Tri-Service
Training With The Famous Kukri Knife
British Army recruits have being testing their skills with the famous Kukri weapon.
All Gurkha recruits in the British Army must learn how to use the traditional weapon as part of their core training.
They practise first with a blunt wooden replica to avoid injury.
How to use the Kukri
The Kukri has become synonymous with the Gurkha soldiers from Nepal.
The earliest record of the weapon is from 1627, with the design remaining unchanged over the centuries.
An average Kukri is between 14-16 inches in length with a steel blade and a wooden, bone or metal curved handle.
Made by the Nepalese Kami clan of blacksmiths, the curved knife is also commonly used by hill farmers in the Himalayas and is handed down between generations.
The design is a perfect balance of weight, which allows the full force of movement to be transferred to the blade.
The distinctive indentation stops blood running down the handle.
It is a powerful symbol of the relationship between Nepal and the UK and is used as the emblem of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
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