Nothing sends up warning flags faster than " I've been to a survival school." A century ago Ishi, the 'last Wild Indian of California' was found outside a slaughterhouse corral in Oroville. His tribal band, and most of the greatest concentration of distinct cultures in the Western Hemisphere had been virtually exterminated. In Ishi's case, some prospectors had come upon the camp and took their tool kits for souveniers. Unable to readily make fire, cold and hungry, they all perished save 4 men who were hunted down by paid hunters removing 'vermin.' And finally only Ishi remained. These were native people who knew their territory with the same intimacy you and I our bedrooms. Yes we can talk of the knife being our most important tool, invest hundreds of dollars in the latest minimalist blade with attached steel match and attend schools, good and bad with each instructor promoting some Excaliber, assigning animal guides or whatever. And we can go forth with a philosophy of minimalism, primitivism, gearism and Mother Nature can still lock thumb and forfinger and go 'FLICK' one footstep off the concrete. This guy failed, not because of hardwood but hardheads.