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[Benjamin Liu]

I've seen the Echanis books, aside from "Knife Fighting/Knife Throwing for Combat" on martial arts store shelves ever since I've been to martial arts stores.  When I started reading CQC/RBSD/MA forums on the internet, I saw posts referrring to that book as restricted and sold only to those in the military, and only released to the public when it was put back in print a few years ago.  I bought a copy earlier this year and I don't see what the big deal is, though maybe it was good compared to what was published when it was written.

Last night I found some early to mid 1980s SOF magazines and saw ads for this book up to the mid-1980s, so if they were advertised in a nationally-distributed magazine that anyone could buy, and there were no restrictions in the ads, then the book could not have been restricted.  Anyone could have bought it.

[grlaun]

Shit.  I bought that book in the late 80s!

[Hock]

Who wrote the book?
Was it a green beret?

Hock

[Benjamin Liu]

It was by Mike Echanis, I don't know his actual background, there are lots of stories about that.

A few years ago people on forums were saying the book was restricted and unavailable to the public, but looking at these ads in old magazines shows this wasn't the case.  That might have been something to justify a small book selling for hundreds of dollars used.

[whitewolf]

I bought the book in the 80,s also-WW (ELB)

[JimH]

Enchanis books were on sale in the mags in martial arts stores,everywhere and anywhere.

I bought all of his books through O'Hara Publications and there were no questions as to who I was, or what I did for a living.
( restricted book,lol,a sales hype more like it )

There was nothing secretive in the book,it was actually an exaggerated use of the knife for combat purposes.

Like Jo Bong Lee's sword usage ,Enchanis knife was too much ,a show over true usage.

Enchanis was Never a Green Beret.

The Course he ran was not just for Green Berets,it was an open class to all interested.

Here is part of a story from an attendee of the class:

"My fondest recollection was of day 1. This class was open to everyone and not only Special Forces soldiers. There were many in attendance. Mike gave us a synopsis of what the class would entail and proceeded to 'personally' demonstrate to each and every participant that the techniques were very real. Green Berets, as well as the others, were tossed around like rag dolls. The pain he could inflict was surreal. He could hurt someone badly with a finger. On the second day there were only SF soldiers there to continue the class. He seemed to revell in this by stating that only the "real" soldiers had returned."

No Secrets,No Restrictions,No Green Beret specific training.

[Bryan]

  You can download the books for free if you look around the net. back in the late 70s early 80s they were very popular, but back then there was not much information about knife work available. Today its people who are looking for history that often mention his books, then you always have your "Secret Knowledge/Magic Bullet" crowd.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Echanis

http://books.google.com/books?id=RUcT7s5LIMMC&dq=michael+Echanis+knife+download&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=11&ct=result#PPP1,M1

http://books.google.com/books?id=rqHhuJCT_0gC&dq=michael+Echanis+knife+download&printsec=frontcover&source=in&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=12&ct=result

[Hock]

In the old CQC Dispatches days we had an advertiser that was a Green Beret who wrote a book about throwing knives. But in was just a few years ago and now he and his web page are gone. I would have to thumb through the old paper mags to find the ad.

In my upcomig Military Knife book there are 50 and growing true military knife stories and I have barely found ANY about throwing knives. Actually two stories. One Green Beret in Vetnam tossing a knife about three feet, the other a nifty one about a gypsy killing a Nazi.

If anyone has a handle on ANY true m ilitary knife fights, certainly throwing knives please let me know...


Thanks,
Hock
Hock@HocksCQC.com

 

[JimH]

Why in the name of common sense would anyone throw a Combat knife ?

The supposed stories and supposed training of the Military and ,especially, Spec Ops people Throwing their knife is total BS.

Hock is the book you speak of by the Green Beret:
By a man named Don Paul ?

Book now called :
Green Beret Methods and Knife Mannerisms ?
(It Had different names over the years)

The information on Enchanis is all BS
He joined the army in 1969 and was in Vietnam in 1970.
When did he do Jump school and Ranger school,no less SF school?

He started Hwarangdo in 1975 ,and in 1975 was running a Hwarangdo school in 1975 ?
He was at Bragg teaching Hwarangdo in 1976 ?

All hype to sell he,his version of hwarangdo and his books.

His knife fighting was Hwarangdo influenced pure and simple.
His knife fighting was over exaggerated use of a killing weapon.

My opinion