Time Scout by Robert Asprin & Linda Evans

Author:Robert Asprin & Linda Evans [Asprin, Robert & Evans, Linda]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, General, Science Fiction - General, Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Fiction - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Science Fiction - Adventure, High Tech, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, Historical, Time travel, Historical - General, Time travel - Fiction
ISBN: 9780671876982
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2010-01-21T16:08:22+00:00

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

”There are,” Sven Bailey told her patiently, “three basic grips in knife fighting.” He demonstrated. “The hammer grip is the way most people pick up a knife, even kitchen carving and paring knives. Its a good, solid

Margo practiced on the slim knife he handed her.

”Then comes the fencing grip.” He shifted the knife in his hand as though he were holding an envelope out to someone else. His thumb rested on the top of the grip. “This is a deadly grip in the hands of a trained knife fighter, very difficult to defend against. Learn to use it.”

Margo copied the hold on her own knife. It felt odd.

”Third,” Sven shifted his blade again, “we have the icepick grip.” He now held the knife upside down, so that the blade lay flat against the length of his forearm.

”That looks silly,” Margo commented. It felt silly, too.

Sven lifted his forearm toward her. “Would you care to hit my arm with that sharp edge in the way?”

”Well, no.”

”Right. It guards your arm somewhat. Moreover,” he moved with lightning speed, “you can come across your body with a wicked slash and follow up with a powerful stab.”

The knifepoint stopped half-an-inch from Margo's breastbone. She gulped. “Oh.”

”Limited, but useful. You'll master all three grips and the moves useful or unique to them.”

”All right. Where do we begin”

”With the types of knife blades and what each is useful for.” He retrieved the practice knife he'd loaned her, then rummaged in a case he'd brought out to the practice floor. Sven laid out half-a-dozen knives, all carefully sheathed.

”All right. There are two very basic blade shapes, with multiple variations. This,” he drew a ten-inch, thick bladed knife, “is a Bowie. The spine is thick for strength. This whole side has been cut away, so the knife isn't symmetrical. The curved upper edge is called a false edge. It's often sharpened, but not always. Sometimes these blades have `saw teeth' added. Mostly saw teeth are a sales gimmick, based on bad twentieth-century movies. The teeth are too large to be any good sawing anything. Avoid them. They can get caught on ribs, then you're stuck with no knife.”

”No saw teeth,” Margo repeated.

”The Bowie is an excellent survival knife. it's strong enough to use for camp chores like cutting small branches for firewood if you don't have a hand axe. The blade's thick enough to use as a prybar without too much risk of snapping the tip off. Unfortunately, it has drawbacks as a fighting knife, such as sheer size, lack of a second sharp edge all the way back to the guard, not to mention its worst drawback: its anachronistic as hell most places or times you'd end up in. But you'll learn to use one because we're being thorough.”

”Okay.”

”This, he unsheathed a beautiful, perfectly symmetrical blade some eight inches in length, “is a leaf-point or spear point dagger. The shape is exactly the same as ancient spear points, even the Roman short sword, the gladius.

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