Here you go, Katie

[Seraphim]

You guys are a bad influence on me.<br /><br />Twenty three years I brought a child home from South America, and made a lot of changes in my life. I locked a buch of stuff away into a metal locker, and over the years lost the key.<br /><br />Today I found it.<br /><br />After you and P_man talking about knives, I thought you'd get a kick out of these - from a mis spent youth lol.<br /><br /><br /><div> </div><div>Memories of a Wayward Youth&nbsp;</div>

 

[twokniveskatie]

Wow. Wow!!! Some nice blades there! Can you take a pic with one clutched in your teeth? Don't be afraid! I was only kidding about the marrying part.&nbsp;

 

[sidat202]

Is that your set of steak knives?

 

[Seraphim]

Oh, you know ... A paring knife, a coring knife, a couple of bread knives, a steak knife, a nd a filet knife.<br /><br /><br />And I've lost a couple over the years. &nbsp;That Lap knife is a small commercial made my wife bought me to replace a handmade original that was given me in Norway. Don't know who stole my original, but it meant a lot to me.

 

[sidat202]

Hey Katie. Do you have any pictures with a knife in your teeth?

Wow. Wow!!! Some nice blades there! Can you take a pic with one clutched in your teeth? Don't be afraid! I was only kidding about the marrying part.&nbsp;

 

[Seraphim]

A couple more to "whet" your appetite<br /><br /><div> </div><div>photo.JPG by jglennhart, on Flickr</div>

 

[Seraphim]

The Malamute sword is the only part of my Marine Corps career, along with the K-Bar and the Valor from the previous photo, that I kept as a reminder of who I was.

 

[Seraphim]

<div>The tsuba is one of a kind. &nbsp;I bought the prototype from a custom 'smith, and went back a month later to order a shorter companion blade. &nbsp;Turned out he and his partner got into a fight and the mold was broken before a second tsuba could be cast. He made similar ones, but there no sisters to this one.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </div><div>Tsuba by jglennhart, on Flickr</div>

 

[Seraphim]

<div> </div><div>photo.JPG by jglennhart, on Flickr</div>

 

[Seraphim]

The skinning knife is another one of a kind my brother made for me out of spring steel.&nbsp; Things were slow at work, at the time.

 

[Stillwater]

Sai are fantastically effective if you get training... mine was iver 25 years go. If i could just fit into that turtle shell again.

 

[twokniveskatie]

Seraphim, thank- you so much forsharing these pics. What an awesome collection. Something for me to aspire to!

 

[Seraphim]

P_man<br /><br /> I've only had very basic instruction with the sai. &nbsp;Same with the Bo and Jo. &nbsp;I've worked them in unarmed kata though, just for experimental sake. Just extensions of the body.<br /><br />Maybe you can teach me a bit more if you're coming to Ky.<br /><br /><br />Got a picture of my 5 yoa in a TMNT outfit I made for him. &nbsp; &nbsp;Might be a little small for you, though lol

 

[Stillwater]

Would love to make it to KY... especially being close by but it depends on schedule. I'm the last person you want instruction from though - &lt;img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"&gt; I only made green practicing isshinryu. It cut to much into time required chasing girls and making money back then.

If i pursued anything again it would be kali-silat or krav maga. I believe most martial arts do a great disservice in giving folks a false sense of confidence withou conditioning what it feels like to fight thru pain and blood. I've seen many with beautiful form crumble at the first sensation of pain. The guy that wins the fight doesn't havr to be the fastest, strongest or most graceful... he just has to be the last one standing.

 

[Seraphim]

It all ties together.&nbsp;<br /><br />Most martial arts are watered down to sports, I agree, and much is lost - the instructors don't understand what they are teaching. A lot 'combat' fighters, however, are nothing but brawlers. &nbsp;there's a balance between knowledge, technique, conditioning and the ability to work through pain.<br /><br />Plus training properly.