Check out this great review from a Vietnam veteran!

Anyone who reads Military Fiction will enjoy this book. DC Gilbert did an excellent job developing the characters and bringing them to life. I enjoyed the beginning, being a Vietnam Veteran, and thought it added to the plot of the story. The story has depth, and the author did an excellent job in fitting in historical events. It was evident that he did his research. I am looking forward to the next one!

A word about the sequel, Montagnard!

I added a new character to my sequel to Serpents Underfoot. This new character is amazing! He is … the Flesheater!

Jim Hammond designed this amazing blade with input from Guru Arcenio J. Advincula. Guru Advincula is also a 1st generation Isshin-ryu Karate student of the system’s founder, Master Tatsuo Shimabuku. Sensei Advincula was a colleague and good friend of my Isshin-ryu Karate Sensei, Sherman Harrill.

Jim Hammond and AJ Advincula designed the Flesheater as a highly effective fighting knife compatible with the fundamental mechanics of both Largo-Mano Escrima and Isshin-ryu Karate.

Introducing the Flesheater.

The story of the Flesheater began when Master Chief Petty Officer Don Griffiths discussed fighting knives with his martial arts instructor, AJ Advincula. The Master Chief led the design and development research for the SEALTAC knives developed for USN Special Warfare (SEAL) Operations in the early 1980s. During one of the Master Chief’s visits to the shop, he accidentally experienced the cutting edge of the first prototype. The Master Chief exclaimed, “That knife’s a real flesh eater!” It seemed to be a very suitable moniker for the blade.

Largo-Mano Escrima

I knew of the Flesheater sometime before my introduction to its capabilities because I have attended a few of Sensei Advincula’s Isshin-ryu Karate seminars over the last several years. However, the real introduction occurred when I began practicing Largo-Mano Escrima with Richard Rosenthal, a fellow long-time Isshin-ryu Karate practitioner and a student of Escrima for the last 15 years.

Richard runs an escrima class on selected weeknights at the House of Hops in Raleigh, NC. Weather permitting, we train in the upper parking lot and then enjoy a few craft beers as well. It is a good time and a great workout!

Of course, we don’t practice with live blades. I am partial to keeping my fingers attached to my hands. In addition, I am not too keen on being disemboweled. And, this blade excels in both areas of endeavor. Therefore, we use a hard rubber version of the blade. It is solid and will definitely leave bruises. Consequently, realism is not really an issue. Anyone interested can find the training version here. It is available from several third-party vendors.

It will be interesting to see what part this awesome blade plays in Montagnard when JD Cordell and a few of his fellow SEALs return to Vietnam on a mission that is highly personal in nature!

Certainly, whether hacking your way through a hoard of crazed terrorists, the dense jungles of Vietnam, or simply cleaning your fingernails, the Flesheater is the blade you should have on hand.

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