RE: Spine hit
I finished one with a knife once. Not the simple throat slice either. It was more like a freaky killer primate murdering a deer in the woods with a knife. I'm pretty sure I was even yelling, but can't say for sure. Kind of a blur... He was tough, and put up a good fight. It was a life changing experience for me.
At first I was uneasy about it, later I accepted it. Now I'm looking forward to doing it again.