The Gurkha Battleblade!
Dwight McLemore's "The Fighting Kukri: Illustrated Lessons on the Gurkha Combat Knife" is another fine addition to authors series of blade fighting books. In this book Dwight covers the employment of the kukri, which is a curved Nepalese knife, similar and more akin to the machete, used as both a tool and as a weapon. He lays out in the historical portion of the book that the cutting edge is inwardly curved in shape and is the icon of Nepal. It was, and in many cases still is, the basic and traditional utility knife of the Nepalese people. Very effective when used as a weapon, it is a symbolic weapon of the Nepalese Army, and of all Gurkha regiments throughout the world, signifying the courage and valor of the bearer in the battlefield.
The author also discuss that the blade's distinctive forward drop is intended to act as a weight on the end of the blade and make the kukri fall on the target faster and with more power. Although a popular legend states that a Gurkha never sheathes his blade without first drawing blood, the kukri is most commonly employed as a multi-use utility tool rather like a machete. The kukri is effective as both a chopping and a slashing weapon. In combat, it is basically used in two different styles: stabbing with the point, slashing or chopping with the edge. Because the blade bends towards the opponent, the user need not angle the wrist, which makes the kukri more comfortable as a stabbing weapon than other straight-bladed knives. Its heavy blade enables the user to inflict deep wounds and to cut through muscle and bone. While most famed from use in the military, the kukri is most commonly used as a multipurpose tool, and is a very common agricultural and household implement in Nepal. Its use has varied from building, clearing, chopping firewood, and digging to cutting meat and vegetables, skinning animals, and opening tins.
Overall, like the rest of the authors work this book is similarly formatted. The book is nicely structured and is quite easy to understand. Additionally the author's illustrations are clear and easy to interpret for training. If you are interested in a well-made modern interpretation of the Kukri, I would look at purchasing the "Ontario 6420 OKC Kukri Knife" which is a superb rendition.
I highly recommend this book to students of blade work, martial artist and military personnel.
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2012
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- Amazon CustomerReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 24, 2021
Both theoretical and applicable.
