Posted on Jan 27, 2014
The Knife hand! Does the knife hand need to go?
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I've been knife handed many times in my short career in the Army. Mainly from my sarcastic attitude. There is been alot of talk about the knife hand being banned and no longer allowed for use in the Reeducation of a Soldier, Sailor, Maine or Airman. What are your thoughts? Hey Hey Ho Ho the Knife Hands got to go? Or does this military need more Knife Hand?<br>
Army
Marine Corps
Tradition
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 54
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SFC Jerry Humphries
We got rid of strong language, the pointing finger, now the knife hand. I guess any why of communicating a point by a trainer or supervisor that causes some one to feel offended or have hurt feelings.
We have already slid off the slippery slope of unrealistic restrictions placed on our leaders who are just trying to correct youngsters who desperately need correcting. Why make their job more difficult than it already is. Over the years they already have taken away too many tools to get a point across .
We have already slid off the slippery slope of unrealistic restrictions placed on our leaders who are just trying to correct youngsters who desperately need correcting. Why make their job more difficult than it already is. Over the years they already have taken away too many tools to get a point across .
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Suspended Profile
When I get up in the morning, I put my pants on like everybody else. Except that when I'm done I make knife hands.
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I know I'm a old soldier but........my god stop being such sniveling little bitches. Life is hard and the military should be harder. It is one of the very few professions that being lazy and doing things half ass can get you or someone else killed. And yes I use bad words and apparently they hurt some people. All I can say is suck it up and carry on.
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Many moons ago, I was told by my Drill Sergeants that it's impolite to point the finger at someone, hence the knife hand.
Let's keep it!
Let's keep it!
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PFC Pamala (Hall ) Foster
You use your whole hand to point-not a finger only, hence the KNIFE HAND!! Man you young people need an education and LESS Kardashians and Jersey Shores ignorance filling your heads with childishness. Sorry, but that stuff will make you dumb as a box of rocks
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My drill sergeant apparently had to check his knife hand into airport security before flying anywhere. I like em and I think they should stay.
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<p>The Humanitarium Service Medal has what looks like a knife hand which symbolizes giving or a helping hand.</p><p> </p><p>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_Service_Medal</p><p> </p><p> </p><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Humanitarian_Service_Medal_of_the_United_States_military.jpg/210px-Humanitarian_Service_Medal_of_the_United_States_military.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_Service_Medal" target="_blank">Humanitarian Service Medal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">The Humanitarian Service Medal (HSM) is a military service medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created on January 19, 1977 by President Gerald Ford under Executive Order 11965. This meda...</div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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Timeline, (I'm sure I'll miss something.)
No beating, no finger poking, no bouncing the brown round off of the bridge of the nose, no cussing, no finger pointing, no knife hands. Can we still raise our voice?
Next thing you know, we won't be able smoke/thrash someone.
Are we getting soft?
No beating, no finger poking, no bouncing the brown round off of the bridge of the nose, no cussing, no finger pointing, no knife hands. Can we still raise our voice?
Next thing you know, we won't be able smoke/thrash someone.
Are we getting soft?
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PFC Pamala (Hall ) Foster
The young ones today seem to HAVE it soft with those wimpy Stress cards...my DS's in 2007 worked you hard and got you when you SCREWED UP! Get tough guys-Keep the knife hand and bring back the pain as my uncle called it-toughen up young people, you joined NOT the other way around.
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PFC Pamala (Hall ) Foster
And IF you think I joined at 18 and they are being rough on me-there are some of us that joined at CLOSE to 40 YEARS OF AGE when the cut off was 42! I did it at 37 and they turned me snow white in hair color from the work, so you have it easy. My uncle's had a saying that they heard and loved to use SUCK IT UP AND GET TO WORK NOTHING COMES EASY OR CHEAP!
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A knife-hand is a required training gesture used to avoid a closed fist and the immediate throat-punch reaction!
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Intermission: Don't take it too seriously! LoL<div><div><br></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://www.duffelblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/photo.jpeg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.duffelblog.com/2012/04/soldier-dropped-from-wlc-after-terrorizing-fellow-students-with-knife-hands/">Soldier Dropped From WLC After Terrorizing Fellow Students With ‘Knife Hands’</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">CAMP SHELBY, MS - The Army’s Warrior Leader Course is a big step in a soldiers’ progression to Staff Sergeant. Sergeants take part in field leadership exercises, physical training, and operations. But...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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SPC Joel Quey
Why does everyone instinctively blame Millennials?
It's hard to tell for sure, but it sounds like this idea has some support from a Marine SGM (http://battlerattle.marinecorpstimes.com/2013/04/01/behind-the-cover-no-more-knife-hands/). He seems a LITTLE bit old to be a Millennial.
Personally, I loved the knife hand, I'm a Millenial who went to Basic Training with mostly other Millennials, and everything I heard from them made it seem like they felt the same way. I don't remember a single complaint - instead, it was viewed as a fun part of military culture.
That said, there is research from the business world (and parenting, and coaching professional sports, etc) indicating that it might be more effective to try a different approach.
Of course, I've also NEVER seen a topic on Rally Point (or almost anywhere else) where all of the comments agree, and all of the votes are thumbs-up. It makes me wonder if this was just an idea that a couple people had, and wasn't based on anyone complaining about it.
It's hard to tell for sure, but it sounds like this idea has some support from a Marine SGM (http://battlerattle.marinecorpstimes.com/2013/04/01/behind-the-cover-no-more-knife-hands/). He seems a LITTLE bit old to be a Millennial.
Personally, I loved the knife hand, I'm a Millenial who went to Basic Training with mostly other Millennials, and everything I heard from them made it seem like they felt the same way. I don't remember a single complaint - instead, it was viewed as a fun part of military culture.
That said, there is research from the business world (and parenting, and coaching professional sports, etc) indicating that it might be more effective to try a different approach.
Of course, I've also NEVER seen a topic on Rally Point (or almost anywhere else) where all of the comments agree, and all of the votes are thumbs-up. It makes me wonder if this was just an idea that a couple people had, and wasn't based on anyone complaining about it.
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