Time for The Field of Kusa to; Listen

Throughout my time of doing stealth training I always found one sense extremely important and reliable, and that was sound. When trained correctly and diligently you can identify where a target is, whether you are being followed, and the sounds of nature both the norm and unfamiliar.

Recently my group and I have stumbled upon a deer corpse within the woods identifying that there was something to eat and remove these remains that are geographically close and native. I came to the conclusion that there are foxes in the area. Then the next session of training as it approached twilight we heard an odd sound, it was the sound of a fox doing it's consecutive barks. Personally I think it resembles the sound of a monkey call, but take this time to become familiar with the sounds of one of the creatures of the night. The Fox.

It's good to know the sounds of nature and how animals communicate with one another because that is when they will also be communicating with you, you just need to take the initiative and be aware.

Ice in the eyes of Kusa

Okay guys well winter is doing it's thing and making it cold and constantly below freezing now, yet there hasn't been that much of an accumulation of snow, but there is Ice! Ice can be a great hazard, if you don't know how to handle it that is or even utilize it for your benefit. First of all be sure that you are comfortable with your rolls and break falls they will save you on and off the ice :) . Second, wear some shoes that have traction. I like to get in the mind frame that you should always be able to react whether it be fight or run in what you're wearing at all times that way when the time comes you're set.

As shinobi though we want to use the ice to our advantage;
For ice to happen you need water and a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
So to know where ice may occur you have to know factors that can affect temperature and the amount of water in an area.

Some of those factors being;
1) Elevation, because it gets cooler as you go higher, hence the ice on the tops of mountains and so forth.
2) Wind, there is wind chill due to winds coming from the north where the isn't as much absorption of heat from the sun because of the axis it rotates on can be very cold and aid in the cooling of temperature arrival of ice. There is also the situation as on bridges where there are winds traveling over and under the bridge cooling it from multiple sides and allowing ice to form on it earlier than on other parts of roads and such.
3) Exposure to the Sun, I believe this is very important because you can then be aware of areas that are shadowed over the course of a day and if you ever needed to use it for a strategic advantage you now have known spots where you could lure pursuers or an attacker to escape or use as a way to enhance your abilities.
4) Surface type, ice will form on some spots faster than others because some surfaces will give off heat absorbed from the Sun for a while after it has set and others have been bouncing back the rays all day and haven't absorbed a thing. Dark colored objects absorb the most heat whereas light objects actually reflect them, you can learn more about this as it is an objects albedo. Some objects may also absorb the water instead of allowing it to settle at the surface and form ice. With this knowledge you an plan routes based on types of surfaces and lighting to minimize your chances of slipping or risking injuries on a mission.

Uses;
1) You can use it to prolong the amount of time before food spoils.
2) A way to cover area without leaving tracks, but if you break it you defeat the point.
3) You can apply it to injuries to soothe pain and help swelling go down.
4) If thick enough and at the edge of a river you are trying to cross you can cut a section from it and use it as a raft to get to the other side. (Military FM 21-76 Survival Manual)
5) Utilize it's reflection from the sun as metsubushi
The list goes on :)

Some tips;
1) Train on it! If you become familiarize yourself with it then you will be less afraid.
2) Learn the attributes of ice, it is a tool and readily available.
3) Learn to find out how deep ice is
4) Know what to do in case you were to fall in ice and make it so that you don't freeze.
  Hint: C.O.L.D. -Cover, Overevertion, Layers, Dry -Check it out give some feedback
5) Actually try this stuff don't just read it!

Again you guys are welcome to add what you can to help the knowledge on the topics we cover grow and expand, as the mission in the field of the Kusa is to grow and absorb as much as we can to make us better warriors and people.

Just a Heads Up! Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa)!!!!

This item I have come across one too many times during night hiking, and it can cause immense pain if you grab onto it or run into it and even worse if you try to climb it. It is known as Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa), it has thorns that go around in circles every few increments. It is found in the North-East areas in the deciduous forests so it can blend in sometime with other saplings until you hit it haha. 

This plant just takes a bit of imagination to think of uses for it and such. 

First off all this plant can be planted around your house or in areas that you would like to prevent burglars or trespassers of entry because as stated before this plant makes it's point. The plant can also cause irritations or rashes to some people.

Here are some of my ideas;

It could also be used for survival animal traps to pin the animal for retrieval.

You could cut the tree into sections and use for caltrops.

You could even strategically plant it in the perimeters of your property to make it so that people would stray from even the general direction of your facilities.

It would provide a good place of concealment and function as a deterrent for someone that you may be hiding from.

You could also shave off some of the spikes and utilize it as a metsubushi

This is only the Tip of the Devil's Walkingstick, there's plenty more that can be done.

*Important note: this plant is not to be consumed because many of it's parts are poisonous unless properly cooked, so it's best not to try.

Now's your turn to shed some light in the field of the kusa; like what areas that it may like to grow in in the forest such as in lighting or soil and other details?

Ninyaku （ににゃく）;Hey Guys! A Great Note For Outdoorsmen!! (Poison Ivy)

First of all Poison Ivy is a plant that is very common to many areas. It is heaviest in areas of forest where there is a sharp edge, which means people have severely disrupted that area of the forest and on the edge of the forest before it reaches where people disturbed it by clearing a trail or something of the sort is where it tends to be a lot. It has 3 leaves of green, leaves of 3 let it be, and those three leaves have an oil on it that when introduced to the skin can cause severe rashes that are itchy and annoying. It can also come in the form known as Monkey's Tail because it tends to be a vine that creeps up trees and has tons of attachments to the tree and when the leaves drop off during fall it resembles the tail of a monkey.

So how do we fight it? Well of course you can go to the local pharmacy and buy ointments and such to aid in removing the itching sensation and helping the blisters dissipate, but how can we handle this on the front lines in the woods? I have two answers!

1) This is my favorite and most convenient method! Mud and dirt, apply mud to the point of contact and the mud will help absorb and dry the oils from the skin as it dries out, and with it being cool it helps relieve the itch. I have personally been exposed to poison ivy in the form of monkey's tail on multiple occasions out in the forests at night and when I apply dirt from a few inches deep in the soil once I noticed I made contact it prevented a breakout from even happening. 

2) The second way that I know I've been told at my job at a Nature Center multiple times but have yet to try it. This method is to utilize a counter plant known as Jewelweed. 

Jewelweed is a plant with slightly round rigged edges and is very common at the banks of creeks, I have been told the best way to identify is to take a leaf and put it under the water and as light hits the leaf it will sparkle. To utlize the jewel weed to counter poison ivy though you take a stem and cut it open and apply the juices from it to the affected area, and the juices from crunched leaves. Jewelweed can help other small things too such as bug bites and cuts and such. 

If you have more information that you would like to share remember you are in the field of the Kusa we are waiting for more.