Title sounds like an animated feature about superheroes, but actually, kerambit (spelled in a variety of ways, sometimes "kerampit," or "karambit," "korambit," among others) is an Indonesian knife that usually features a short, curved blade that may be sharp on both edges or sometimes just the inner edge, and a finger ring on the butt. Is a close-quarters weapon, designed for more for hooking and slashing than stabbing, and one may use the ring end to strike.
For a fight scene featuring these, you should run right out and buy a copy of The Musashi Flex, Ace Books, by Yours Truly.
Um. Anyway, having posted a photo on the previous entry, I thought I'd re-post it and name the knives pictured therein. These live in the gun safe, and there are a couple more knives in it I haven't had a chance to photograph with the collection. One is by Chuck Pippin, and you can see it at:
http://www.tribaledgeknives.com/
Along with Mushtaq Ali's designs, including the Tiger Claw, which is a cousin to the kerambit, and as I have pointed out before, a very nifty little knife.
I have also a nice double-bladed Javanese ring knife that was a gift from Bobbe Edmunds, and I'll get a picture of that one eventually. Way cool.
Meanwhile, clockwise, starting at twelve:
1. Steve Rollert's original prototype for the "boxcutter," with faux-ivory scales by Yours Truly. Western Knife tool steel.
2. & 3. Shiva Ki's 250 layers of laminated damascus kerambits.
4. Traditional Javanese kerambit with buffalo horn handle, in wos wuta pamor steel.
5. Traditional Javanese kerambit with cast and sculpted silver handle, also wos wuta pamor.
(These traditional blades are sharp on both edges.)
6.One-off, sabertooth knife, made from a circular saw blade by Rick Perry, (from a resin cast of an actual sabertooth fang pulled from the La Brea tar pits.
7. Folding kerambit, Cutter Knife & Tool, ATS stainless steel, titanium handle, aluminum ring.
8.&9. Steve Rollert's production kerambits, skeletonized handles, tool steel.
Dude, you better be careful. Your friend the witchdoctor, he told you what to do. And he told you never to tell.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, let the MMA lummoxes think what they want. Let them promulgate the deception. Deception is good.
Ever notice how a lot of those people aren't very smart? They're beer hall putsch types, many of them. Listening to Biohazard makes them invulnerable, see, and gives them superpowers. Can't cut dudes like that, not when they're all hepped up on toughguy music and testosterone.
Let's see how they do against a guy with toad thorns sticking out from under fire-hardened fingernails who listens to kendang music. Even empty-handed I think a lot of those guys would be easy meat particularly if you had surprise.
With a weapon? You're wasting your time arguing with 'em, man. In arguments, the unarmed win by force of numbers.
@ the comment above: I think it's unfair blaming MMA for the stupidity of people... it's just a contact sport, nothing more, even if some people walk around calling it a lifestyle. Also, from my experience, it is rarely ever the seasoned player who bashes other "martial arts" (I dislike this term, but anyway) - they have their place, and we are well aware that there is a difference between a match and a fight (and a brawl and an ambush, for that matter).
ReplyDeleteI don't exactly know what practices you are referring to - I heard some rumours about similar things being done in Silat and the like, but have never had the chance to exchange opinions with a serious practitioner, and although I have done quite some research in that area, I still haven't encountered / successfully tested an effective method to harden the nails -, but it sure does sound vicious.
Also, I would plead for a bit more tolerance in terms of music - it just has a lot to do with background, and if you prefer kendang, that's fine... I just like other styles better, so I'll listen to that, trying to do so in a way that doesn't offend other people.
As for the Kerambits, is there any chance seeing a cutting test of the Shivas? I have fallowed the works of him for quite a while now, and what he is able to get out of such a small blade with an awkward shape would interest me.
Short kerambits aren't designed for cutting, but for hooking and tearing. They are handles, claws, and good for in-fighting, not slicing like a long, thinner bladed knife.
ReplyDeleteThe poster's opinion on MMA is his. I'm not a big fan of kendang myself.