Why you do tai chi slowly...

Oh yes, I have had both of them in my library for years. Along with the classics, Clausewitz, Rommel, Patton, Ceaser's commentaries etc. I am a big military history buff. I especially like the mental warfare. I have always subscribed to the motto that "Power perceived is power achieved". I was fortunate to have the opportunity to tour the battlefield of El Alamien in Egypt and to visit Rommel's secret headquarters at Marsa Mutruah from where he staged his final push into Egypt. I actually sat at his desk.

A few of my favorite stories are ones where these great leaders used deception to win. Rommel, prior to his push into Egypt to seize the Suez canal was based at Tobruk, Libya. The English were considering sending planes from carriers in the Med to bomb him. Their intelligence told them that he had no air defenses. A reconnaissance plane was sent to recon the target and reported back that there were anti-aircraft guns on every hill around Tobruk. An air attack would be a suicide mission. After the war it was found that all of the "Anti-aircraft" guns were fakes made from scrap metal and wood.

Another intelligence report stated that he was low on fuel and was unable to mobilize all of his tanks. Rommel ordered all the fuel taken from half his tanks and put into the other half. He then had them attach cables to the empty tanks and paint them beige to match the sand. When they knew the next recon flight was coming they took off towing the empty tanks. The recon reported back that he must have gotten fuel somewhere because every tank he had was on the move.

Another favorite story is about J.E.B. Stuart. His small cavalry force came upon a large Union force that outnumbered them by 10 to one. The union force was camped in a small valley with Stuarts force just on the other side of the ridge. The union forces were planning a dawn attack and were confident of a quick victory. They knew that Stuart's small cavalry force had no artillery.
Stuart had two captured cannons and he had his men ride up to the ridge line and tow the cannons across a break in the tree line in full view of the union forces in the valley below. As soon as they were hidden behind the treeline they rode down the ridge where they had another team of different colored horses waiting. They changed horses and pulled the same two cannons across the ridge line again. They continued this the rest of the afternoon until the sun was setting. The union forces had all night to let their imaginations run wild and their fear to increase. They were convinced that at sun up they would all be wiped out. At dawn the Union general raised the white flag and surrendered. Stuart captured the entire force without firing a single shot! Power perceived!

A story I just read in the book about Musahi was a match he had with a local Samurai that was supposed to be the best in the province. They scheduled a match to be held on a small island at an appointed time. Musashi was a couple of hours late, leaving the Samurai to stew in the hot sun. When he arrived in a small fishing boat he was laying in the boat, supposedly asleep, as if hadn't a care in the world. He "woke" up and got out of the boat in the shallows. He began to wash in the water. The other Samurai was so enraged he rushed into the water, unsheathed his sword and tossed the scabbard into the water. Musahi calmly looked at him and said "You have already lost this match.". The other Samurai charged him, Musashi pulled an oar from the boat and cracked him on the skull killing him.

 

Here is my workout sword. I had the welder make it for me. It weighs about 3 1/2lbs. Gives a good muscle burn after a 30 minute workout.

 

It's actually too far back, about 2 inches in front of the tsuba . The blade should have been longer, it is only 24", more of a wakizashi than a katana. But like I said, I'm not practicing for competition or to improve my swordsmanship. It is only for exercise and meditation.


Of course if a zombie apocalypse happens......

 

I have always thought that the only improvement that could be made to a Japanese sword would be a skull crusher pommel. Also I work in the Middle East and can't have a firearm so edged weapons are the only self defense weapons available. I had the blade on this sharpened. What good is a weapon that is blunt. I keep it beside the door in my room at work. Would I stand a chance against someone with an Ak-47? Better than with a rock. Would entirely depend on the element of surprise.