife user makes no attempt to use his other hand when his knife hand is grabbed. He could strike, switch his knife to his other hand or a number of other techniques, many of which are detailed in my book.

                When watching videos such as this it is a good idea to consider both sides. You are intended to identify with the figure on the left but also consider what you might do if you were the guy on the right.

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Get Training -Push a Wheelchair!

                I spent this Saturday on Hampstead Heath. My girlfriend’s father was visiting from Brazil and she had decided to take him for a day out in the park.

                Communications due to a defective phone meant there was a problem with the rendezvous point. I ended up walking several kilometres through the park and was just about to give up and leave when I spotted a man sitting in a wheel chair. It has been about five years since I saw her father and in that time he has lost his beard and I have grown one, so I wasn’t certain it was him and he did not initially recognise me. It was quite possible I was about to approach some other one legged man who would be mystified as to why a stranger was greeting him in bad Portuguese!

                Things worked out OK and against the odds the three of us managed to spend a pleasant few hours in one of the largest parks in London. As you may gather from the previous paragraphs my girlfriend’s father has lost a leg and in a wheelchair.  Some of the paths in Hampstead Heath are quite steep, even if you have the blessing of both legs. They are quite rough too and at one point we had to stop and tighten the screws on his wheelchair that were working loose. Yet another use for the Swiss Army Knife and Leatherman Squirt I always carry!

              My girlfriend’s father mainly likes to propel himself but he needed help on some slopes. I will admit that my lady did most of the pushing but I did a few stints myself. The handles are set rather low so pushing was difficult for someone of my height and I was feeling it in my back and hip joints. While I was pushing I was passed by a number of cyclists and joggers, so the thought occurred to me:-

“If people want to exercise, why not do something constructive with it?”

This idea is admittedly half-formed, but might there not be some kind of charity event or program that unites athletes and running enthusiasts with wheelchair bound citizens? Not sure how to organize or publicise such an idea, but thought I would throw it out and see if someone comes up with something.

 

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George Silver's Dagger and Knife Fighting.

            In my recent book review of “Slash and Thrust” the knife fighting instructions of George Silver were mentioned. It is only logical that today’s blog is about these. Silver’s chapter on knife/dagger fighting is very brief, but very informative.

To make things easier for readers who do not have English as a first language, or those that just have trouble with archaic English I have used a version of the text rendered in a more modern form taken from this site. My own comments and clarifications in green.

Taken from “Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defense” (1599)

Chapter 15
Of the single dagger fight against the like weapon

1. First know that to this weapon there belongs no wards or grips but against such a one as is foolhardy & will suffer himself to have a full stab in the face or body or hazard the giving of another, then against him you may use your left hand in throwing him aside or strike up his heels after you have stabbed him.

            Here Silver tells us that the single dagger cannot be used to parry/block (“ward”), nor is it advisable to try and grapple or hold (“grip”) a knife armed foe. To attempt this is to invite an injury. “your left hand in throwing him aside” seems to suggest striking with the free hand. “strike up his heels” is interpreted by some analysts as a low kick to unbalance the foe.

2. In this dagger fight, you must use continual motion so shall he not be able to put you to the close or grip, because your continual motion disappoints him of his true place, & the more fierce he is in running in, the sooner he gains you the place, whereby he is wounded, & you not anything the rather endangered.

            “place” is used by Silver to mean a position or location from which you can strike an enemy without needing to step forward.

3. The manner of handling your continual motion is this, keep out of distance & strike or thrust at his hand, arm, face or body, that shall press upon you, & if he defends blow or thrust with his dagger make your blow or thrust at his hand.

4. If he comes in with his left leg forwards or with the right, do you strike at that part as soon as it shall be within reach, remembering that you use continual motion in your progression & regression according to your twofold governors. 

A Twofold Mind (“Twyfold mynd”) is Silver’s term for the mental state that allows you to be prepared to fly back (retreat) as you advance and vice versa.
 

5. Although the dagger fight is thought a very dangerous fight by reason of the shortness & singleness thereof, yet the fight thereof being handled as is aforesaid, is as safe & as defensive as the fight of any other weapon, this ends my brief instructions.

                For more information on self-defence, see my books.

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