My Gorkha Service for those who have asked.

K

Kami Sherpa

Joined
Aug 12, 1999
Messages
64
Namste all!

Many have asked about my Gorkha service so here it is.

I served in the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, 4th Battalion, Company C from 1952 to 1957. I was a rifleman. I believe you call the rank a Lance Corporal here. I was assigned to mostly border duty with Pakistan and Bangladesh. I did some duty in the Kashmir.
I intended to make a career of Gorkha service but family hardship caused me to leave the service before I wanted. I am lucky in that I never had to kill anybody but I had to chase many along the border with my khukuri.



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Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
Palaji.

You are:
1)A Nepali.
2)Ex Gorkhali.
3)Khukuris are part of your life since you are not born yet!

Most of us are none of the above.

Do you have any tips on how to make use a Khukuri in a self defence?
 
Namaste Pala.

During WWII my father, then a Sargent in the Canadian Scottish, had some Gorkha's detailed to him for a period of time.

He always spoke highly of them, both as men and warriors.

It is an honour to have met you (on-line anyway
smile.gif
)
 
Thank you Bigji and Mohdji:

Yes, I have had a khukuri in my hand for almost 70 years. As children it was our responsibility to gather wood for our fires so you learn to use the khukuri at a very early age.

My neighbor, Kancha Kami, was the kami who made khukuris for all the people in our valley and even beyond. He was a very fine kami and I learned much about the manufacture of khukuris from him. He was older than me and has now left his body. He made some khukuris for us when we were first getting started as Himalayan Imports but sadly neither Bill Jwai nor I have one of these and now it is too late to ever get another.

Mohd, my khukuri self defense consisted of a strong offense of only three moves -- a head strike, gut strike, or leg strike. I always looked into the eyes of the opponent because they seemed to tell me what he was going to do -- perhaps lucky for me he always ran away. And, I conditioned my thinking to make myself to be willing to trade up -- I would trade a finger for a hand, a hand for an arm, and, of course, an arm for a head.

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Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html


[This message has been edited by Kami Sherpa (edited 17 September 1999).]
 
Love this interesting talk Pala! A friend of mine who is about uncle Bill's age, was in the U.S. army. He was I think the first one who told me of the Gurkhas, this was about 20 years ago. Said they are fearsome, and expressed great respect for them. Only untill most recent have I had a chance to learn this much about them.
 
Namaste Jayji:

Bill Jwai tells me you are a very old and faithful customer and I am pleased to meet you on this forum.

Thank you for the thoughtful words regarding the Gorkhalis. I was proud to wear the uniform. And, in fact, I still have my uniform pressed and ready to go although I could never fit into it these days. I have become too fat.

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Pala (Kami Sherpa)
Owner, Himalayan Imports
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
The honour and pleasure is my mine Kami Sherpa. As for being too fat, you are who you are and you will always be. "A Gurkha Warrior" and a true gentleman.
 
Palaji.

Alhamdu-li-(A)llaah! Thanks a lot for your Khukuri Self Defence Tips. Now at least I manage to give those answers (three moves, look into opponents eyes and willingness of making a trade off) when being asked by my three sons about that issue.

Now it is getting very difficult to get any self defence tips for free! Most modern days warriors are actually doing business with their knowledge! Some of them are very secretive about their arts.

May Allah give barakah (goodness) to you (and all of us) for giving those Khukuri self defence Tips!
 
Mohdji, my prayer is you and your sons -- or any of us -- will never have to use your khukuris as a weapon.

Oops! This is Pala's post but I forgot to change the name.

Uncle Bill

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html


[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 18 September 1999).]
 
Palaji.

Inyaa-(A)llaah! I pray (we caled it as do'a) as you pray that I and my sons -- or any of us -- will never have to use our khukuris as a weapon.

Once I was asked "What are you going to do if you are being attack by somebody while you have your Khukuri in your hand?"

My answer was "Avoid the clash!"

The next question was "Do yo mean that you are going to run away cowardly?"

My next answer was "No! I am not going to do that - I have to defence myslf"

The next was not a question but mre as a warning "You might got killed in that fight bcause you actually don't really know how to make use your Khukuri as a weapon - even the worst thing is that you might got killed by your own Khukuri!"

Those questions & warning lingering in my head for sometimes until I asked that Khukuri Slf Defence Tips from you Pala.

Thanks once more Pala!

BTW, maybe some other knowledgable forumites on MA techniques may willingly give other Khukuri Self Defence Tips to be shared by all of us! Most Welcome ...
 
You know what I *really* like about big Khukuris? If, god(s) forbid you ever have to draw it, only the truly utterly bugfu(& lunatic will continue to press the attack!

Truth be told, I've faced down nuts that didn't want to deal with my knives before, and both were "only" megafolder class. Twice...Bill heard the better story long ago. A good Khukuri like Skinnybeast would be a whole new level of threat.

Now, that threat will NOT work unless you personally back it with your determination. Ultimately, you are the weapon, not the steel...the reason a big blade helps is that many morons out there don't realize this.

Jim March
 
As Pala mentioned most of his Gorkha service was devoted to keeping the integrity of international borders and a few special ops assignments because of his language ability.

But, I think Jim is correct in his oservations.

Pala's usual confrontations were with people wanting to jump the border or smuggle contraband. His job was simply to stop them. Most of the time a fellow in Gorkha garb with an M-3 and khukuri who says "you can't do this" was enough. On a few occasions where profit from smuggling was high enough they might argue the issue. Pala couldn't draw down on them and shoot them so he would draw the khukuri and say again, "you are not going to do this." Killing a man and chopping off a limb are two completely different things. Pala had developed the mind set, looked the guy right in the eyes, and made his stand. As Pala puts it, "lucky for me maybe they all ran away."

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html


[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 19 September 1999).]
 
:
Yup! Jim is right.There are fools and then there are fools who are idiots.
The fools who are idiots are the ones who think,"He wouldnt do that."
They're the ones who get hurt.
Kinda like the Redneck who hollers,"HEY Y'ALL.WATCH THIS!!"

If you pull it out,you had best be determined to use it.If you aren't then it is liable to be taken away from you and used on you.
Even most fools who are idiots can tell when a person is determined to use a weapon.That is most of the time a saving grace for those of us who have had to pull weapons.Just remember that having to use sharp steel is gonna get ya both bloody usually..


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>>>>---¥vsa---->®
Cornbread ain't s'possed ta be sweet!....Dagnabit gurl,whut did they teach you way up north in ....;) hehehe.


 
The Gurkahas have joined the corporate world;warriors with no war.If your check book can cover it,you can hire them from Hong Kong and a couple of other places.This is normal,and I have nothing to say against Mercs.Since Reagan,they seem to be the way of the future.Govts. have emasculated themselves,and firms are filling the void.I wonder if they do weddings?

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I read that Gorkhas who hired on as body guards to rich Hong Kong businessmen earn 40,000 USD per year. That is more than a lifetime of service in the Indian Army and perhaps six or eight years pay for a rifleman in the British Army. Who can argue with them.

Weddings? Remember they are mercenaries.

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Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
http://members.aol.com/himimp/index.html
 
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