Thursday, December 5, 2024

By The Wayside Part II (aka: Silent But Deadly)

Ralph's Army Surplus carried an assortment of martial art Melee type weaponry. All of it in demand accoutrement immediately after first ever viewing in the latest James Bond film adventure:

(YouTube video)
007 - "You Only Live Twice (1967)

Fighting knives, throwing knives, daggers, nunchucks, fighting and throwing axes, swords. Supplement those with some home made clubs, bo staffs and such, and most guys soon had amassed a bit lethal private arsenal. The parents overlooked the knives, axes and such. Everybody had a jack-knife, hunting knife and camping axe purchased by dad, anyway. The parents all drew the line with the purchase of a sword, however ("No - you're not gettin' no !!##!! sword - don't ask!")

So we were all soon  equipped ninja-style. Silent but deadly. Defensive. None of that stuff was ever used one against the other. Heated arguments and disputes were still settled hand-to-hand. Any minor injuries were usually the result of guys attempting to display their prowess with the various implements - mainly (usually hilarious) attempts to twirl about nunchucks or home made bolas a'la Bruce Lee. Bo staff matches ended after the first good misdirected and unintentional whack to a combatant's knuckles.

Now'days we wouldn't have gotten a foot beyond the middle school perimeter concealed carrying that stuff before the local S.W.A.T unit was dispatched. Conversely, woe to any intended disrupter infiltrating the premises back then - he'd have been met with a barrage of razor-point shuriken throwing stars. And if hunting season there were potentially a few shotguns safely stored upright* in the corner of the cloak room along with the coats, hats and galoshes.

*Unloaded. Shells pocketed in the hunting jacket

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