Truthfully, the loops are pretty secure to hook, enough that it doesn't unhook so easily. IMHO, these were made out of necessity by a common person who worked the farm, so i would say the martial aspect would be the last thing in his mind. Also keep in mind that generally, FMA in its basic form uses one hand for offense/defense (using stick or blade) while the free hand is there for checking. Although in the more advance stage, and some styles do use both hands, i've yet to see one that uses the scabbard as part of the curriculum. I suppose it's been done.. like the way manny did last night, only with no sticks
