2008 gurkha weekend

[pmel018]

Hi Guys
as promised a brief report on my weekend in Plymouth training in kukri basics and applications with two Gurkhas and a close combat instructor with the Royal Marines.
First instuctor: Captain "one more time" Indra Gurung

Second instructor: Sgt Dihraj

Third instructor and course organiser: Simon Hengle


Sadly the weather was diabolical, Saturday was the wettest day since 1917 . Nevertheless a small bunch of good keen men;and one woman, stuck it out for the whole day soaked to the skin.

The fog in the picture is rain , at least it wasn't horizontal at this point.
We covered the basic kukri strikes, slices and guards with Capt. Indra for several hours(much the same as last year), then spent a little lighthearted time on learning a kukri dance from his part of Nepal, great fun with a little martial intent. Put "kukri dance" into YouTube for more examples. Then it was on to more advanced work with Simon Hengle. In this section we learned another, more advanced training pattern and its applications in actual combat Thrusts, stabs, rips and butt strokes were all introduced along with quite a bit of reverse grip work. The kukri with more extreme curves were excellent for this. Training finished around 5p.m. and we all were given tasks to help prepare a brilliant Nepalese Curry over an open fire.

Thats me in the shorts and my wife to my left, man did we all enjoy the curry and beer

Sunday was taken up with a review of the previous days training and some test cutting, then pack up and head home.
A full on weekend of top class instruction from people who have "been there, done that", no bullshit or unanswered questions .
I am hoping that Simon will run another training before Christmas and include some Fairbairn Sykes knife work , a topic he also instructs in.
Regards
Phil

[Callum]

Hi Phil,

Great report and photos. Thanks for posting them.

Sounds like the weather is pretty much the same that we've been having here this Winter...

[NigelT]

Awesome, thanks Phil.

[conal]

Found it!

Martial arts, curry and beer...

Fairbairn Sykes commando knife. ---> No room for niceties in combat on Oldman Fairburns world.

aww man.

I think I mowed the lawn that weekend...

crazp.

Cheers Phil.