That's the beauty of this particular thread. Strength without skill is as useless as tools without skill. But there should be a defineable level of ability that is attainable and sufficient for the average individual to survive in a physical sense. I would think that you could become sufficiently skilled for the knife to be an assett rather than an opportunity for the assailant to become armed without having to become an expert knife fighter.

Using a firearm is no unskilled task either.

Being able to lift yourself vertically with your arms is a necessary precursor to being able to climb a cliff but is, by no means, the whole of the story. There is really quite a lot of skill in being able to scramble up a moderate sized boulder that can only be gained by actually trying it. If you haven't then you might being risking alot in a survival scenario.


Certainly, it makes as little sense to try to engage in a knife fight without some training than to drop yourself into the middle of a jungle with your buddy's PSK and not even the knowledge to recognize wire saw from snare wire or what either is in there for. Gear will not substitute for knowledge, Knowledge and gear will not substitute for strength, strength alone is useless if not dangerous. As a triad, Strength, Knowledge and Gear leads to comfort. With only Strength and some ability to reason Knowledge and Gear can be generated. With Knowledge and Gear you may be comfortable for a while as you strengthen your-self (if you last that long). With Knowledge only you may be dead quickly. With sufficient Gear you will be fine for as long as your gear doesn't need fuel or repair. The Genset will keep the fridge running and the beer tap is pneumatic so ..... <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />