Manjushree vs. Dukt?

[namaarie]

Those of you who own these, which do you prefer? What are their characteristics? What are their characters? What do they tell you when you use them? I'm having a tough time deciding.

Nam

 

[Nasty]

Come on nam...you *know* you need both.

 

[Dave Rishar]

They're both agile one-handers that deserve to be paired with a shield. My dukti is a bit lighter and feels livelier, probably because of the tang. The manjushree has a bit more authority on a slash and a more substantial guard.

Nasty's right, Nam...you're going to wind up with both anyway, why worry?

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Get both and start your own barbarian horde....that's what i did in college


Jake

 

[munk]

Nam is always so well spoken, his writing top notch, so when he reveals enthusiam and hopefullnes, the eager puppy, it's funny. He's a kid having fun.

Hell, I'm working on turning 50 and I'm a kid. Some of us don't grow up.



munk

 

[namaarie]

Guilty as charged. You'd be amazed, though how few of my peers own 18-inch Nepali knives. A shame, I say. And I indeed hope to have the entire HI collection at some point, but for the moment I'll have to settle for being a frugal, broke college shark!

Thanks for the advice, all. Honestly, this thread just has me liking them both more now... Damn you, HIKV!

Nam

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Get used to the roll of eyes when you talk about anything "martial" around most people at the university, Nam. They are very liberal places. Not healthy libral like my friends that are democrats and want more government programs and that kind of policy. That's cool :thumbup:
Nah, if you college is anything like my college, then it'll be full of hippies. "You can't OWN a weapon, man. Because, one, it's of the earth and we can't OWN the earth. and two, all a WEAPON can do is hurt the earth. You should have used some of that perverted metal to, like, craft a little leg for an amputee blue jay so he could sore again with his brothers, or something...Or a bong. <<idiot laughter>>. Com'on guys. Let's go play hackiesack then take pictures of our feet for our art class."
And this was in southern Kentucky where boys grow into men learning how to fish, hunt, and hate various NASCAR racers while worshipping others.

I'm teasing, of course

Jake's college tip of the day:
Take intro classes (English, math, Civ, etc.) where a grad student is teaching it. Usually, they aren't that hard because the grad student has no idea what they are doing or doesn't really care. If they come across as a nazi, they are probably lonely. Buddy up to them, say hi at social functions. If they are female, flirt your way to an A....not that i know anything about that. Learn what you can at your relivant classes. Core classes are a waste of time for you and the poor grad student. They are there as filler for the university to make more money. If you take away a university's core classes you are left with a trade school In short, Core classes, it's not what ya know. It's who ya know. people skills people skills people skills

Jake

 

[namaarie]

Actually, Jake, no classes taught by Grad students. I think they're all PhDs. The classes are pretty hard, but I guess that's why I'm paying so friggin much money! I'll get my money's worth out of this education. But yes, my college puts the "liberal" in liberal arts. Seriously, I think it's one of the most liberal in the nation. But you gotta realize that I'm pretty liberal in a lot of regards as well. It's a refreshing change of pace in many ways. I have not, however, met many people who understand my love of weaponry. But there are some, and there are also people who have just always been fed a line of bull, so they need some exposure to the area to understand and appreciate it. That's my job.

There are, of course, people who will never understand. I frequently get people asking my, shocked, "Is that a knife clipped on your pocket?" Yes, it's a little CRKT, but to them, it looks like something Rambo might use to take down a Soviet helicopter. Go figure. I wonder what they'd say about my beautiful 18" WWII by Bura? Or my Saiga 7.62 back home? Who knows?

But college is phenomenal in its own right, as you doubtless know. And just as they lack an appreciation of weaponry because they have never been exposed to it in a positive light, the exposure I am getting to new ideas here is great. I love the diversity. Very interesting getting so many new perspectives on topics I took for granted.

And I hope that, by showing at least some people that the weapons are not the problem, I may change some minds. I hope.


Nam

 

[Steely_Gunz]

But college is phenomenal in its own right, as you doubtless know. And just as they lack an appreciation of weaponry because they have never been exposed to it in a positive light, the exposure I am getting to new ideas here is great. I love the diversity. Very interesting getting so many new perspectives on topics I took for granted.

Nam

That right there shows just how far you're going to go, friend. It ain't about the sheepskin. That's important, but not the most important. Go to college for the education, not the degree. Take in the good, the bad, and the weirdest of the weird. No other time in life will it be your job to just learn. Congrats. you'll be on your way in 4 years....5 if ya do it right

Jake

 

[firkin]

I'm teasing, of course

Jake's college tip of the day:
Take intro classes (English, math, Civ, etc.) where a grad student is teaching it. Usually, they aren't that hard because the grad student has no idea what they are doing or doesn't really care. If they come across as a nazi, they are probably lonely. Buddy up to them, say hi at social functions. If they are female, flirt your way to an A....not that i know anything about that. Learn what you can at your relivant classes. Core classes are a waste of time for you and the poor grad student. They are there as filler for the university to make more money. If you take away a university's core classes you are left with a trade school In short, Core classes, it's not what ya know. It's who ya know. people skills people skills people skills

Jake

If you are taking above mentioned classes to fufill a "distribution requirement" above advice might apply. Psychology I, "rocks for jocks", and the like fit such descriptions when I went to school, and were identifiable by a preponderance of football players. The "real" classes I was taking and the part-time job took enough time that there wasn't much left over for "distribution".

But, if the class is in an area in which you intend to take more advanced classes this advice sucks. If the class is that easy, you're wasting your time and money--take a more advanced class or try and qualify out. If the grad student can't teach or doesn't know the material, the class should be harder, not easier-if that makes it easier, it is garbage.

Understanding of basic math and English shouldn't be placed in the same category as some tripe such as "Feminist Perspectives of Modern Wiccan Practices" or some such tripe. The number of people that can't read, write, or make sense of simple mathematical concepts such as interest or probability is astounding. Many shouldn't have high school diplomas, let alone college degrees.

Just because the school doesn't know what "Core" means anymore, (and it most definately doesn't mean "remedial") doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Even if your goal is a "people-skills" schmoozing-intensive career such a politician, learn some bloody math, logic, and how to write a coherant sentence. God knows many don't.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Firkin, you do know i was kidding, right
also, it is possible to EASE into college so to speak. If you are an 18 year old kid that has moved away from home, your friends, and your family. IMHO, the last thing you want to do is go diving into some of the hardest stuff your first semester. Take it easy. Get a feel for it. What you THINK you want to do with your life at 18 probably won't be your goal at 19 or 20. Opting out of things might save you time and money, but it also pushes you into a field you might not like. I was a criminal justice major at first, then i studied clinical psych, then business psych. Now i sell swimming pools....go figure. I know others had more a plan when they got to school than I did, but that's why we all have different college experiences.

Jake

 

[Bri in Chi]

The most important thing about college, IMO, is that you can quit being who you were, and start working on becoming who you want to be. Open yourself up, drop your pretenses, forget your prejudices and pre-conceived notions. Listen carefully to people who you disagree with, listen to music you've never heard before, read authors who make you uncomfortable. Get to know international students.
But the most important piece of advice comes from (who else?) Kismet: "Don't get her pregnant!"

 

[munk]

I think Bri in Chi's advice is very good. You're not held down by the past, and you can start to design your own future.



munk

 

[firkin]

Firkin, you do know i was kidding, right
also, it is possible to EASE into college so to speak. If you are an 18 year old kid that has moved away from home, your friends, and your family. IMHO, the last thing you want to do is go diving into some of the hardest stuff your first semester. Take it easy. Get a feel for it. What you THINK you want to do with your life at 18 probably won't be your goal at 19 or 20. Opting out of things might save you time and money, but it also pushes you into a field you might not like. I was a criminal justice major at first, then i studied clinical psych, then business psych. Now i sell swimming pools....go figure. I know others had more a plan when they got to school than I did, but that's why we all have different college experiences.

Jake

I agree about easing into to college. But skating through a bunch of bogus courses doesn't do much either.

Learning how to learn, think, and communicate are valuable for everyone to know, no matter what they end up doing.

Actually I've encountered people, some of whom were in and graduated from PhD programs whose attitudes were little different from those you satirized. So it wasn't clear to me that you were being entirely satirical.

Plus there is the daily barage of empirical evidence of supposedly highly educated and awarded people whose actions suggest that the description applies to many.

Dunno if they are all two-faced self serving crooks, dirt stoopit that got through, finagling schmoozers that got through, or unable to apply their education outside of class.

Look at the state of any nearly any large city's finances and the degreed folks "in charge", for example. Examine the output, presumably edited to boot, of many of the products of our journalism programs. Look at the unintended consequences and lack of precision of the laws drafted in large part by degreed lawyers.

I guess I'm just extra cynical, grumpy and slow on the uptake today. Plus, I've crappy people skills.

 

[DannyinJapan]

"Feminist Perspectives of Modern Wiccan Practices"


Now that sounds like one of my grad school courses....

Yuck, and I WAS an Anthropology student. Even Indiana Jones would have barfed at that.

It's not too far from reality though. Reality looks like this
"Health and medicine bias against female factory workers in Indonesia"

Honestly, I would advise taking your time with college. There is an idea that college should last 4 years and then you should be ready to take on the world.
Maybe in 1901 that was fine, but these days, in this economy, with this job market, a person needs to be able to re-educate themselves in order to get decent work in different fields.
Im saying dont rush it and do a good job with each class, because you will probably be back for more in 15 years anyway.

Im going back for math and hard science. Im actually interested now. Weird, huh?

 

[SASSAS]

For the swords, it's easy - get one of Bura's Nepolean swords.

I'm not a sword guy, so I can't tell much of a difference except to say that carved handles (at least on my Manjushree and Dukti) are not conducive to smooth motion (at least to me). I'd lean toward the Manjushree, just because it's easier for me to control. But it's so little, it may be this particular pair, not a model thing. For aesthetics, you can't beat the Manjushree IMHO. And, you get the cool backstory of Manjushree using his sword to destroy ignorance thing.

For college, I'd say take as many additional classes as your budget and abilitites allow. This is the only time in your life that you can learn about almost anything you want from someone who liked it enough to spend their whole lives teaching and studying it.

I didn't care about grades, so I'd try to get as many classes as I could, then learn as much from them as I could regardless of grades. I didn't have to pay by the credit, so I was able to squeeze in a ton of stuff I'd never have been exposed to otherwise (and in a rather relaxed fashion, since I didn't need those credits to graduate). Depending on how you feel about grades (or if you're on scholarship or if credits cost or something), this isn't a bad way to go. If you're looking to get a civillian job or you're in ROTC where grades impact where or if you get into what you want, then this is obviusly not for you...

Oh, and don't get her pregnant...or her...or her...or her...or her... Learning isn't the only thing you'll never have so many opportunities at again.




.

 

[Carter Leffen]

Gentlemen, Gentlemen...

Robert Anson Heinlein was correct, "Youth is wasted on the young."

If only I had misspent my youth more wisely...

Carter