Modern day Gurkhas with their traditional weapon, the kukri.The blade's distinctive forward drop is intended to act as a weight on the end of the blade and make the Kukri fall on the target faster and with more power. Although a popular legend states that a Gurkha "never sheathes his blade without first drawing blood", the Kukri is most commonly employed as a multi-use utility tool rather like a machete. The Kukri also has a religious significance in the Nepali form of the Hindu religion. During the annual Dashain festival Kukris are ceremonially blessed.
An attacking weapon, the Kukri is effective both as a chopping or slashing weapon. In combat, it is basically used in three different styles: stabbing with the point, slashing or chopping with the edge, and (rarely) throwing. Because it has an angular blade bending towards the opponent, the user need not create an angle in the wrist, which makes a Kukri more comfortable as a stabbing weapon than other straight-bladed knives. Its heavy blade enables the user to inflict deep wounds and to cut through muscle and bone. Gurkhas were known for using the Kukri to chop off an enemy soldier's head with one stroke.
While most famed from use in the military, the Kukri is most commonly used as a woodcutting and general purpose tool, and is a very common agricultural and household implement in Nepal. Its use has varied from building, clearing, chopping firewood, and digging to cutting meat and vegetables, skinning animals, and opening tins. -- Wikipedia.
Lone Nepali Gorkha who subdued 40 train robbers.
Gorkha soldiers have long been known the world over for their valor and these khukuri-wielding warriors winning the British many a battle have become folklore.
A retired Indian Gorkha soldier recently revisited those glory days when he thwarted 40 robbers, killing three of them and injuring eight others, with his khukuri during a train journey. He is in line to receive three gallantry awards from the Indian government.
A Gurkha officer of the Gurkha Contingent, Singapore Police Force patrols around Raffles City during the 117th IOC Session. He wears the distinctively tilted Hat Terrai Gurkha, and the kukri can be seen affixed to the back of his belt.And here's a recent story from Afghanistan: "As a Gurkha is disciplined for beheading a Taliban: Thank God they are on our side!"
(A tip of the boonie hat to Stan for the link.)
17 comments:
Outstanding! Interesting too that the Daily Mail closed comments to the article after five....none sympathetic or contrite over the fate of the poor Mohammedan. Too bad retired Gurkhas don't move here, they'd be good to have around for what's on the horizon.
BoarHawg
(WV: "orbingr"...of things to come?)
There is an urban myth that:
Argentine officers on the Falklands told their conscripts that they'd better fight, because the Gurkhas were so mean, they shot their own wounded and ate any prisoners the captured.
The conscripts had a better idea, they dropped their guns and ran!
We used to often go to a Nepali restaurant, good food and really nice staff. I watched the owner (all 120 pound or so of Gurkha tribesman) patiently deal with a crowd of big overweight drunks. If one of the drunks had decided to get violent, I know who I'd have my money on.
There were actually 141 comments posted before they closed. Over 90% of them sympathetic to the Gurkha. Some are actually asking if the Gurkhas could be let loose in Westminster.
Mmmmmmm! Kukri! /HomerSimpsonVoice
So one the muslims are upset they cant bury their dead warlord with his head per their religion. Well in the immortal words of the great Rhett Butler "Frankly my dear I dont give a damn". Maybe if they stopped blowing themselves into tiny peices at the first opportunity we might believe they are serious about this belief.
Grenadier1
THERE'S a video I'd pay to see.
No points for diplomacy in the soldier's beheading of the Taliban and taking it with him for ID purposes, "because it offends the Muslim tradition of burying the dead with all body parts, attached or unattached." (LIKE THE TRADITIONAL JEWS, they believe one must go to heaven whole. There's an entire society in Israel that polices scenes of suicide bombings to collect every scrap of flesh for a dignified and correct burial.)
Boo frickin' hoo. Give that man a medal. I hope he wiped his kukhri on the bastard's prayer rug. Start some sh--, get sh-- on.
Seen the recently released video of the stoning deaths of eloping lovers?
We need more Americans to act like this lion-hearted Gurkha! Fight back.
Great read! Thanks for the uplifting story. I love it when the brass and diplomats get weewee'd up over somebody doing their job, too well!
Wonder if they were stroking their throats and coughing when they got the news....
I have a genuine kukri. It was made in Nepal from the leaf spring of a Volvo truck. I can attest that that there is nothing -- from human skin to a tree trunk -- that it cannot cut through with little effort. If I were stuck on a desert island and could only have one man-made item, my kukri would be it.
43 seconds in.....worth the time to watch though. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPiZW8gQ5SA
Sorry....the 'can't put it back in my sheath until there's blood on it' reminded me.
RE: the train hero. Do you know what would happen HERE if such a thing occurred?
The media and the government would insist that the man be prosecuted for assault; the DC scum would press for laws forbidding anyone carrying a kukri in public; the importation, manufacture and sale of kukris would be banned.
The Repubicans and the NRA would issue joint statements saying that they would join their democrap friends in pressing for this much needed legislation.
And the families of the dead robbers and rapists would be given cash settlements to avoid lawsuits against the train owner for not protecting the robbers.
Surviving robbers would be guests on Oprah, to tearfully recount their fears during the event, and explain that they only did this because the Man had kept them Down for So Long, and they had no hope for better lives.
Well respected fighters for good reason.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachhiman_Gurung
"Ten against wan, kal that fair odds?
Gan yem an fetch al a' y' mayets. A might think aboot fighten y' then"
A naw Gorkhas divint tark Geordie like, but A couldn't help meesell.
I met some of them once. Those little guys are flippin' scary tough.
"It ain't the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"
What do you think would happen to the man who did something like that HERE?
Epic bed wetting, hand wringing, victimology and witch hunting, that's what.
There sure as hell would be no medals, promotions, money or national press approval.
“Fighting the enemy in battle is my duty as a soldier; taking on the dacoits in the train was my duty as a human being,”
bout sums it up for me.
wl moses
Nepal is very popular among the whole world due to the bravery of Gurkha soldiers.They are very courageous and brave man.Gurkha have been the part of many battle and have shown their courage throughout the world.I am proud to be the citizen of Nepal.I am very happy after reading the article because one Nepali Gurkha soldier Bishnu Shrestha have shown the bravery in the India .Great job bishnu.
kukris are awesome.
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