KNIFE FIGHTING

The sight of sharp, cold steel in your enemy's hand is not a pleasant sight. Knife fighting is an ugly business; it means steel against steel; then steel against flesh - and death.
Let's take a look at your enemy's blood.
That's one thing you can't draw from the quartermaster by signing a chit.
But it's a lot easier to draw than size 13 boondockers - you know that your enemy has it ...
You're far behind the lines, maybe you're a communications man operating your switchboard. Your carbine is propped against a tree nearby. Your outfit is in the area but out of sight. You're alone, and you're intent on your job.
You've been warned that there is the possibility of guerrilla activity and infiltration. Your knife is constantly at your side. It gives you a great deal of confidence, but your real assurance comes from your confidence in your own ability to save your own life with that knife by carving out a heavenly military career for your enemy in whatever particular Valhalla he happens to believe exists.
A twig snaps!
You look up from the switchboard.
An enemy is rushing at you, both hands raised-in each a knife!
He's got one objective:
To drive them downward into your chest!
"MOVE, BOY!"
You move. You whip up your knife; you leap into the guard position. Your enemy slows his advance; immediately he realizes that before him is no frightened schoolboy. Instead, he sees a calm, fighting man - poised, ready for instantaneous action, armed with deadly steel, its point directed menacingly at his throat.
You advance cautiously into your proper range, your knife never wavering from his throat. Both of his fists are out in front of him. They are your first targets.
Too late, he realizes that your range is greater than his, and that he has allowed you to come in too close. Like the fangs of a cobra your blade strikes out in a full cut and you are back in your guard position, your blade again pointed at his throat.
There is a dull thud on the ground and a mild ping as the knife falls from your opponent's left hand, along with parts of his fingers if your cut has been accurate and hard.
You have stunned your opponent; you can afford a split second before pressing the attack. From your guard position you lower yourself quickly, and with your blade still pointed at his throat, you scoop up a handful of dirt and return to the guard position.
You are ready for the kill. Your enemy is now in a do or die rage; his only thought is to kill YOU any way he can. He raises his blade beside his head and charges.
You heave the dirt, execute an in-quartata, and yell. Your target is his heart.
As he hurtles by the spot you vacated a moment before, your blade is almost wrenched from your hand as it cuts its way out of his body.
Your opponent is now lying about five yards beyond the spot in which he had intended to leave YOUR lifeless form.
Cautiously you inspect the corpse of your enemy. Your job was clean. There was no need for in-fighting.
"Just like that?" you ask cynically.
We nod.
"But that wasn't me in that knife fight," you insist. "It must have been some other guy, an expert, maybe..."
You don't need to be an expert to stand your ground in the guard position and engage an enemy with confidence. A sound KNOWLEDGE of knife fighting and PRACTICE of its basic PRINCIPLES will make you a dangerous opponent for any knife-wielding enemy.
Knife fighting is based on the age-old science of swordsmanship. These principles of swordplay were utilized by James Bowie in his fine technique with his Bowie knife-making Bowie and the Bowie Knife one of the deadliest blade combinations the world has ever known,