Indigenous Ability

Allow me to say the following interview with Benerson Little is ostensibly about Pirate History and tactical matters of combat at sea, but, to my mind it is far more than that. Ben waxes sagely on the importance of the experimental method versus simply imbibing and regurgitating information and there is a touch of “ Get out there and live!” admonishment. I find myself in agreement with Ben 100%. For those not in the know, Ben Little is the mighty interesting hybrid of ex-Navy SEAL, fencer, and master historian of all things piratical. I urge you to have a look at Ben’s work: http://www.benersonlittle.com/ Read on! First things first, Ben, I became aware of your work via your book The Sea Rover's Practice: Pirate Tactics and Techniques, 1630-1730 , which is in a word-superlative! Exactly the sort of hands-on in-the-trenches history that appeals to me.   I love the immersive aspect that goes beyond the typical academic rehash. Your work feels alive and pas...

Do you have a kitten? If so, go play with it, dangle something in front of it, activate its play-fighting mode. Watch it bat at the stand-in enemy with a forepaw. If you don’t have a kitten, perhaps a dog? Go play with it. Rile him up a bit and toss a toy on the ground watch him pin that toy with a forepaw and go to work with the jaws. No dogs, no kittens in the house? How about a toddler? If you have an 18-36-month-old human around the house go play with them. Roll a ball with them and watch them pick it up or roll it back. No kitties, no dogs, no toddlers? Well, let’s have you try something. While reading this, look around a pick up the nearest small object within your reach. Now that we’ve all played with our pets, or our kids, or at the very least picked up a stapler or some such thing, we can repeat these activities and pay attention to the handedness of all entities. The kitten will bat primarily with a dominant paw. The dog ...