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Phillosoph

Survival Library: Chapter 8, John Wayne

Trivia: I share my birthday with John Wayne. Some years, a TV channel will schedule a day of his films. Good, unpretentious entertainment! That is me sorted for the day!
I once watched something where a character declares “I try not to have high expectations. I am, therefore, seldom disappointed. Occasionally, however, I am pleasantly surprised!”
John Wayne Bushcraft cover
That is not a bad philosophy, and I was reminded of this when I began to read “The Official John Wayne Handy Book of Bushcraft”.
This could be really bad, have hidden pearls, or just be a bit of a giggle.
Firstly, I will answer a question I usually save until the end of these reviews. This book should NOT be used as a primary survival guide. Some fields are omitted, others lack adequate detail.
Some of the content was useful. There is a section on dealing with a riptide, which is not a topic I have seen in many manuals,
Each section is only a few pages long, so I expect much of this content was originally an article in “The Official John Wayne Collector's Edition” magazine.
Many of the sections only deal with a single topic or subject, such as a single type of knot or a particular type of campfire. That works well for certain topics and is a presentation style I may experiment with.
In other places, the treatment of the topic is rather brief, and in a few places additional illustrations would have been useful. The latter is odd, since in general the book is quite well illustrated, both with drawings supporting the text and photos from Wayne’s films.

Tools

The book starts with a section on how to make a variety of tools using primitive means. No mention is made of the risk of silicosis from stone knapping. Improvise a nose and mouth covering when making stone tools. Eye protection, if you have it, is also prudent unless you are a big Rooster Cogburn fan.
Several places in the text you are told to hit the back of an axe or knife blade with a stick or stone. Do not use a stone! The technique is called “batoning” for a good reason.
If you made yourself a stone knife as suggested at the start of the book, hitting it with another stone will waste hours of your careful work!
The section on making a whistle was disappointing. Acorn cups may be quite hard to find in certain seasons and regions.
The section on making a bow shows the first finger hooked over the top of the arrow, which must result in considerable friction.
Correctly, the book advises that hunting with a sling requires a vast quantity of practice. Incorrectly, it says the weapon is also called a “slingshot”. [Wikipedia also gets this wrong!] Sling and slingshot are quite different weapons using quite different principles.

Knots

The chapter on knots deals with one knot per section.
In some of these sections more information on the application of such knots might have been useful.
For example, the Alpine Butterfly knot is covered, but no mention of the quick and handy way this may be tied.
The section on the half hitch actually shows two half hitches in the illustration.

Food and Water

The chapter on food and water mentions water tapping from trees, which some survival manuals neglect.
Distilling water using sun, a bottle and a soda can
The edibility test is described in detail, but no mention is made of prioritising the test for foods that are most abundant in the area.
There are sections on line and rod fishing and fish trapping, but no mention of night/trot lines. The latter section could have used some illustrations of various fish traps.
There is a section on “knife hunting” with a caution on how dangerous it will be and the high likelihood of injury.
Use the knife to cut a stick and make a spear. If in terrain where there are no sticks, you are unlikely to get close enough to use a knife, anyway.

Fire

The chapter on fire I thought was quite good. Some fire‑lighting techniques not often covered, with some useful illustrations.
Some discussion of various types of campfire. Uses for charcoal, and emphasis on properly extinguishing your fire.
Wet rocks in a fire may explode into fragments, not “shrapnel”, which is a different thing.
Using a bottle of water to light a fire
I would still recommend reading the fire discussions in Kephart and Northern Bushcraft, however.
There is a section on using a Mylar space blanket as a reflector for your fire. This is a legitimate application, but perhaps some mention should have been made that a higher priority use for such an item is waterproofing your shelter roof or wrapping yourself.

Shelter

The chapter on shelters was much less satisfactory. It starts with a description on how to cut down a tree because it may be where you want to make a camp! Camp somewhere else, yahoo!
You are told to hang a hammock using a figure eight knot, but no real explanation nor illustration.
Building a raised bed suggests using logs for the short side. Two long logs with shorter sticks between them seems far more practical.
There is a description on how to make a five foot diameter teepee. Not sure what for. I could not lay down in such a space, let alone someone John Wayne’s height!
One of the illustrations incorporates ideas such as using natural windbreaks such as rocks, but seems to show the bed laid perpendicular to the fire.
There is a lot about this chapter I feel could be improved.
One error that really has me scratching my head is that in several sections the authors describe shelters made with “poncho liners” when they clearly mean ponchos.
You would think a retired Green Beret and a SERE course graduate would know the difference.
You would think that the editorial staff of the magazine might have picked this error up.
You would think some of the readers of the magazine might have written in about this obvious error the first time it appeared.
To confuse a liner with a more external layer is itself a really bizarre mistake for native English speakers to make!
“Make a map” could have mentioned that birch bark or similar and charcoal could be used to make a portable map.
The section on tying a tourniquet talks about an overhand knot, but clearly shows either a reef/square knot or a pair of overhands.
Another objectionable section is the recommendation to shoot any snakes on sight!
You should not kill anything unless you have a legitimate reason. This saves ammunition, if nothing else.
As a later section notes, most snakes will not bother you if you leave them alone. If there is a danger of stepping on a snake, carry and use a walking staff.
At the end of the book is an advert for a survival training school where both authors work. The various points raised above do not really form a recommendation.
After finishing this book, I started browsing “The Official John Wayne Handy Book for Men”. This begins with some bushcraft information. I found this description of making a bow and arrows better written. Some of the other articles on the same topics are also superior.
It mucks up the illustration of how to identify the North Star, however.
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Phillosoph

Survival Library: Chapter 7, The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide

Today’s review is for “The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide” by J.Wayne Fears.
I had not planned for this to be the next review. I got looking at a copy and burned right through it.
One of the merits of this book is that it is highly digestible. I read through it in a single (admittedly extended) lunch break.
This book is written specifically for outdoorsmen who might become lost in the woods. The premise is that such individuals are most likely to be found within 72 hours of the search being initiated.

Preparation

The first few chapters, logically enough, deal with preparations before your trip to ensure that a search is conducted should you not return by an expected time.
Give an itinerary to a responsible individual [or better still, several!].
A similar account of your intentions might be placed in a plastic bag and left under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle you used to reach the woods. Give it a label such as “For Attention after 24th April…”
A list of useful advice to include is given, including giving the make and sole pattern of the footwear you are wearing, which will be useful to trackers.
Although not suggested in the book, this idea might be extended by including a photograph of your actual boot soles. (Putting a worn sock in for the tracker dogs may be going too far, however!)
There is a brief summary of how a search and rescue may be conducted. I found the version of this in “Desert Survival” better.
Later in the book, how to deal with a member of your group going missing is covered, which is a subject many books do not cover.

Survival Kit

The section on survival kit does show some originality and fresh thought. He advises that one prepares for three unexpected extra days to any trip.
Fears’ personal, “two pound” kit is given as:
◦ (Coghlan’s) Tube tent
◦ Strike-anywhere kitchen matches in waterproof match safe
◦ Flashlight
◦ Fire starters [hexamine fuel blocks?]
◦ Signal mirror [Star Flash]
◦ Police whistle [actually a Fox 40 is suggested in the text]
◦ MPI Emergency Space bag
◦ Parachute cord – 50'
◦ Aluminum foil – 36" x 36"
◦ Insect repellent [sachet]
◦ Water purification tablets
◦ Pocket Survival Guide [Fears’ book]
◦ First Aid Kit
◦ Gallon Ziplock bag.
These items are in addition to a belt knife, map and compass, GPS, water canteen, personal medication and cell phone/two-way radio.
How this kit is carried is not made clear, other than it is packed inside the gallon zip-lock bag, which may also be used as a water carrier. [I suggest you reinforce the seams with duct tape]
The bulk of the kit would suggest that it is in some form of daypack. Some emergency items are best carried on one’s person should the daypack and survivor part company. A lot of my basic kit is in my trouser pockets or on my trouser belt.
Coghlans Tube Tent emergency shelter
The somewhat misnamed “tube tent” is an item not often included in survival kit lists. It seems to be a reasonably priced and useful item.
There are variants that have silver Mylar lining, and/or doors at the end. The silver-lined versions should probably be turned silver-side out in desert conditions.
Since the plastic is impermeable, condensation in these tube tents may be an issue if there is not a flow of air. However, one would want to partially block the ends to reduce draughts on the sleeper(s).
Leaves or similar could be piled underneath for more padding and insulation when sleeping.
Drip-wicks added to the suspension cord are recommended.
Fears echoes my own view that an emergency is no time to rely on gadgets or primitive skills to provide you with fire.
Fears suggests replacing the matches often since they “have a short shelf life”. This is not a concern that I have seen in other books.
My kitchen drawer has matches that must be more than fifteen years old and that still light. Perhaps out in the damp woods it is different, but a match safe that is genuinely waterproof should have some influence.
As regular readers know, I prefer a butane lighter or two and some candles for no-nonsense fire lighting.
While the Star Flash mirror is recommended in the book, other items will serve just as well without the high price tag.
Water purification tablets and insect repellent are sound additions, although oddly he only packs a single sachet of insect repellent alongside a whole bottle of purification tablets.
A small bottle of insect repellent would last several nights, and be very welcome should your stay be extended. Some insect repellents may be used for fire-lighting, remember.
The space bag is like a Mylar space blanket, but a closed bag. These used to be fairly common, but nowadays it is hard to find anything except the foil blanket.
A space blanket or two is a good substitution, and a blanket is somewhat easier to vent.
Heavier foil lined bags with a green or orange outer are on sale. These resemble an All-Weather blanket I have carried one of the latter in my daysack for decades. The blanket configuration is probably more versatile. It can be made into a cloak against the rain, for example.
Fears’ suggestions for a personal pocket first aid kit are much more practical than those in some other publications. I would suggest adding some aspirin and alcohol wipes. Aspirin may be used to reduce inflammation, reduce a fever and reduce the symptoms of colds or flu. Used alcohol wipes may be used for tinder.
In accordance with the book’s basic premise, there is no attempt to teach the reader navigation.
Wandering around can greatly hinder the efforts of a search party.
Fears notes that topics such as navigation and first aid are better learnt on a course or by deeper study than can be provided by a book such as this.

STOP

STOP, as in “Sit, Think, Observe and Plan” is advocated for readers who become lost or encounter a similar emergency.
While other books have different translations of this acronym, it remains sound advice.
As I was once told, “Don’t just do something, sit there!”
This section works well with the later section on dealing with fear and panic.
There is also some lip-service paid to “will to live” and “positive attitude”, but no real practical advice on this topic.

Signalling

The section on signalling has some good advice, such as avoid noisy areas such as waterfalls if you intend to use your whistle. If static, I would see what objects around the camp may be used as improvised drums.
Instructions on how to use the signal mirror reproduce those on the back of the Star Flash (which neglects to mention that you should move your forward hand as you move the mirror to aim it in a new direction!)
There is also an illustration of someone lying on their back and using a mirror, with no explanation of why this is being done. See here and here for information on the use of heliographs. Using a Heligraph
Fears notes that a CD/DVD may be used as a reflector and already has a sighting hole. I am sceptical as to whether a sighting hole is really needed in a heliograph.
Most of us have some CDs or DVDs that have stopped working or that we do not want (remember AOL?). These can be cut to a pocket-size and shape by placing them in a freezer or warm water for ten minutes before cutting. Cover the back with some duct tape, since they may be fragile.
Glue a pair of CDs label to label for a more robust item that is mirrored on both sides.
The book also claims the “X” is the universal ground to air signal for help. Most other sources give the meaning of this symbol as “unable to proceed”, “unable to move” or “require medical assistance”.
“V” is more commonly used for “require assistance”, and easier to construct on the ground than “SOS”.

Too Brief in Places

While the book is easily digestible, some of the sections could have been greatly improved by one or two more lines.
For example, there is a section on removing ticks, but no mention of saving them in a plastic bag for later identification and testing to assist in prevention of any long term consequences of bites.
A photo caption describes using “your knife to get into the dry wood found in the center of a damp log”, but there is no explanation that what is being shown is a stick being used to baton the blade into the log.
The section “When There Is No Repellent” could have used some mention of materials such as pine oil that may be used as improvised insect repellents.
Similarly, the sections on fire, sleeping and shelter could have used some additional passages.
While a rock overhang can provide shelter, heating from fires underneath have been known to cause rockfalls.
The section on snow shelters could have used some mention of some of the improvised digging devices a survivor might use: vehicle hubcaps, plank of wood split from a log, digging stick, snowshoes, frying pan, billies etc.

Water

The chapter on water I had the most issue with.
Carrying plenty of water purification tablets is sound advice, although it is odd the same kit that packs a whole bottle of tablets has only a sachet of insect repellent to last the whole unplanned stay!
We have the flawed advice about boiling water for ten minutes, complete with the old chestnut complaining that boiled water has a flat taste. That is not going to be one of my major concerns if stuck in the woods for a couple of days!
Halazone and iodine are no longer recommended for water purification in the field since they do not affect certain organisms.
It is also claimed that water filtration devices make water safe to drink. They don’t! Viruses are too small for these devices to filter out, so chemical or thermal treatment of the water is still needed.
It would also have been appropriate to describe the Indian/Seepage well in this section.

Food — Not a Necessity

The book does not attempt to teach trapping, fishing or identifying edible plants, since Fears points out a few days without food is not likely to be fatal.
The plant edibility test is reproduced, but lacks the stipulation that this should only be used on plants that are abundant in this area.
It is worth bearing in mind that “most people found within 72 hours” requires the outdoorsman to be overdue or authorities to receive some other notification before a search is launched. If your plan was to be in the woods a week or more, you could be roughing it for some time before anyone starts looking for you. Some of the stories in the book used for illustration have the survivor being in the woods for much longer than 72 hours before being found.
Tending a trot-line and building some traps may be a good way to occupy yourself while you are waiting. Animals often shy away from human activity and recent disruptions to their environment, so it may be some time before your traps get anything. Better to make them before you get hungry!
And if you are stuck in the woods, it is worth learning which trees have edible inner bark or can be harvested for sap.
The Pocket Outdoor Survival Guide is a quick read, and has some useful content.
Its chief strength is that it makes a survivor aware of their obligations in a rescue operation. These may be summarized as “Stay Put”, “Make Yourself Comfortable” and “Make Yourself Visible”.
It is, however, overly brief in certain sections, and in some places out of date.
You will need a lot of the knowledge in the books previously reviewed for this series to make best use of the content within.
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Phillosoph

Survival Library: Chapter 6, Northern Bushcraft

The taiga or boreal forest is the Earth’s largest land biome.
Many of my readers probably live in this area, so some recommendations for survival in these regions is warranted.
With this in mind, the next book reviewed for the Survival Library is “Northern Bushcraft” by Mors L. Kochanski.
Note that this book may also be encountered simply entitled “Bushcraft”.
Some copies include a section of colour photographs at the end of the volume.
Northern Bushcraft Cover
I was actually surprised to reach the end of the book and discover Kochanski was a Canadian. The early chapters seemed to have a Scandinavian vibe.
In my previous review I commented that many survival manuals are “much of a muchness”. Many seem to be clones of FM 21-76 with a few embellishments by the author.
Northern Bushcraft is another book that takes a different approach. It does not cover as many topics as a typical survival manual, but those it does cover, it covers in greater depth than is usual.
Logically enough, the book begins with firecraft.
Most survival manuals mention the friction fire drill. Some even suggest that you cannot be a “proper” survivalist unless you can light a fire with this device.
Kochanski goes into much greater detail regarding this device. He discusses how different components require different properties and which woods are most suitable for their construction. There are numerous other useful tips and advice on this subject.
If you have struggled with friction firelighting, or just want to get better, this chapter is well worth a read.
Various other fire-related topics are covered. Particular emphasis is given to ensuring a fire is really extinguished and will not ignite long after you have left the area.
“Stone Rimmed Fire Places. A common, though unnecessary practice, is to ring open fires with stones. This practice is based on the claim that the stones confine a fire and make it safer, yet many forest fires are in fact traced to such fireplaces. There are, however, justifiable uses of stones in a fire: to store warmth in a closed shelter: to support pots when no other means arc available: and to produce steam for a steam bath or a steam cooking pit. Rocks used without good reason arc needlessly defaced and, unless they are scattered after use. leave a permanent marker of the campfire. A stone fireplace also requires more effort to cool, and the stones that are not moved aside can harbour hot spots that may start a forest fire.” 
An interesting tip on cutting fish along the backbone rather than the belly for grilling.
The following chapters are on Axecraft, Knifecraft and Sawcraft, and each treats its subject in considerable depth.
Bearing in mind he also packed a full-sized axe or a hatchet, Kochanski recommends a small fixed blade knife. “One of the best methods in preventing the loss of a knife while carrying it is to use a deep sheath and wear it around the neck to be constantly aware of the knife’s presence. When the knife is not in use the sheath is tucked in the shirt.” Kochanski was to become a fan of Moras.
The chapter on “Bindcraft” mainly deals with constructing cordage from natural materials.
The Sheltercraft chapter returns to some of the ideas introduced in the first chapter.
Sleeping outside at minus 40 (Centigrade or Fahrenheit, minus 40 is where the two meet!) requires an understanding of both fire and shelter construction!
As a change of pace, the next chapters discuss the various uses that many of the common trees and shrubs in the northern forests may be put to.
The final two chapters discuss the moose and the varying (aka snowshoe) hare. The trap designed to prevent the hare biting through snare lines is not one I have seen in most other books. It has the merits of being both simple and ingenious.
The colour section is nice enough, although I have some reservations about the text where it mentions medical uses by indigenous populations. These things are often romanticised. If tinder fungus really is a remedy for cancer, I think we might have heard more about it!
In my previous review, I noted that “Desert Survival” contained many ideas that were useful even if you were not prone to venture into dry sandy places.
“Northern Bushcraft” is similar, in that it includes many skills and topics of information that have more general applications.
“Northern Bushcraft” is a recommended addition to your survival library.
Several copies of the older edition of the book are available on Internet Archive.
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Phillosoph

Survival Library: Chapter 5, Desert Survival (Lehman)

“Desert Survival” by Charles A. Lehman was one of the first books I thought of including when I began the “Survival Library” series of blog posts.
Not surprisingly, this book concentrates on survival in a desert environment!
There is, however, plenty of sound advice relevant to other environments, so you can only be commended if you are flicking through a copy sitting in a hut near one of the poles.
Desert Survival Lehman Cover

Two Priorities

Lehman gives the survivor two priorities:
The first is “looking after your body”.
Secondary to this is “getting rescued”.
The primary threats to your body in the desert are identified as hyperthermia, dehydration and hypothermia. Some of these are, of course, concerns in other environments.
Chapters on shelter, clothing, fire-lighting and medical emergencies, among others, all relate to looking after your body.
Advice on getting rescued includes a useful account of how a search and rescue (SAR) operation will conduct a search, and steps a survivor may take to help (or unintentionally hinder) an effort.
This is information not included in most survival manuals, so the book is worth reading for this section alone.

Survival Kits

Another very good section is the advice given on putting together your own survival kit.
His advice is similar to what I have been repeating on this blog for decades: Avoid gimmicks and gizmos, don’t put all your eggs in the same basket, and have some vital items on your person, not in a pack or jacket you might put down “just for a moment”.
The survival kit/outfit suggestions are more practical than many I have encountered. I would recommend the addition of some space blankets and a compass to the personal items. To the suggested vehicle kit I would also include some duct tape, since it is more effective for certain tasks than electrical tape.
To my mind, the section on shelter was a little brief, and I feel some mention of double canopy shelters would have been appropriate for a book about surviving deserts.
Sun, wind and rain can kill you quicker than thirst.
Like many authors, he recommends the use of woollen clothing, with little consideration given to just how high a price tag often comes with such an outfit these days. Some discussion of alternatives might have been given.
While I no longer have enough hair to really justify carrying a comb, apparently I can use one to remove cholla cactus!

Pilot Outfitting

Advice given for pilots includes:
“Diversity of environmental problems complicates the "What to Wear" problem for pilots and passengers in light aircraft. Fortunately, there are some ways to cope with it. One of the easiest answers is to wear a flying suit like military pilots do. The utter utility of multi-pocketed coveralls is hard to beat.
With a good quality flight suit as an outer layer, even a business suit becomes an acceptable survival garment for moderate temperatures. If you fly over really cold areas, carry a set of the quilted type of insulated underwear. They weigh very little and offer super protection.
In really hot weather the suit will protect you from the sun and scorching rocks or sand. Try to find one that has side zippers, as well as the one in front. They allow you to ventilate the suit better.
With a flying suit, insulated underwear, and a good hat, you are nearly prepared for a survival situation, but you will need boots. This is the only clothing item that's really a weight problem. If pounds are critical in your aircraft, I would recommend wearing boots instead of shoes when you fly. That way the additional weight is insignificant. There are sturdy boots available that are dressy enough to wear with a business suit.”
To echo another desert survival manual (Air Ministry Pamphlet 225): “always fly in the boots in which you intend walking home.”
The medical section is clear and simple, grouping likely problems under eleven headings, distinguished by means of treatment. This would be a good section to photocopy and carry with a first aid kit.
A minor criticism is that the illustration of pressure points (aka “digital pressure”) seems to omit many of the points on the limbs. Add a copy of a better diagram, such as in “SAS Survival Handbook” or FM 4-25.11/FM 21-11.
Some of these medical sections are very brief, so the would-be survivor should have done some background reading about each topic.
The chapter on playing “What If?” nicely rounds off the book.
This book would not be my sole read for survival, even if my particular priority was desert survival. It is never wise to trust a single source on any subject.
The book is very much orientated towards North America, so some additional background reading would be advised if heading to sandy places elsewhere in the world.
I would recommend adding this book to your survival library, since it nicely supplements the titles suggested in Chapter One.
Many survival manuals can be “much of a muchness”, which makes them rather a chore to review, if nothing else.
Desert Survival is highly readable, and the different approach of this manual is refreshing, which probably helps you retain more of the information.
A very nice feature of this book is that it crams in a lot of useful information into just 81 pages. That is very welcome, given so many manuals run to hundreds of pages and can be heavy going.
This book is available to borrow at Internet Archive. Please support Internet Archive!
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Phillosoph

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Out Now!

I am pleased to announce that the Fourth (and final!) Edition of Crash Combat has now become available.

This version has been extensively expanded, being about 50% longer than the first edition.
More content, extra illustrations, more techniques, new techniques and generally much more book for your money.
In addition, much of the book has been rewritten and restructured so information is more easily assimilated and learnt.
While Crash Combat was originally written for a military context, it remains relevant to any individual wishing to learn to protect themselves in this dangerous and uncertain world.

Crash Combat Fourth Edition Epub
Crash Combat Fourth Edition Paperback
Visit the Author Spotlight for my other books.
May be purchased direct from Lulu.com in either print or epub format.
It will take a few more days or more for this version to appear with other retailers.
Buying from Lulu costs you less and more of the money goes to the author.
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Phillosoph

Help for Time Travellers

In my novella, “Anatopismo”, one of the characters expresses surprise that a community has electricity. The other character is surprised by this reaction and responds “Why not? It is just wire and magnets.”
I was reminded of this passage since I have started reading “How To Invent Everything: A Survival Guide For The Stranded Time Traveler” by Ryan North (2018, Riverhead Books) ISBN 978-0735220140. A common theme that occurs in this book is that many of humanity’s inventions and discoveries could have been made centuries or even millennia before they were. Sometimes an idea was adopted in one field, but it was a considerable time until it was applied in others. For example, wine was being pasteurized centuries before it was applied to other foodstuffs, such as milk.
How To Invent Everything will probably prove interesting to many readers of this blog, but particularly those interested in long term scenarios. It is packed full of diverse, useful information in an easily readable style. There are a few points of contention. The beer recipes given are rather vague. The comments made about the cloudiness Egyptian-style beer are probably out of date. Staphylococcus are not necessarily harmless. The author also describes yeast as “animals”, which is a pretty basic, avoidable mistake, and makes me wonder about other inaccuracies. You should probably double check any facts from the book before you get into any arguments, but that is a sound policy anyway.
On the topic of verifying information, the book is worth reading just for the comments on the scientific method:
“This is the more accurate theory of combustion that we still operate under today, but we could still be wrong.
Or, more likely, we could still be more correct.
Here’s how you produce knowledge using the scientific method.
An example: maybe you notice (as per step 1) that your corn didn’t grow well this year. For (2), you might ask, “Hey, what the heck, everyone, how come my corn didn’t grow well this year?” You might suspect the drought affected the corn’s growth (3), and so (4) decide to grow corn under controlled conditions, giving each plant different amounts of water but equal amounts of everything else you can think of (sunlight, fertilizer, etc.). After carefully doing that (5), you might conclude (6) that a precise amount of water grows the best corn plants, and (7) let your farmers know. And when your corn still doesn’t grow as well as you want, you might explore (8) and wonder if there’s more to growing great corn than just making sure your corn isn’t thirsty.*
The more ways a hypothesis has been tested, the more likely it is to be correct, but nothing is certain. The best case you can hope for by using the scientific method is a theory that happens to fit the facts as you understand them so far: science gives you an explanation, but you can never say with absolute certainty that it’s the correct one. That’s why scientists talk about the theory of gravity (even though gravity itself clearly exists and can cause you to fall down the stairs), theories of climate change (even though it’s obvious our environment is not the same one our parents enjoyed, or that you’re enjoying right now), or the theory of time travel (even though it’s a fact that you’re clearly trapped in the past for reasons that cannot have any legal liability assigned).
Note that the scientific method requires you to keep an open mind and be willing—at any time—to discard a theory that no longer fits the facts. This is not an easy thing to do, and many scientists have failed at it. Einstein* himself hated how his own theory of relativity argued against his preferred idea of a fixed and stable universe, and for years tried in vain to find some solution that reconciled them both. But if you succeed at following the scientific method, you will be rewarded, because you will have produced knowledge that is reproducible: that anyone can check by doing the same experiment themselves.
Scientists are often seen as turbonerds, but the philosophical foundations of science are actually those of pure punk-rock anarchy: never respect authority, never take anyone’s word on anything, and test all the things you think you know to confirm or deny them for yourself.”

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Phillosoph

Slash and Thrust by John Sanchez

When I first started this blog, I expected that I would be writing more book reviews than I have done. The problem is, many martial arts books are somewhat lacking in content.
The reason I wrote my first book was to address many of the points that I did not feel were adequately covered. Hence it is very hard to review a book such as “Slash and Thrust” without making the point that my own work does a better job at covering the techniques of defensive knife use or throwing objects in self-defence.

Back in the days when I was a regular on a knife throwing forum, John Sanchez’s book “Slash and Thrust” would sometimes be mentioned.
These mentions were usually due to the short section on throwing weapons in the book, and in particular a weapon Sanchez called the “Irish Dart”.
Years ago, I flipped through a friend’s copy of the book, but I admit we were mainly interested in the throwing section at the end.
Recently another friend commented that he intended to brush up on his knife techniques by rereading his copy of Slash and Thrust.
I decided to finally treat myself to a cheap second hand copy.
According to the blurb: “Until Slash and Thrust, no book ever presented a complete, practical knife fighter’s training program. This classic covers choosing the martial knife, quick-kill strikes, footwork, deceptive movements and using such exotic weapons as the shuriken, shaken, Irish dart, chakram and Chinese cloth dart.”
Quite a big claim for a small book of only 68-72 pages!
Having now read the book properly, my impression is of an inflatable structure that tries to look substantial but has very little content.
For example, Sanchez notes that there are a number of different footwork techniques used in various martial arts and then states he favours “natural footwork”. That sounds very logical, wise and sensible, but once you examine the statement, you realize it has very little actual meaning or content.
The footwork he goes on to describe involves moving with the knees bent. While this is a good technique, it is not what I would describe as natural.
The book has a number of statements or references that seem to be placed there mainly for the effect of making it seem more learned or insightful than it actually is.
In its handful of pages Sanchez uses the phrase “common sense” at least four times. Readers will be aware that this is a fiction, and any time someone uses this phrase instead of providing detail or justification, any information should be treated with skepticism and suspicion.
Sanchez also describes thrusting with a kukri as “at best, awkward”, which makes me seriously doubt that he has ever handled one.
There is a section on carrying techniques where Sanchez advocates carrying a belt knife inclined with the edge up.
He makes an argument that because the hand is inverted and turned palm out to draw from, this position it is better defended.
In fact, this would expose the more vulnerable area of the inner forearm with its nerves, blood vessels and tendons.
It also ignores that if the enemy is within attacking range you should be defending rather than attempting to draw a weapon.
The book does have some points of interest, but it was easy to overlook these among the padding.
You may pick up a tip or two, and one or two good points are made, but there is no way that this should be used as your main source of instruction. It gives little glimpses rather than a comprehensive view.
Occasionally he refers back to some ideas “already described” but these were in fact detailed very briefly.
Areas such as the guard posture could have been described better and would have benefited from an illustration.
There is an illustration of useful target areas, but important information such as that there is a high probability that attacking through the ribs can cause a blade to jam or be lost is not mentioned.
Sanchez suggests a number of books to consult for further study.
“Paradoxes of Defence” by George Silver is mentioned a number of times. I have mentioned Silver’s works on these pages, and in my books too.
Silver is worth a read but his comments on knife fighting techniques are only a few paragraphs long.
Also, Sanchez fails to mention that Silver’s discussion of actual techniques are in his related work “Brief Instructions upon my Paradoxes of Defence”.
Musashi’s “Book of Five Rings” is also suggested for reading. Referencing this book was quite common in the 80s. The Book of Five Rings contains some techniques for sword use. I don’t recall any knife relevant stuff in the book, but it has been a while since I read it, so will give Sanchez the benefit of the doubt there.
“Cold Steel” by John Styers is another suggestion. This is an interesting book providing you understand it was built on the ideas of Drexel-Biddle, whose knife fighting ideas were heavily influenced by sword-fighting techniques.
The last suggestion was Cassidy’s “Complete Book of Knife Fighting” See here for my review on that book. It is an interesting read, but I would be very cautious on trying its techniques in a real encounter!
As I have mentioned, there is a brief section on a variety of throwing weapons.
Sanchez admits that there may be situations when there is no other option but to throw a weapon, and briefly describes a number of historical examples of hand thrown weapons.
His explanation of how to throw knives and shuriken is reasonable if a little inaccurate on a few points.
Contrary to the claims of some reviews, the section on throwing weapons does not take up a third of the book. It is just a handful of pages.
For alternate information on self-defence, see my books.