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Women that play with knives

Found a great article today and thought I would share it. It is rather long so I will do it in segments for us.

Little girls are not encouraged to carry or play with knives. While our brothers got Swiss Army Knives or Leathermen for their birthdays, we got Barbie Dolls. And those dolls were so encased in plastic that we had to ask our brothers to use their new blades to cut the poor things loose.

Some women, however, have broken the Blade Barrier. These are women who fight with blades, entertain with them, throw, swallow and chop wood with them. These are girls who play in the boys' yard, compete with them and win.

With that in mind, I present here twenty of the most spectacular Girls Who Play with Knives – in no particular order, and in all their glory. (article by Star)

Queen Boudica, Longswordswoman

One of Britain's most iconic historical figures is Queen Boudica. Boudica was the wife of a "king" (actually an elected chief) of a region in Britain during the years of Roman rule. When the king died, he left his half of his land to Rome and half to his wife and two daughters.

Some legends hold that Boudica had druidic training. Her hair, in most accounts, was fiery red. When Rome decided they wanted all of Boudica's land, she resisted. To teach her a lesson, the Romans whipped Boudica and disrespected her daughters. The result was a decade of gruesome warfare with Boudica's army slaughtering nearly 70,000 people, both Romans and Roman sympathizers.

Boudica and her soldiers fought primarily with long swords. It was the difference between blades that ended Boudica's bloody rule, as the Romans eventually overcame her army with short swords, javelins, and organized fighting tactics.

Stayed tuned for more

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 10, 2011 at 15:25

Caroline Haerdi, Knife Thrower

Many professions are male-dominated, but it may surprise you to learn that knife-throwing is one of the most male-dominated professions in the world. This skill is almost exclusively practiced by men.

Caroline Haerdi has broken that mold. She is one of the only female knife-throwers in the world. Caroline is a tall, statuesque Swiss with shiny blonde hair. She often wears ankle-length evening gowns and poses holding handfuls of long, gleaming blades.

In the past she performed with The Risk Ladies, alongside target girl Claude Chantal Blanc. These days, Caroline Haerdi currently has her own show, called Steel and Fire, and she works in partnership with a male thrower named Arno Black. In her show, Caroline is the thrower and Arno the target.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 12, 2011 at 18:39

Shana Martin, Lumberjill

Move over, Paul Bunyan. Make room for this beautiful blonde girl. Yes, she has abs you can slice cheese on, and shoulders that look like she power-lifts Volkswagens on her lunch hour, but she is not exceptionally big or rough-looking. And she's a lumberjack.

Shana Martin is a competitive lead in the Lumberjack World Championships, where rolling logs, chopping wood and climbing trees are what it's all about. Shana is a veteran of several extreme sports and is a fitness model.

Shana began rolling logs at age 7 in her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. She is former gymnast, a pole vaulter, and holds a black belt in Karate. But Lumberjack sports are her favorite.

I bet when Shana goes out into the backcountry, she carries one of those Bark River Knives with her. You can read more about Shana here.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 14, 2011 at 20:11

Move over, David Carradine – make room for Ng Mui, Shaolin Master.

Not only was Ng a master of the Shaolin martial arts, she also mastered Wudang, Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon Style, White Crane, Five-Pattern Hung Kuen and Yuejiaquan martial arts. This woman was someone to be reckoned with!

According to historical records, after the Shaolin temple was destroyed by Qing forces, Ng fled to the White Crane temple where she meet a 15-year-old girl who was trying to escape being forced into marriage. Ng taught this girl a unique distilled method of martial arts that blended several elements and could be learned quickly and applied expediently.

Ng Mui was a pioneer – a woman who invented the martial arts training method of balancing on upturned logs (something we can only see these days in movies starring Jackie Chan).

Ng's story is fascinating and worth studying. Michelle Yeoh made a movie called "Wing Chun" in which her character's teacher was based on Ng Mui.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 17, 2011 at 17:31

Baroness Mischa, Sword Swallowing Enchantress

Our first blade-happy babe is Baroness Mischa. This little slip of a girl starts her act by running a wide, flat blade across her tongue and then slowly inserting all three feet – THREE FEET – of it down her throat.

With the blade in her, she then leans over in a stiff, exaggerated bow. She licks the blade, she runs it across her face, she caresses it, and after she pulls it out of her body she gently cups her lips over the sharp tip in a coy pucker. The blade is her lover, and she mesmerizes with it.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 20, 2011 at 11:44

Anna,

Thank you. Excellent video indeed. Some very primitive scenes, must be very much as Boudica would have encountered. As I do more research into the roles women and knives have had togeather, I continue to be in awe of these women. In todays world, it is again becoming acceptable for women to be interested in knives, swords and all the wonderful pointy objects. That last 100 years may have found us few and far between but we certainly had substantial roles prior to that

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by Robert Burris on November 20, 2011 at 15:37

Miss Jan, did any of the ladies make any new knives lately? If so lets see em.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 20, 2011 at 19:18

Rumiko Hayes, Ninja

Next we take a look at Rumiko Hayes, one of the Kunoichi. The word Kunoichi is represented in kanji for "woman" and for "nine and one". It is the word for a female ninja.

Ninja are broken into Shinobi, male ninja, and Kunoichi, female ninja. Kunoichi begin their training at a young age. Traditionally, the head Kunoichi would travel around the country finding orphaned girls, then raise them in the ways of the ninja.

The weapons of a Kunoichi are many, and they include beauty, mystique, disguises, the use of poisons, hair pins that are actually needles, knives hidden in a kimono sleeve, and a Kunoichi favorite, the neko-te, also known as the Cat Hand. The Cat Hand was an a set of iron claws, often dipped into poison, attached to leather straps that can then secure the claw to the Kunoichi's hand.

Rumiko Hayes, one of the most well-known modern-day Kunoichi, holds a black belt in ninjutsu and is the wife of famous martial artists Stephan Hayes.

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 22, 2011 at 18:19

Women's Entrance into Naginata-jutsu

The 16th century sohei were said to favor the naginata and nagamaki, but many famous bushi used them as well. During the Muromachi period (1393-1573), 425 ryu (traditions) of naginata-jutsu evolved. Originally it was a man's weapon since it was quite heavy and took a great deal of strength and stamina to use. But in modern times it is thought of as a woman's weapon. Japanese women did not always fit the subservient role of today's women.

Itagaki, who threw fear into the hearts of her enemies, was a famous commander of 3,000 warriors of the Torizakayama Castle. She fought against the Hojo Regime (1199), which wanted to subjugate the Taira clan. Itagaki led her warriors into the thick of battle, guided her warhorse with her knees and cut the enemy with a deadly circular slash pattern of her naginata. It was said when the dead were counted, her kills outnumbered all others.
During the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), the naginata gradually became a woman's domain. From the 17th century, young daughters of samurai families were given halberds with golden lacquered handles. When they were married, the women would take their naginata with them. Sporting matches between women were recorded during this time. Even though women trained in naginata-jutsu since Heian times, it was in this time frame the naginata became primarily a woman's weapon. Today, little has changed.

Probably the most important reason for the decline of the naginata as a weapon of war was the influx of Western weapons to Japan. Bows, swords, yari and naginata fared poorly against rifles, cannons and pistols. While rising to a position of esteem from the 12th-17th century, modem weapons brought on the demise of the naginata and led to its evolution as a sport. Displaying a last glint of feudal martial spirit, 500 women volunteers armed with naginata were among the revolutionaries who opposed modern weapons during the 1877 Satsuma rebellion, one of Japan's last civil wars. The art of the naginata was lost because of governmental bans on the use of weapons in Meiji 1876.

The practice of naginata-jutsu was outlawed along with the other martial arts after World War II. After the ban was lifted with the departure of the occupation forces, naginata practice resumed in the do (philosophical) rather than jutsu (fighting) form. In 1968 there was over 10,000 naginata ka in Japan. Only about 10 were men.

Instead of practicing the jutsu form, where combat realism and battlefield application were a priority, the majority of practitioners follow the do form, where the emphasis is on the mastery of oneself on one hand and enjoyment of sport on the other. Originally tied to the National Kendo organization, it was organized under the All Japan Naginata Federation in 1955. The United States also has a naginata federation.

Kiai (spirit shout) is stressed during practice and is considered vital to the art. Kiai comes from the horror, the approximate center of gravity of the body when standing with feet together. It is used to unify the technique, bringing together the mind and the body. As with kendo kiai is used during competition to call the targets as the attack occurs. Another concept is stressed in naginata. Difficult to define, zanshin is a feeling, a projection of psychic dominance through one's opponent by the use of impeccable technique, alertness, concentration and extension of one's energy. This part of traditional budo is a relaxed extension of energy which can be felt by opponents. As Adachi Masahiro said in the Bushido Sosho,

"The student's mind should be calm and undisturbed. . .eyes are not glaring, fixed with the staring bulging eyes of the insane, a common mistake of some martial artists, but at the same time the energy is extended and one is ready, as was Benki, to face man, devil, or demon. Vigilant zanshin can intimidate a less skilled opponent, allowing no opportunity for attack."

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 23, 2011 at 17:25

That is way cool!!

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 25, 2011 at 16:42

Now this sounds like a good night at the theater...

Babes With Blades, Stage Combatants

Babes with Blades is a theatre production, a show that revolves entirely around beautiful muscular women in a wide variety of costumes, dancing, leaping, and fighting with swords and other weapons. It is a cornucopia of sexual and animal energy.

The women are stunning, their costumes historically correct and the weapons real. They are both talented and frightening at the same time. Babes with Blades is based in Chicago and bills themselves as a "diverse ensemble of artists working together to expand opportunities for women in the world of stage combat. We celebrate the historical role of the woman warrior and her modern evolution."

Here's hoping they come to a stage near me, soon. And that the Tony Awards soon includes an award for "Best Actress in a Leading Role With a Knife".

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on November 27, 2011 at 19:06

One of my favorite scenes. She doesn't cower in the corner

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on December 1, 2011 at 17:46

Now this was lady that surely knew how to use her knife...

Mary Doyle of Castleboro cut off the cross belts of the fallen dragoons using a bill hook and handed them together with the cartridge boxes to her comrades at the Battle of New Ross in1798 during the Wexford Rising, Ireland. She is thought to have died later in the battle.