I made a snide comment before but there is a serious point to this,
Machetes and axes are wicked cutters and in our grandfather's times a small cut could be fatal (gangrene, septicemia blood poisoning, no antibiotics) and with newer strains of drug resistant bugs things are headed that way again.

It is really easy to forget and put yourself into the line of a cutting edge, especially with machetes and short handled axes.

An old saying is cut towards you chum and not your thumb. That applies quite well to smaller blades but with a machete you have to count the full swing if you miss, as well as remembering not to hold the kindling in your fingers as you try to split it.

I have often seen people swinging tools in such a way that the blade would be biting a leg or foot if they ever missed the cut they were aiming for.