New Reason
I may no longer be a high school student, but I need to find an outlet for some of my stronger emotions now, and now I feel like talking about knives, and the use of such. I prefer a FHM 29-cm balisong, myself. I have one at home. I’ve used it so much that it’s as easy to flip as a machine-made knife. It was only four days since purchase when I managed to do that.
I just remembered something. In Kickass (the movie), I cringe every time I hear Hitgirl say balisong. Reader, in Batangas it’s pronounced ba-LI-song. You’d be less wrong that Hitgirl’s pronunciation if you said baliSONG, I’d be fine with that. If you can’t say it like that then call it the butterfly knife, or fan knife, or click-clacks – just don’t mispronounce it when I’m around.
Now the reason I like the butterfly knife is because it’s a very versatile item. The one I got is Rambo-styled, and the only difference aside from cosmetics is that there is a bottlecap opener near the base of the blade, and a few saw-like teeth on the back. It’s a good knife, but it’s tourist quality. You do NOT want tourist quality. If you want really good knives, get a Batangueño to bargain a good one for you. Look around in Taal. And most of all, if you really want to test the durability of the steel point, do it the traditional way: get a one-peso coin, put it on a wooden table, and stab right through the coin. If the point does not pierce through the coin, you stab it again and again until you can’t see any of the details on the coin. After either of these tests, you look at the point of the blade, and if it can do the whole thing over, congratulations, you’ve found a very good butterfly knife. (Make sure you have your thumb on the base of the knife, or else your hand might slip and grasp the blade instead. My vendor told me it’s happened.)
I can’t really talk about caring for a balisong, since I don’t have the opportunity. Mine’s still new. Just don’t do anything stupid.
Now, what’s so versatile about the balisong? It’s useful in a bar brawl, for one thing. Bring it out, and people will have their eyes on it. Note: For the love of God, when people have their eyes on a knife in a bar, they are bound to attack the holder. Slip it onto someone else’s table. It’s also useful for self-defense – as a blunt instrument. Do not try to open a butterfly knife when you are being attacked, it is a waste of time and thought, you will be distracted. At best, run away, open it like a real killer would – without any tricks – and give off a killing aura so powerful that they back off. It’s much easier when you’re taller than your attacker.
Now, the thing is, skill with a knife – hell, any weapon – will not be of much help on a dark street such as Taft at night. There is no word I know of in English or in Filipino for the ability to perceive attacks, but there might be one in Japanese. This ability – the man must have had it – has served the particular swordsman very well in all of his battles. I talk of course about Miyamoto Musashi. I mean, come on, not taking baths at all for fear of attack?
There we go. I found a word in English, it’s the closest I got – paranoia. Expecting an attack at all times, ready to attack at all times. Perhaps the words perpetual combat presence would be of better help. It’s a state of mind.
I’ve read stuff about Marc MacYoung, about “flipping the switch,” and readiness to kill. I think he’s called this ability “it” for lack of a better term. Well, imagine if you had “it” turned on all the time, when you think “life and death” all the time. I call the man who does this a monster, but a necessary one to be here in the dark streets of Taft. Well, I’d avoid being one out here if I stay indoors at night. I do, anyway.
I’m out of time.
Jonathan Ferxist
