In a discussion tonight the idea of keeping an eye on the mountain and the road at the same time was brought up, the importance of watching both but also if we stray can we correct? All this made me think of my own road and mountain.

Back in '17 I drove to Mt. Rainier. On the way you see the mountain from many different perspectives as it dips into and out of view. At some point you start driving right towards it and it is in constant view. And you drive, and you drive etc, all the while it seems to stay the same size. Like you're not getting any closer but you've been on this road 20 minutes now. But you have faith in the destination so you push forward. 

Then you lose it again to the trees as you climb, wondering all of a sudden if you drove right by it, until you reach just beneath the summit. A new, different perspective. It is still the same mountain yet looks nothing like you thought it would. 

My road has been curvy to say the least. At times the mountain is straight ahead, others its been behind. But up and up and you go, for what else is there? I've had this strange faith in this road since I started it, like it will be ok, even though I don't see the mountain at times, I feel I'm going in the right direction, that the mountain will reappear. 

These days I look around me and nothing looks like I thought it would, and I'm totally ok with that. I don't lament on this, I revel in it, I like where I'm at, and only the road right behind me got me here. And if its the journey and not the destination, I hope I never reach that peak. 

Blessed I am. 

​R
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That's ok. I didn't want to enter in all polished and perfect. Rather, I wanted to saunter in with yesterdays clothes, hair that would make Bill the Cat look GQ, smelling like today and yesterday, and a sly walk of shame smile. In that then, I was a success. 

Wow, as I type this the youtube version is being updated and I'm finishing the audio for Spotify et al to replace the original file. 

So basically the mic was not muting when I thought it was. Its a glitch, I cant get it to mute but I did not know this right away, but I did catch it before launch and fixed it. A fews hours went into it to get rid of all the coughs and throat clearings which, I thought were being muted. OK, saved the day. New file for all. 

Launch day comes. Over 150 views, wow. Day two, I have 365 views. I click on it and I'm listening to it again. I hear throat clearings. ??? thought I. I keep listening. "I really thought I got rid of all these."

OK, no biggie. Not a great first outing, but ok. Then I hear it. The belch. OMG. So far 365 people, on the world stage, have heard this podcast and this belch. Mortified is a word here.

Turns out I deleted the wrong file! I deleted the repaired and polished final draft and published the original.

OK, this needs to be fixed. Mind you its midnight, I just walked in from a 6 day, 2800 mile roundtrip to SD to deliver relief to fire victims. Man am I tired. But now, I need to listen to the rest and see if there are anymore. Thankfully, no. 

While I trimmed out this most offensive piece, I left all the others in. Not because of the amount of work that would be needed, because I can laugh at myself and we can all have a good laugh. Plus, I really didn't want to be all polished the first time out.

Even with these glaring mistakes, you all have said such nice things and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I thank you. 

Lesson learned - sparkling water is not good for show time. 

Thank you so much. For showing up, for listening and commenting. For being awesome. Because you, like me, love the blade, and that makes us awesome. It's not that the blade is cool, it is, but I think it takes a certain person to appreciate the blade and blade arts at the level we do.

And that person is the antithesis of how we are portrayed in the eyes of the general public. We are intelligent, we are high minded, we are seekers, warriors and protectors. To a person, we are artistic.

I've met a number of like minded individuals and they all share these traits. We also have grand senses of humor and give great conversation. Creative. Each and every one. I like these people, they are good people. 

172 views in one day on youtube for the very first episode of By The Blade featuring MAA James A Keating. I am humbled, I am grateful, I am blessed.

​I will strive to deliver on each and every one, and man do we have some great episodes coming up for you. 

Goodnight from the Road. 
R
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Here's a teaser for the world premier of By The Blade with special guest MAA James A Keating

Six years. Six years! This is a long time. Maybe a lifetime. Maybe a career. While I have been silent for some time I have not been idle. Training continues, life continues. It’s been an interesting 6 years that has seen me crisscross the country yet again, have a few careers and be involved in so many adventures the dust just never settles.

Six years. The last time we spoke I mentioned, yet again, that you are responsible for you. Responsible for your safety and defense, for no one is coming to save you. Did you listen? Have you trained?
​
This world today….I wish it weren’t so. I wish there wasn’t a need to have our head on a swivel, yet this is just life, regardless of the times. Wishes and wants. It has gotten worse in the last six years and the need for awareness, training and the responsibility for you is at an all time high. I’ve returned to remind you.

And now there is a new way to do this. You may have noticed a new page addition to the site, the By The Blade podcast. The podcast is about the blade and I will be interviewing teachers, makers, enthusiasts and collectors. Yet what has started as a general interest show on the blade has turned into something more. It is taking on a life of it’s own and a new vision and mission have emerged.

As we come up to the launch of By The Blade it is my wish that you will truly get something out of these conversations.  I want to spread awareness on the brutal realities of the world today and emphasize the need to take responsibility for you and yours. And maybe even make it interesting.

This show will be for you and so I would like you to be vocal about what you would like to see or not see. You matter. This show is no longer just for me to geek out on. This show is for you.

I want to leave you with my favorite quote by MAA James Keating.
“There are more things on this planet with fangs, claws,
poisons and scales than there are things that are warm,
fuzzy and full of love. It's a simple Fact!”
 
R
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   To Be or Not To Be, that is today’s questions. Lets do some homework first. Here’s a riposte from my blog. Please go read it and come back. I’ll wait. OK so you’re back, were you listening then? Are you listening now? Are you prepared to sweep the leg? There is a Hungarian proverb that says, “It is ok, in times of great danger, to walk hand in hand with the devil until the bridge has been crossed”. Are you ready, willing and able to walk hand in hand with the devil to save your life?


   There was a recent tragedy in my town that was so horrible no adjectives suffice. Read it here, I cant even describe it. I know or have met the roommates of the victim. This is close to home. A friend of mine lives a block away from the crime scene. It could have been any of us. The accused was a transient, most probably a meth addict, this was probably a crime of opportunity and circumstance. The point I make here is the randomness of it. So random it could have been anyone the accused ran across that day. It could have been you. It could have been me. Are you listening now?


   The deceased, from what I hear from people who knew him well, was the nicest of guys. Could this have been the reason? Because he was too nice and let this man in his home to help him? The deceased was employed by the local college and was well known in the community. This is a crazy upside down world currently. It is very violent and I see no decline in that in the near future. What are you going to do?


   Fact, the police cannot protect you. This isn’t a knock on them, it’s a simple fact, they can only respond to the crime and pick up the pieces and maybe, just maybe, protect you going forward if there was still a need. But even then they cant be there – AT FIRST - YOU have to be responsible for YOU until they get there. YOU have to protect yourself and your family during that time between AT FIRST and RESPONSE time. During life and death that can be 5 seconds can be an eternity and in some cases, forever.


   What are you going to do about this?


   Maybe your a scrappy kind of person that is naturally tough. Can handle themselves. That’s great. If you are not, if boxing matches make you squeamish, you need to train a bit. You need to step up and be responsible for yourself. Luckily for you squeamish types it’s not all about kicks and punches and blood and sweaty gym time.


   An ounce of prevention eh? Prevention is the first line of defense and it starts with situational awareness. Being aware of your surroundings, being diligent. Look around when you arrive or as you leave. Notice. Get your face out of that phone. Attackers don’t like eye contact and will most often pause or abort when they see that you noticed them. You “made” them. These critical seconds can save your life.


   What you do next is just as important. Adjust your behavior and/or plans. Whether that means walking on other side of street or driving around the block or even going back to the store later. Getting to safety is the goal. Once they see that your not going to play and it would be an effort that is sometimes enough to dispel them as well.


   But maybe it didn’t. Now what? Be calm. Easier said than done. Much has been written on the fight or flight response and you should check some out. You can start here for a good resource. Predators know how to smell fear and it will sometimes give them the extra courage. That’s why bully’s are so effective against the ones they can bully. Now fear will always come to you in times of danger, as it very well should, that’s it’s job. It is telling us “hey look out”, but it is such a strong emotion that it can easily take over due to the chemical reactions that occur in the body at the time. It’s job is actually over after we realize there is danger but the effects can remain for a while after. Unless you know what to do. Learning how to control that fear can be key. It can make us appear stronger and more confident than we feel at the moment or it can lend us advantages. Read about it. Learn about it. Fear is not a bad thing. Don’t be “fearless”. It does not make us tougher to get rid of it, it makes us stronger when we understand it and can control it.


   Be suspicious. Don’t be so naive as to think you are someone special and no one would dare harm you. That kind of thinking is no bueno. If warning bells are going off listen to them! Learn how to listen to your little voice. Thomas Magnum had a little voice he listened to and it served him well. My little voice has for me as well. Learn how to say no. I like to give to the homeless or less fortunate than me but sometimes I get bad vibes and don’t, especially when it’s 11pm and they are standing in the shadows. I have nice ways to say no, and I have some not so nice ways to drive the point home. Get good at both, but even when you have to be firm, do not be mean or cruel, be direct. NO passive aggressive language, that is weak and they will pounce.


   “To win without fighting is best” - Sun Tzu. Yes I agree, but now none of this worked or it all happened too fast and all of your maneuvers failed because they are intent on harming you. Now what? Remember, YOU are responsible for YOU at this moment. Your spacial advantage didn’t work and they are on you. None of your negotiations have worked and the time for talking is over and they are on you. Are you going to fight back? Are you willing? Do you know how? Really only the willingness needs to be there. In the end that’s all you need, is a willingness to sweep the leg, to do whats needed to walk away. Are you ready to walk hand in hand with the devil until that bride has been crossed?


   Most readers of this blog are already interested in the martial arts of some nature. If you are not one of them this article is really for you. Hopefully I got your attention and you are thinking about this. We may not have created this crazy world but we have to live in it. If you are wondering what’s next learn a few moves. It could be anything - boxing, kung fu, mma, firearms. Talk to the person who shared this with you and get their opinion. You dont need to learn a whole system, just some basics if that’s all your willing to do. Learn from your brother, father, sister, uncle or the family scrapper. Just be willing and take responsibility for you. You must.


   All of the points I made above have been written about extensively and the concepts are found in many schools. For the physical training seminars abound and DVD’s have been made ad nauseum. Dont be afraid of choosing the wrong one. Trust me when I say you’ll be able to spot Bullshido when you come across it. Find what works for YOU and you will be fine.


Peace and Safety to you and yours.


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     Calling all Warriors, calling all Warriors, report for duty. Lets make the most use of our time during winter for general maintenance of our warrior path. Today I want to focus on the tools we use to train and protect ourselves and specifically, the connection we have with them. When we look at what we want/need from a tool the first things that come to mind are quality, reliability/durability, cost, etc. all being affected by various factors. Yet less often considered is the connection we have with these tools and this could be just as important a factor as any other. While we all have connections with the things we own, be they sentimental, religious, spiritual and others, how often is it a consideration when obtaining the tools of our craft?


     As Warriors we all want to be one with our weapon, to make it an extension of ourselves. But just how do we go about doing that? Most would say training, and they wouldn’t be wrong But what many would not realize is the actual physical connection, where the flesh meets with the object, is where it all starts. Now since we can’t change our physiology we need to ensure that the tool meets the requirements needed to make a good connection and that means the materials used.


     What makes a good connection? Natural materials like wood, bone, horn, leather, even steel. No synthetics like rubber, plastics or other petroleum based products. Why? Synthetics have no life, no aenema and the body, which is electrically charged, can’t make a connection with synthetics. It’s a natural resistor and insulator. Its what we use to protect ourselves from electrical currents. Why would we want to block that connection with our weapons and trainers? Doesn't that go against the whole ‘be one with the weapon’ thing? Now you’re catching on.


     Now am I saying no to all synthetics for all things? In a perfect world, yes. Natural is just better for everyone. However we are not going to change the world overnight and there are a bevy of synthetic handled knives for work and rescue that can outperform natural in many areas, namely durability and sometimes grip (we’ll get to more on that soon) with some of the advanced grip technology. As far as tools go that is great. They don’t need a connection like that we speak of here, they need it to perform and last and not let go.


     Wait, don’t warriors want a good grip too? We certainly don’t want to lose our weapon at the wrong time either. Yes, yes, true but we are working under different conditions. We are working under stresses that that can many times take away all fine motor control leaving us with nothing but gross motor control and a loss of strength. We need to do everything we can to make sure we are still holding on to that weapon when the time comes. Natural material makes a better connection. Period. The connection alone gives you extra strength. Like a +1 strength in D&D. It’s there and it beats out synthetics. Try an experiment similar to the teeth together/closed you maybe did in school and see for your self.


1. Take two things of similar size weight etc and have one be synthetic and one be a natural material making the connection. A couple of trainers would be good (no real knives please for this) or anything really like a wood pencil vs a plastic pen.
2. Hold the natural object that you chose in your hand and put your arm straight out in front of you and have a partner push down on your hand with only one of theirs and try and make your arm lower while you resist. Don’t go crazy and hurt each other trying to prove who is tougher, firm but controlled pressure is enough. After a few seconds what happened? Your partner probably realized that without jumping on top of you they could not move your hand much and you found it was fairly easy to withstand their pressure.
3. Now do the same with the synthetic material. I bet your arm went straight down and you were powerless to do anything about it. You don’t need to let me know, I’ve done and seen these and that is enough.


     You are stronger with your teeth apart than when they are together. You are stronger with natural materials than with synthetics. I don’t make these rules, I just choose to acknowledge them and use them to my advantage.


     Right, so, whats next? We have the connection with no resistors in the way. All naturalle, check. We train all the time, for the way is in training, check. Now it’s time for the spiritual or soul connection or whatever you want to call it that works for you. Its making you one with with that weapon on a higher level. Thor had his hammer, Arthur had Excalibur, BB King had Lucille. What do you have? Regardless of the activity that we choose, we all want to have a deep connection that special something. A guitarist wants that special guitar, a chef a prized knife, a writer has an old type writer where the “m” sticks. They all mean something on a higher level to them and they acknowledge it. They may not delve deeper into the meaning but they all know that BB King played better with his Gibson named Lucille and Stephen King probably wrote better on his favored typewriter.


     Now you are asking yourself, how do I get something like that for my training? Don’t I have to wait years and develop a relationship with this thing? Or spend a lot of money? Or have it gifted to me? No, not at all. We warriors are in a unique position to bypass all that and actually create the connection by creating our own trainers and/or weapons. In fact, everyone that trains should at the very least make a trainer for themselves. Many people modify or customize the tools of their trade to work exclusively for them and their needs and this alone can have a great impact on the connection, for intent is powerful. So if that’s all you can do then do it, but get involved with the process. Don’t just buy it or settle.


     Let’s take a look at making a wooden knife trainer. Does it have to be fancy? No not at all. It could be crude as all get out. It could be a stick that you peeled the bark off of and smoothed out the wood a bit so it didn't hurt the hand. Voila, a homemade trainer. Or you could get involved with tools as simple as a saw and some files or a jigsaw and sanding belts. Regardless of your capabilities or access to tools when you are done you will have a connection with that trainer that no one could ever take away. Now strengthen that connection and spend time with it. Another point here about trainers. If you shoot, you probably know that your training ammo should match closely to your actual use ammo. Same goes for your trainers. You should have one that is an exact duplicate of your main use knife. Yes it is is ok to have some general shapes or stickfigures for trainers but you should also have a match to yours. Here are some that I made. I have a match for a Crossada in case I ever own one, and I made a match to my Cold Steel Voyager XL. I also removed the paracord from a trainer and attached some ebony I had.  

     

     Making your own weapon. Right, now he’s talking crazy. I’m not a blacksmith! Well now, you could be. Blacksmithing techniques and tools are more accessible than ever before. They even have TV shows about it and the number of videos on youtube is, well, enjoy that rabbit hole.

     But maybe you dont have the time or the safe space for a forge, now what? There are many ways to go about it. You can skip the forging process and go right to the next step and that is stock removal. Even after shaping in the fire blacksmiths have to go to this step. In the stock removal only method, we have a little more stock to remove but we didn’t sweat our bleeps off in the forge either. Here again we will see that we don’t need a lot of fancy equipment -

• Some bar steel for the material. This can be obtained online or at a local steel supply house. Do some research on this but a high carbon steel like 1084 or 1095 makes a great knife and is easy on beginners.
• Natural handle materials
• Shaping tools that can range from simple bastard files and sandpaper to full on power tools and belt sanders. What works for you?
• A Vise. Not optional.
• A way to harden and heat treat. You can actually send your ready to be hardened blade to a professional for this and if you’re in the stock removal only method you should. It’s really not that expensive. Know what steel you have or they cant help you.
• Some way to get the handle material to stick. This could be a mechanical bond such as a pin or a chemical bond such as epoxy. Combining both a chemical and mechanical bond is best. You can even use all natural alternatives to epoxy. Winning!
• A Sharpening stone. Goes without saying? But then too you could have a pro do this part, if you cant get the hang of it. But you should.

     You know Rich, I really just don’t have time for all that and power tools scare me, I’ll just go buy one off amazon. Just hold on there. We have more options and you may just use Amazon. I am talking about buying a knife blank. They are all over the place. Ebay, Amazon, even Etsy has them. There are also specialized knifemaking supply websites and the prices on all can range from $10 on up. From here all you need is natural handle material, a bond to attach said handle material and at bare minimum sandpaper. This is actually what I did. I bought a blank off of ebay, handle scales off another website, a pin I had, and a piece of flat bar steel for the forward curving guard from home depot. See pic below. Cost of materials about $42. (Leather sheath shown in top photo I made out of a scraps bag from Michaels Craft Store.)

 

​     One last option is to take an existing knife that you bought or already own and modifying it. Case in point. Over the holidays Walmart was selling these gift sets that had a Shrade Uncle Henry skinner and companion 3 blade pocket knife. I waited till after the holidays and the price started dropping and I snagged a few. They had atrocious plastic handles but I was buying with the intentions of attaching some elk horn that I had for a project as I had never attached horn before. Cheap knives are better for practice. The plastic handles Shrade put on there were worse than I thought but to Shrade’s credit they did something smart. Instead of making the handle permanent they attached it with a phillips head nut attachment that connected to the inside rat tail. This made removing the old handle a breeze. Otherwise you will have to get creative with removing the old handle without damaging the blade. For tools all I used were a hacksaw, a drill bit to shape the hole to fit over the rat tail and to make a hole for the pin. Epoxy. And a grinding wheel to shape the sides of the antler to meet the guard. See pics below that show the stock knife and my custom.  
​

      Warriors of old made their weapons out of necessity and gained naturally from the benefits of the connection made. Some noticed this connection, most were oblivious. All gained. The modern warrior has such easy access to weapons of all levels of quality and a myriad of options, as opposed say only bronze and oak wood or obsidian. It is so easy to obtain we don’t make that connection and we don’t care all that much about them. They are disposable, like everything else we own and use. Mass production and synthetics have taken the soul out. Even if we chose natural material and have an available connection, ie not resisted or insulated, the thought process, and therefore the energy, does not go past the hands and into the weapon because it is so easy to discount that weapon.


     Of course not all warriors in history made their own weapons and we can gain these connections other ways like through custom knives that fit us personally, the investment of time and intent making that connection, or an heirloom piece that has sentimental or religious value acting as the bridge. Maybe that Cold Steel piece is truly your calling. Consider making some personal modifications, (either yourself or a pro) or imparting some Mojo into it. Yes Mojo. Smiths have been imparting Mojo into their works for a very long time. Many cultures make it a religious event including prayers and other rites. Many smiths up to and including today impart their Mojo at the time of quenching, sealing in its soul forever. Spells and rites of all kinds have been used to make the connection. Knives even figure prominently in some religions, sometimes having special knives for prayers.


     For me, the value gained by making my own trainer alone is more than I could put into words here. You will just have to experience it for yourself then you will know. I will continue to make my own trainers and knives both for the savings and for the fun but will also buy from others here and there. But the connection will always be sought. Through natural materials and intent.


   Good luck with your trainer and stay sharp. Well, not the trainer, keep that dull.


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"Meet me down at the Dueling Oaks promptly at 3pm, if you please sir, where you will pay for you effrontery and satisfaction shall be mine!" 

​ Seems kinda silly to hear and for the modern man it evokes the melodrama of Shakespearean acting. Yet from the early to late 1800’s these very words may have been uttered in New Orleans by any number of men, from salesmen to senators. Weapons ranged from swords, pistols and bowie knives with even the shotgun making an appearance. Most ended with minor injuries to flesh or ego, sometimes the contestants walking off the field good friends once again. Occasionally deaths occurred. These duels could be private affairs or they could have attendance in the hundreds if the drama had played out in public before hand.


Dueling has a long history and the American frontier was fertile ground to continue the legacy and practices of men protecting their honor and name, a very real currency back then. Words carried weight and you best be prepared to defend those words or your own honor and word would be put into question. The Wild West had it’s gunslingers and the South had it’s sword and dueling pistols. New Orleans with it’s rich French population had centuries of fencing technique from Europe land at her docks. Salle’s were on every corner teaching all the popular styles and weapons and no gentleman of the day would be caught out without a large knife or a pistol or both. Maitre de Arms were respected members of the community, if they could keep their reputation.

Duels could occur anywhere from a side street to a park to just outside of town. One popular spot still talked about today were two Oaks in City Park New Orleans that saw many colorful duels. An article in the Times-Democrat, March 13, 1892, said,

"Blood has been shed under the old cathedral aisles of nature. Between 1834 and 1844 scarcely a day passed without duels being fought at the Oaks. Why, it would not be strange if the very violets blossomed red of this soaked grass! The lover for his mistress, the gentleman for his honor, the courtier for his King; what loyalty has not cried out in pistol shot and scratch of steel! Sometimes two or three hundred people hurried from the city to witness these human baitings. On the occasion of one duel the spectators could stand no more, drew their swords, and there was a general melee."

That’s a lot of duels, the last of which was fought in 1890. Dueling was actually outlawed in 1855 yet it was years before laws were enforced. Yet with a history that rich people still remember. One of the Oaks was destroyed in 1949 by hurricane, the other is said to have survived even hurricane Katrina. Whether the Oaks are there or have gone to dust as they eventually must, the spirits and yay, the spirit, will remain in the earth, seeped deep down nourishing future generations of Oaks.


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The 2018 Comtech Bowie Seminar was a huge success and a great time was had by all. My work schedule is such that I can't get a review written anytime soon so hopefully this video will hold you over till then. This is a sampling of some of the matches that we had over the weekend. Click on the pic and Enjoy!

   Going into the Riddle of Steel ’17 as a first timer I did not know what to expect but I was not disappointed. It was all knife all the time. Big knives, little knives and everything in between. I only wish they were still being held in Hells Canyon on the Snake. But that was another time. Ghost Boxing Temple has it’s own charm and collection of spirits. They like what we do which creates an energy that is conducive to warrior training.

   MAA James A. Keating was in top form as he brought us through a series of drills and concepts never straying far from the subject. 3 Days of  progressive concepts, skills and philosophy creating a solid base for the knife fighter. Almost a knife boot camp. Here's a foundation and the concepts to explore for a lifetime. If you weren’t a knife fighter walking in you were certainly one walking out. Mission Successful.

   Alongside Uncle Jim assisting with teaching duties sharing their years of experience were MAA Robert Langford – Dynamic Tactical Systems, MAA Andy Alexander – Comtech, MAA Shihan Ken Smith – Advanced Martial Systems Northwest and Andy Black – Comtech Instructor. All of them shared insights and helped refine the techniques, walking the room and answering questions to ensure all grasped the concepts.

   
   Well what’s a Riddle of Steel without a few knives. The Riddle of Steel knife show had plenty of knives to buy, sell, trade or just admire.  Mr Keating brought in a few of his personal knives to show and a few more on the table, John Morbeck brought in a few **cough** of his knives. But the real star of the show, and I do mean the headliner, was the world premier unveiling of the James A Keating Ozark Toothpick made by Custom Knife maker Jeff Shafer. This is a real beauty. The craftsmanship is superb, the size intimidating. The lines are precise. The point on this thing is just ridiculous, no dagger before has had a tip this fine. With a price point at $1500+ it is not for the casual knife guy. Serious players and collectors are the market for this bowie companion. If your'e interested check out Jim's website here. 
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   Knife fighting, or any martial art really, has to have a way to balance out the punishment we put our bodies through as we train and as we survive. There must be a Yin to the Yang. On that note we were treated to a Reiki healing session by Reiki Master Ken Smith. Whether you got into the session full bore or just took the time to decompress after two solid days of training (day 3 was still on its way) the down time was good.  I know I benefited from this session. I hope others did too. Thank you Shihan.
​
   All in all the 2017 Riddle was a huge success. Skills were gained, connections were made and friendships were formed. Group breakfast was a thing at the new digs across the street. If you’ve never been, what are you waiting for? If you want real knife skill start planning now for 2018 and come see why the Riddle has the reputation that it does.
 
Rich Fern
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