There are a lot of things that are associated with archaeology-bones, tombs, tiny little brushes-but perhaps no item is associated with Indiana Jones as much as his bullwhip. Dr. Jones perfected his “whipcraft” over many years of training and started his study when he was still a boy. He has long relied on it during his travels, and he thought it important to include information about bullwhips in this guide for the next generation of adventure-seeking archaeologists.
We may live in an age of high-tech weaponry, but the simple elegance of a bullwhip often proves useful in diverse, and often unfriendly, situations. Not only can it be used in conflicts with man or beast, but it is also handy for swinging over chasms, disarming adversaries, and lassoing loved ones. Other benefits of carrying a bullwhip are that it is easily packed, you can wear it, and it is easy to keep concealed. It is also one of the few weapons that will not set off any pesky airport alarms or draw undue attention from the Xray machines.
It will take some time to perfect your bullwhip skills, so it’s important to be patient. Here are some basic pointers to keep in mind. If you like fly-fishing, you’ll love cracking a whip. Some beginners find it useful to imagine they are casting a fishing line. Remember your follow-through.
Be aware of your surroundings. The reach of your whip plus the length of your arm can mean trouble for anyone within twelve or thirteen feet in all directions. Try to keep it away from anyone you don’t intend to harm. Remember, it’s all fun and games until someone scratches a cornea. Also remember that the whip can fling dirt and debris far and fast-roughly 700 miles (or 1,125 km) per hour, in fact-so keep that in mind before demonstrating your skills at a family picnic. Be aware of your own person, too. That means you might want to start your training wearing some protective gear, at least for your eyes. Otherwise, always watch your eyes and lips. Dr. Jones has the scar to show what happens if you don’t.
OVERHEAD CRACK
This is the most dramatic maneuver at your disposal, and it’s quite effective at keeping people-especially those who want to kill you-at a distance. The overhead crack visually announces your intention to get down to business.
• Seat the ball of the whip handle in your palm.
• Swing the whip in a circular fashion over your head. If you are righthanded, the natural way to do this is counter-clockwise.
• When you’re ready to crack, pay attention to the position of the “cracker” or “popper”-the part of the whip at the very end that helps make the popping noise. When it is behind your head to the right, extend your arm forward.
• As you bring the whip forward, snap your wrist. This action causes the loop or arc formed in the length of the whip to shoot toward the cracker, which travels faster than the speed of sound and emits a cracking sound that is, in fact, a tiny sonic boom.
FORWARD CRACK
This crack is good for targeting-and you may likely have some very unsavory targets to aim at in your travels.
• Raise your arm quickly but smoothly. Be aware of where your whip lies before doing so. You don’t want it wrapping around your leg or foot-or someone else’s-on the way up.
• Stop when your arm and hand are above your head. Your elbow should be aimed at your unlucky target.
• Your cracker will start to drop behind you. As soon as it does, most people step forward with their left leg (assuming they’re righthanded). Others don’t step at all. It’s up to you.
• As you step, cast the whip forward as you would your trusty fishing rod. Your arm should be extended directly in front of you and pointed at your target, not down toward the ground.
• Snap your wrist.
WHIP IT UP
Other handy uses for the whip include its ability to wrap around an object or a person-be it a comely lounge singer or a fire poker in the hands of a ruthless, sadistic stooge. This technique is rather difficult and should be attempted only after you’ve perfected the two maneuvers described above. The key to performing this skill is to “crack” the whip off to the side of the target. Once the cracker has cracked, the momentum will continue to carry the length of the whip through the air. Physics will do its job, and the whip will easily wrap around the waist of your target, who can then be pulled toward you and either kissed or concussed. Or both.
This technique can be used to wrap the whip around a tree or other stationary object for swinging purposes. Remember that when you wrap the whip around, say, a tree limb overhead, you should swing so that the extended portion of the whip crosses on top of the part of the whip that is wrapped around the limb. That will help keep the whip from unwrapping too quickly.
Give a sharp tug on your whip; the tip will drop free, and the remaining coils will loosen. Give a few more gentle tugs, and the coils should work free. Once you’ve mastered your ability to wrap the whip around people and stationary objects, you can develop your skills even further and use your whip to disarm adversaries.
WARNING: When jumping over a chasm, it’s foolish to let your partner go first-especially if you don’t know him very well and he happens to be holding the priceless idol you just obtained.
