From: lchurch2@bluemoon.use.com (Leonard Church)
Subject: Re: Drugs & Fighting (was Finishing techniques)
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[024])
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 15:27:08 EST

jlockha@eis.calstate.edu (Jame A Lockhart) writes:

> kevin@pages.com (Kevin Sven Berg) writes:
> > In article <e3TsVB1w165w@bluemoon.use.com> lchurch2@bluemoon.use.com (Leona
> > Church) writes:
> > > ....  This 
> > > discussion reminds me of "battlemix" as a gentleman I met that was in Vie
> > > Nam called it...it was a mixture of narcotics that was often used by US 
> > > and Vietmanese <sp?> troops before going into a particularly nasty combat
> > > situation.  He told me that he personally had seen men that were shot so 
> > > severely that they could not have been able to react continue to function
> > > for up to 5 minutes before finally falling.
> > 
> > This reminds me that there are and have been many cultures that have
> > mixed drugs and fighting application. My favorite (being Scandahovian)
> > is the Viking's use of berseka (magic mushrooms) and mead (fermented
> > honey/wine) prior to battle. One can imagine how terrified the defenders 
> > would be when arrows and swords did little to stop the oncoming attacks.
> > 
> > Recently we hear of a narcotic being used in Samalian gunmen.
> > I wonder how common it would be to encounter drugs and fighting
> > around the globe currently... ?
> > 
> > Kevin
> > 
> > ps. I wouldn't want to suggest that one adopt these techniques to enhance
> > their fighting art :-)
> > -- 
> > Kevin Sven Berg               /    /    /    /  P /  a /  g /  e /  s
> > kevin@pages.com              /    /    /    /    /    /    /    / 
> > Pages Software Inc.         /    /    /    /    /    /    /    /   
> > San Diego, CA.               `    `    `    `    `    `    `    `
> 
> From what I understand, the Samoans used to put some sort of narcotic on
> their armor so that pain would be more difficult to register.  Apparently,
> this is why the .45 was invented.  US troops were VERY disconcerted when
> they kept coming after a few rounds in the chest.

The 45 was developed not because of the Samoans but the Moros in the 
Philipines... they would work themselves into a religous fervor and the 
standard issue 38 did nothing to them... it was a mind over matter 
thing...  In my art Arana, the ancient Peruvian warriors would chew coca 
and drink an herb mix that was an alkaloid base - a hallucinogenic <sp?> 
before battles... the US military used a substance known as BZ gas which 
was like LSD in an areasol spray can.  The human body can produce its own 
narcotics for use such as Endorphines, Ephinephrin, etc each one does 
something to the body, the endorphines block pain, ephinephrin enhances 
short term strength, etc  the ancient peoples new by getting themselves 
into a certain mindset that they could endure remarkable things.  IMHO 
this ability of the body to do this is the foundation for a lot of what 
the martial artists attribute to Ki/Qi/Chi.

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Growing trees in a concrete Jungle | lchurch2@bluemoon.rn.com
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