Skip to main content

Comanche Buzzsaws & “Clearing the Kerf” by Mark Hatmaker

 


[The following is meant as an adjunct to the accompanying lengthy video.]

Novice Question: “What’s the best punch/kick/strike/submission?”

Answer: Overwhelming Force

Or…

“Combinations, combinations, combinations.”

Or…

“Punches in bunches!”

Wise striking, canny grappling, and experienced weapons-wielding all fall into the General Forrest strategic camp of “Get there firstest with the mostest.” [With a big emphasis on “mostest.”]

There are two general ways to “prepare” combinations.

One-Rapid Turnover

·        That is, a succession of strikes, submissions, slashes, shots fired et cetera in rapid succession.

Two-“Clearing the Kerf”

·        “Clearing the kerf” is an old rough ‘n’ tumble phrase borrowed from woodsmen and lumberjacks.

·        We’ll come back to this…

Comanche Vocabulary Word of the Day: “Wuhpa [?] itu”

·        General Definition: “To hit repeatedly.”

·        Pronunciation for the curious…

·        “Wuhpa’itu” is all one word/concept.

·        The bracketed question mark in the middle let’s us know to raise the pitch of our intonation on that second syllable as one does when asking a question.

·        The first syllable and the last two have a swallowed almost closed lipped feel to them.

·        One need not nail the pronunciation though to follow the concept of “Wuhpa’itu.”

“Wuhpa’itu” is not merely “strike repeatedly” or strike in serial combination. It is a bit more than that. It is to hit in such a way that each successive hit is pre-loaded in a manner more resembling the sine wave leading to a whip crack than one boxcar following after the other.

The point is subtle but distinct in the concept and application.

In the video we discuss how subtle shifts in hand position, palm recovery, “wrist-catching” etc. make the demonstrated action more than just “pat the hand out of the way.”

Let’s return to the lumberjack/woodsman phrase borrowing to make the point a bit clearer.

“Clearing the Kerf” is a phrase used when using any toothed saw, be that the standard push-saw you may have around your home or the “misery whip” two buckers use to section logs.

·        To use any manual saw properly, we must make each aspect of the draw [positive & negative] clean and smooth.

·        A saw’s teeth cut on the push and the offset clears the kerf [the slit or notch of the cutting area] of sawdust.

·        Fail to clear the kerf and the saw will cut inefficiently. The saw will slow or bind halting the job being done.

·        To cut and clear a kerf properly, diligent attention must be paid to long pushes [for the cut] and long smooth draws [to clear the kerf] which prepares the next cut.

“Clearing the kerf” in the old school combat sense was to strike, grapple, or wield your weapon in such a way that each offensive motion [push of the saw] contained a pre-loaded kerf-clearing aspect to it.

·        One could push for the cut, draw shallow and get right back on the cut—you can still cut a board this way, but not as smoothly and always with the danger of a bind that must be rectified.

·        To cut and clear the kerf was to ensure efficiency, reduce work, and speed the job being done.

While observing the video [and each to follow] hell, while observing your own work it is wise to get beyond just the mere cut-stroke that is easy to see and strive for and examine for kerf-clearing as that is where all the hidden devils in the details reside.

[If you dig working such devilish old school details, consider joining our RAW/Black Box Subscription Service. Details here and here.]

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Apache Running by Mark Hatmaker

Of the many Native American tribes of the southwest United States and Mexico the various bands of Apache carry a reputation for fierceness, resourcefulness, and an almost superhuman stamina. The name “Apache” is perhaps a misnomer as it refers to several different tribes that are loosely and collectively referred to as Apache, which is actually a variant of a Zuni word Apachu that this pueblo tribe applied to the collective bands. Apachu in Zuni translates roughly to “enemy” which is a telling detail that shines a light on the warrior nature of these collective tribes.             Among the various Apache tribes you will find the Kiowa, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Chiricahua (or “Cherry-Cows” as early Texas settlers called them), and the Lipan. These bands sustained themselves by conducting raids on the various settled pueblo tribes, Mexican villages, and the encroaching American settlers. These American settlers were often immig...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Original Roadwork by Mark Hatmaker

  Mr. Muldoon Roadwork. That word, to the combat athlete, conjures images of pre-dawn runs, breath fogging the morning air and, to many, a drudgery that must be endured. Boxers, wrestlers, kickboxers the world over use roadwork as a wind builder, a leg conditioner, and a grit tester. The great Joe Frazier observed… “ You can map out a fight plan or a life plan, but when the action starts, it may not go the way you planned, and you're down to the reflexes you developed in training. That's where roadwork shows - the training you did in the dark of the mornin' will show when you're under the bright lights .” Roadwork has been used as a tool since man began pitting himself against others of his species in organized combat. But…today’s question . Has it always been the sweat-soaked old school gray sweat suit pounding out miles on dark roads or, was it something subtler, and, remarkably slower? And if it was, why did we transition to what, and I repeat myself,...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Conversation with Master Bladesman, James Keating by Mark Hatmaker

For those not in the know… James Albert Keating: Master at Arms - Astonishingly good with all small weapons. A graduate of the ESI Bodyguard academy. A knife designer of note. A writer of poem, prose and storied tale. Four books to his name so far. Currently residing on a large Arabian horse ranch in the mountains of Oregon. Keating is the owner and operator of the Comtech Training Studio known worldwide as home to a vast array of fighters, fencers and fast guns. Keating has operated the training hall since 1972 when he first began teaching publicly. James Keating has trained in various combative systems since age 10. Just shy of being sixty years of hard work in the martial arts and tactical fields. His 2018 season of training seminars looks as strong as one of his hand made Bowie knives. His beliefs are as follows: " We advance together into the unknown future with the strength of our abilities sustaining us through thick and thin. Skill banishes fear. Skill is the secret, ...
9 comments
Read more