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As stated in the weapons page overview, the Kukri is the only exotic weapon that we really train extensively with. The reason is simple, of all the “ancient” (old world) fighting blades, the Kukri is one of the few that still sees service in the modern battlefield. The true sword had fallen by the way side by the end of WWII, with Japan being the last to issue a sword for combat purposes. The Kukri remains!

This long-knife/short-sword is the national knife of Nepal. Being a former British province, the government of Nepal still supplies the British with a fighting force called the Gurkha regiment. These mountain-hardened troops are issued a Kukri, and still will use it in battle, and did as recently as the Falkland Island wars with Argentina. The kukri sees service in Iraq as well.

The reason this modest blade has outlived its longer cousins is simple. It serves as a tool just as much as it does a weapon. This is why the Kukri is so unique among swords. A swordsman would never use a broadsword, or a Katana (samurai sword) to cut firewood, to make shelter, to field dress game. But the Kukri does this and more. The truth is a Gurkha soldier will probably never use his Kukri to fight, however, he will use it in the field as a tool almost every day. This is why we like this weapon. It has more to offer than just a fighting blade. People that study a martial art usually end up wanting to learn weapons. It is fun and a skill. With the Kukri, they learn a weapon, and if they get a real one, they have a camping tool that far surpasses a hatchet for cutting wood, while being an alternative to a firearm for home protection.

A question that comes up is, “Is there a Kukri Martial art?” The answer is a surprising no. There are many schools and even self-proclaimed Dr.’s that claim to teach authentic “bando” but the truth is, there are no formal schools of kukri fighting in Nepal.

So, where do our techniques and drills come from? Years ago Sensei Likens was fortunate enough to work as an instructor for one of the largest karate schools in Indiana. Adamson’s karate.

While there, he learned and taught a Philippine martial art called Pekiti Tirsha. This is a stick/sword/knife fighting art. The Kukri lends its self perfectly to these techniques. Added to this is the unique curve of the Kukri blade that also resembles the sickle or Kama of Okinawa. Even some of these kobujitsu techniques have found their way into our Kukri syllabus.

Now, we are not teaching pure kali, or kobujitsu. The Kukri syllabus we teach is a simple, gross-motor skill, applicable method that is devoid of the fancy moves and techniques. One thing Sensei learned while an instructor at the police academy is simple works and fancy fails when the stress is up and the adrenalin is flowing. For this reason, we put together a program based on simple, effective, movements that can be employed while scared or stressed.

In class, we do not let beginners use or handle a “Live” blade. That means a real Kukri. All training is done with a wooden “trainer”. We custom make these to best mimic the size of a real blade while affording safety to the students. Live blades are never used in two man sets, and are used only for individual technique practice. We do not require the student to have a real Kukri, but as far as weapons go, the Kukri is more affordable than most of the other “traditional” weapons taught in Karate or kung-fu schools. In fact, one can get a real hand made Kukri starting at $25.00. This is another reason we like this weapon.