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Modern Combatives
Historical Combatives
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Modern Combatives
Title: Effective Defense
Author: Gila Hayes
Publisher: The Firearms Academy of Seattle
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan04)
Gila Hayes is a staff instructor at the Firearms Academy of Seattle as well as being an instructor at Massad Ayoob’s Lethal Force Institute. Hayes is well known for teaching women how to shoot both on the range and through her articles in a number of magazines.
Hayes’ book is aimed at the woman who wants to learn to use a gun. However, any man who is also interested in the same thing should not be put off by the use of the female pronoun thoughout the book. Hayes provides excellent information on both the philosophy of self defense as well as the technical details of choosing a gun for self defense whether it is a handgun, rifle or shotgun.
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Title: Weapons and Tactics for Personal Defense
Editor: James Bartel
Publisher: Personal Defense Group, Inc.
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb04)
Weapons and Tactics is a monthly newsletter with short articles for the concerned citizen and martial artist. The articles focus mostly on how to plan for and deal with violent crime, rather than how to use martial arts techniques.
This is a very good newsletter in that it teaches many of the philosophical and tactical concepts that most martial arts magazines do not. I would recommend any civilian concerned with dealing with violent crime subscribe to Weapon and Tactics and share it friends and family.
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Title: Riddle of Steel (set of two video tapes)
Author: James Keating
Publisher: Paladin Press
Viewed and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb04)
James Keating has an extensive background in Oriental martial arts. He has been studying martial arts since the 1960's. His studies include the arts of judo, jujutsu, karate and kung fu. He also has experience with Filipino knife arts.
Keating runs Combat Technologies (Com Tech) in Washington State. He has been running the annual Riddle of Steel camp since the early 1990's.
This two-tape set is not a how-to on the use of the knife for defense. Rather it introduces some of the concepts and techniques taught at the Riddle of Steel. The techniques shown on the first tape will be very familiar to anyone who has ever studied the Filipino knife arts. The second tape goes into the use of the bowie knife.
Although this tape does not deal with Keating’s entire system of using the knife, it is a good representative sample of what he teaches. It certainly made this reviewer more interested in taking a class from Keating in the very near future.
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Mental Preparation for Confrontation, by C. Allen Reed, Kaiden @2001 C. Allen Reed  (Jul04)
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Title: Ultimate Combat Conditioning: The Video with Sensei Mike Reeves and Robert G. Yetman Jr.
Publisher: Paladin Press (paladin-press.com) in DVD and VHS formats, approx. 60 minutes running time, $39.95 retail
Viewed and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb06)
I live in a rural area so do not have easy access to major gym facilities. I am always looking for new ways to train that do not require me to travel to a gym. I also argue that for thousands of years warriors and athletes, such as those in the ancient Greek Olympics, trained without use of major apparatus. This video by Mike Reeves gives me a lot of new ways to train and train hard.
This video is a companion to the book by the same name, also available from Paladin Press. The video is set up in seven sections. Each section highlights different aspects of fitness. The exercises in each section show alternate uses of body weight exercises, improvised easily found objects, a partner or apparatus in a gym to work the same part of the body.
The first section is on warming up and stretching. In this section Reeves demonstrates a warm up exercise using a broom stick or just your body, then goes on to demonstrate leg stretches using a chair, a partner or again just your own body.
The second section of the video is on cardiac fitness. In this section, Reeves introduces the use of a weighted vest to help kick up the resistance when you are walking or running. A quick web search found various models and weight levels for these vests in the $100 to $200 range.
A cheaper method of adding resistance when walking or running is also demonstrated by Reeves: tying an old tire to a weight belt. Then drags the tire on the ground while walking or running.
The next section has Reeves demonstrating how to work on upper body strength. Again, Reeves suggests using a weighted vest when doing push ups and pull ups. Reeves also shows how to use a cinder block, boulder or log to do common weight lifting exercises. If you do have a gym nearby, Reeves also shows common exercises using free weights to work on your upper body strength.
Following the section on upper body strength, Reeves moves onto showing lower body exercises. In this section Reeves shows exercises for the legs that can be done with your own body weight, such as leap frogs or lunges while carrying a log on your shoulders.
In the fourth section, Reeves changes gears and teaches striking and kicking techniques for use in street confrontations. There really is nothing new here for the martial artist who has trained in karate or any other oriental martial art that teaches the use of such techniques. However, Reeves makes his instruction clear and simple to follow for those who have not trained in these systems.
I do have one major concern about the language Reeves uses when he teaches these techniques. He mentions that these strikes can be lethal. However, he does not explain the legal implications of when and where lethal use of force can be used in self defense.
The next-to-last section of the video has Reeves and his partner showing how to toughen up your skin and muscles to help absorb strikes if you get involved in a fight. Again, the experienced martial artist will be familiar with most of these types of body conditioning exercises. For those who are not familiar with this type of exercise, it should be emphasized that when you do these exercises you don’t need to use a lot of force to build up your resistance.
The final section of the video has Reeves and his partner demonstrating how the body-toughening exercises can then be tested by doing breaking techniques. Reeves has his partner break 2 x 2's on parts of Reeves’ body. This section is little over the top and these techniques should not be done by the inexperienced. Also, when watching these techniques, pay attention to the fact that Reeves is very careful not to have his partner hit him with the Center of Percussion, the most powerful part of the strike, but instead in about the middle of the 2 x 2.
When purchasing this video, be aware it is not a workout tape where you are led through a work out like Tie Bo or similar aerobic workouts. Instead, Reeves shows you how to do each exercise and then lets you decide how to build it into your own workout.
The production values on this video are simple but clear with no fancy special effects. The video is packed full of exercises that can be done by almost anyone who is interested in increasing their fitness level. The only concern I have is that Reeves never really makes it clear that you can build up to these exercises by using lighter weights or lower reps in any of his exercises.
I would recommend this tape to the martial artist or anyone else who is interested adding to their fitness workout.
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Title: American Combat Judo by B. J. Cosneck
Publisher: Reprinted by Paladin Press, $16.00
www.paladin-press.com or 800-392-2400
Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb15 07)
This small volume of martial arts techniques was first published in 1959. Cosneck was a combatives instructor for the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II where he worked with the boxer Jack Dempsey. Now Paladin Press has reprinted the book.
However, this book is not for the judo player. Rather the operative term in the title is Combat. In his Preface, Cosneck makes it clear he is aiming to present a series of fighting moves that will likely cause serious injury to an attacker. |
The book is broken up into several sections. The first section, titled "Disabling Blows," shows a number of strikes and blows that can be used to disable, stun or set up an attacker for further actions against his attack. In the second section, "Holds and Locks," the author shows a number of holds, starting with a rear choke. Then moves on to other techniques such as wrist throws and defeating grabs from behind.
Cosneck then moves on to "Breaks and Releases," which shows breaking out of various kinds of grabs, chokes and pinning moves. The next section is "Throws and Trips." This section does include some classic judo throws such as the shoulder throw and hip throw, but also includes how to defeat a push at the chest and how to pull a man down from the rear by grabbing his ankles.
Next comes the section on "Police Tactics." Moves in this section include disarming an attacker with a handgun pointed at you, and defending against an attacker with a club. Other police-type techniques such as come-alongs and moving a recalcitrant subject from a chair are also included here.
There are two techniques I would not recommend learning from this section. The first is how to resuscitate an unconscious subject. Certainly our ideas of proper resuscitation have moved beyond putting a knee into the back of the unconscious subject. The second is the use of a single kick to the knee to disable a man with a knife.
The final short section is "Situations." This is really just a list of techniques that summarize how to use what has been shown in the book.
The photographs in the book are all black and white, but clearly show how to do each move. The photos are dated in that most of them show two men in 1950's style boxing trunks and boots. There are no photo credits in the book, but I believe one of the men demonstrating the techniques is Dempsey, while the other may be Cosneck. The only problem with this is that Dempsey is a much bigger man than Cosneck. Thus, the inexperienced martial artist might presume that these moves will only work with a bigger man going against the smaller man. I can tell you from my experience of doing many of these moves myself that this is not true.
Finally, I must agree with the author that none of the moves in this book should be practiced without a proper instructor, as they are quite dangerous if done improperly or without some basic practice learning to fall and roll first.
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Title: Martial Blade Concepts: A Crash Course in Defensive Knife Tactics with Michael D. Janich
Produced by: Paladin Press, 1-303-443-7250, www.paladin-press.com; $29.95 in DVD or VHS, $34.95 in PAL, approx. 60 minute running time
Viewed and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed
I am a martial arts instructor who teaches use of the folding knife for self defense to both law enforcement officers and civilians. I have heard some good things about Michael Janich’s system of Martial Blade Concepts (MBC). I took a look at this video both to check out his system and to see if there was anything I could add to what I teach.
Janich opens the video with a very clear statement that the use of a knife in a self defense situation is the use of deadly force. Thus, you must consider yourself to be under danger of death or great bodily harm to employ such force legally. Too often I see this important point left out of training on the use of the knife, so I applaud Janich for including it in this video.
Janich then goes on to outline the five points in the philosophy behind the MBC system. The first of these is you are not in a duel or knife fight when using a knife for self defense. By this Janich means that although you may face an attacker with a knife, you may also be facing someone with a hammer, tire iron or other weapon that can cause you serious injury. Secondly, you must understand the potential of the knife when you use it for delf defense. Third, your primary goal is to stop the attack, not necessarily to kill your attacker. Fourth, the best knife defense system must be based on human anatomy. Last, the system must be based on natural actions.
The only point I would add to this is that when you are involved in any physical confrontation, particularly one involving the use of deadly force, you must contact the police. Failure to report the incident to the police may lead to you being charged with a crime, when in reality you were the victim of the attack.
The next thing Janich does is help you to see what a knife can do with a demonstration of the cutting power of a knife against real meat. Again, I feel this is a very important part of any knife training. There are several reasons for showing this to students who are training with a knife. First, it gives them a sense of what they will be doing to an attacker. Secondly, it makes them aware of how deadly a knife deployed against them can be. Another advantage to having this kind of demonstration on video is that it can be used in court for evidence if you face charges or a lawsuit.
In the next section of the video Janich introduces his targeting system. Janich argues that the best way to stop an attack is to destroy the attacker’s ability to hurt you. To do this Janich shows how a knife should be used against the arm and leg of an attacker. Janich explains that cutting the muscles and tendons in the arm holding a weapon will cause an attacker to be unable to use the weapon. He also shows that cutting the major muscles in the thigh will cause the attacker to drop to his knees, thus rendering him incapable of advancing on you.
Next, Janich introduces his concepts of the four zones and five angles of attack. Janich divides the body into four zones and shows how most cutting attacks will come at you through one of these zones. These then comprise his first four angles of attack. The fifth angle is a center line attack, which he divides into a low angle five and a high angle five, depending on what part of your body is being targeted.
Now that Janich has shown you the five angles and four zones of attack, he goes on to demonstrate the primary defenses in the MBC system to these attacks. These defenses are clearly laid out and shown multiple times, from both a side and downwards point of view.
Once Janich has walked you through each of the defenses, he introduces two sets of drills to help you learn to work at speed against these different angles of attack. The first drill is his outside-outside drill to work on the four primary angles of attack. The second drill is called a hubud-lubud drill for working against the high and low center line attacks.
Finally, Janich introduces the concept of combining the two drills into one.
Janich closes off the video by reminding the viewer that this short video only introduces the basic ideas in his MBC system and encourages anyone who wants more information to buy other tapes on his system from Paladin Press or to look at his website, Martial BladeConcepts.com to learn about taking his training courses.
The production values in this video were very good. All of the movements can be clearly seen and are repeated multiple times from different view points.
I agree with many of the points that Janich makes during the video. However, I have some philosophical differences in how he wants the knife to be used for self defense.
Janich argues that the proper stance for use of the knife is with the knife forward . The problem I see with this is it allows your attacker to see that you are armed, and he may escalate his use of force beyond what you are expecting, such as the use of a firearm. I prefer to teach to keep the knife in a reverse grip and only deploy it when you have closed with the attacker.
I also don’t like the way Janich wants you to avoid the initial attack by simply pulling your body back far enough for the attack to miss you. This is all very fine if you are facing someone with a short knife. It will only get you hurt if your attacker has a long pipe, baseball bat, or other longer weapon.
All that being said. I can recommend this video to any student of self defense who wants a video to introduce the basic concepts behind use of the knife for self defense.
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Historical Combatives
Title: Master of Defence: The Works of George Silver
Author: Paul Wagner
Publisher: Paladin Press
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan04)
Paul Wagner is an instructor and one of the founding members of the Stoccata School of Defence in Australia. Beside the current work Wagner has co-authored a number of other books, including Highland Swordsmanship with Mark Rector, and an upcoming work on "I.33" with Stephan Hand.
Master of Defence is not a how-to manual explaining Silver’s system of swordplay. Rather it is a reprinting and updating of Silver’s two treatises, Paradoxes of Defence and Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defence ,as well as a number of articles commenting on Silver’s work by other authors.
The articles are very interesting and do help to somewhat explain Silver’s system. I would recommend this book to any student of defence who is working through Silver, if only for the very clear printing of Silver’s two treatises.
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Title: Sevillian Steel: The Traditional Knife Fighting Arts of Spain
Author: James Loriega
Publisher: Paladin Press
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan04)
James Loriega started his study of martial arts in 1967 with ninjutsu. In the mid-1970's he took up fencing and studied epee and saber. While touring Spain teaching ninjutsu in 1990, he discovered the still living tradition of historical Spanish knife fighting. After studying in Spain for five years, he was awarded a certificate as an instructor in the Andalusian style of Spanish knife fighting in 1996.
The book is both a simple how-to on the Andalusian style of fighting with the Spanish folding knife known as the navaja, as well as other weapons, and a discussion of the history of this style of combat. Experienced martial artists who practice with the knife will not be likely to learn new techniques from this book, but the information on the history is very interesting.
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Title: Bowie and Big-Knife Fighting System
Author: Dwight McLemore
Publisher: Paladin Press
Read and reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb04)
Dwight McLemore is a retired U.S. Army officer who is still active with the Department of Defense.
McLemore has an 18-year background in martial arts. He holds an Expert Level knife certification with the Scientific Fightng Congress. He aslo holds the rank of first dan in kendo, and was a competitor in the U.S. Wushu Kung Fu Federation.
McLemore is the founder of the School of Two Swords in Virginia. The school teaches combat from the 18th century to modern times. McLemore is also on the advisory council for the American Heritage Fighting Arts Association and a member of the Association of Historical Fencing.
McLemore is well known for his research on the history and use of the bowie knife. This book is an introduction to both.
I would highly recommend this book to any student of martial arts. It is a very clear introduction to the use of the bowie knife for combat.
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Title: Bowies, Big Knives and the Best of Battle Blades
Author: Bill Bagwell
Publisher: Paladin Press
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Feb04)
Bill Bagwell is a custom knife maker who specializes in making Bowie knives. Bagwell has been making knives for over thirty years and is one of the founding members of the American Bladesmith Society. Bagwell is well known for being the developer and original maker of the Hell’s Belle Bowie knife. Bagwell has provided training in the use of the Bowie knife to Army Special Forces troops at Ft. Bragg.
In 1983 Bagwell became knife editor for Soldier of Fortune magazine and started publishing the monthly column "Battle Blades". He continued to publish this column until 1987. This book is a collection of some of these columns.
Bagwell is one of the early modern proponents of carrying and using a large knife for combat. Any reader of this book must know ahead of time that Bagwell considers the Bowie knife the ultimate knife ever designed for combat. That being said, anyone interested in knife combat should read this book for Bagwell’s comments on different knives and their functions.
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Title: Medieval and Renaissance Dagger Combat
Author: Jason Vail
Publisher: Paladin Press 1-800-392-2400; $30
Read and Reviewed by: Joseph J. Truncale (Sep 06)
Though my expertise is mostly with the Asian knife and sword arts, I am interested in all knife, sword and dagger arts developed by fighting cultures. In my opinion, this large (8½ by 11, soft cover) fully illustrated book may be the best text ever published on the early European knife and dagger arts. This well researched volume demonstrates in more detail numerous knife counter techniques than most knife books. The dagger was probably the first pointed weapon created by humans. This is because it is designed for only one thing, which is stabbing. Slashing techniques require at least one side of a blade to be sharp to some degree, but all a good dagger needs is a good tip and a solid grip. There was no required length for a dagger in medieval and renaissance times; however, one well-known knife expert did recommend the dagger should be the length of your forearm. There is so much solid information in this text that this review cannot do it justice. The nine chapters cover a wide range of material and are loaded with photographs in each chapter. Some people skip the forward, which I think is a mistake. John Clements wrote the forward in this text, the director of the Association for Renaissance Martial arts. I found the forward very informative and interesting. The first chapter gives an overview of the dagger in history. Chapter 2 defends the use of the dagger and provides a further historical perspective. Various types of daggers are shown in chapter three. In chapter four, we get to the fundamentals of using the dagger, covering the two basic grips, stab angles and footwork. This long chapter also illustrates various ways to block a dagger when unarmed. Interestingly, even though at first glance it would appear the blocking methods are dangerous; however, because the dagger shown does not have sharp edges, the techniques can be effective. The longest chapter is five. It shows numerous defenses against the dagger when unarmed. Though I personally do not like all the defenses shown; nevertheless, most of them can be effective, if practiced. The second longest chapter is six and demonstrates dagger against dagger techniques. This chapter and chapter five should be studied over a long period if you desire to learn the techniques. This means you must physically practice each of the techniques in order to master them. Chapter seven gives an overview of George Silver’s method of dagger fighting. The dagger vs. the sword is covered in chapter 8. The final chapter deals with training issues such as equipment, safety and drills. There is a detailed bibliography at the end of this excellent book. In conclusion, if you are into the blade arts and consider yourself a serious student, this book should be in your personal library. RATING: ***** (Five Stars-Excellent and highly recommended by Joseph J. Truncale)
A Glossary of Terms for the Student of Defence compiled by C. Allen Reed (current version, 8/18/04) (Aug04)
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Notes for the New Student of the Arte of Defence, as related by Baron AElfred of Chester/C. Allen Reed ©2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
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Drills for Single Sword with Baron AElfred of Chester @2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
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Rapier Melees, by Baron AElfred of Chester @2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
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James Bowie and His Knife ©2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
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Dancing with Swords: A (light) Weight Workout for the Student of Defence with Baron AElfred of Chester © 2004 C. Allen Reed, photos © 2004 Andrea Dubnick
Modern fitness experts recommend the use of light (2-5 pound) weights as part of a regular workout regimen. Many students of defence make the excuse that they don’t have the right equipment for this type of workout. Yet what we all do have is a sword.
This workout set is based on the use of any single-handed sword that weighs about two pounds If you only want to use this set of exercises for stretching and flexibility, then a 36-inch long, one-inch diameter dowel can be used instead.
Unless otherwise stated, the starting position for each of these exercises is with the body erect and the feet together. In most instances the sword is to be held in the normal manner. but may be held by the blade below the hilt if there is not enough room to do the exercise otherwise.
All exercises are done for at least ten repetitions. Remember to breathe in and out slowly as you do each rep. Start on one side and switch to the other for each set of exercises.
1. Hold the sword at the front of the shoulder with the blade straight up (Figure 1). Extend the sword arm straight overhead (Figure 2) and bring it back to the shoulder. Swing the sword to the side at a right angle to the body (Figure 3) and bring it back to the shoulder. Swing the sword down to the hip (Figure 4) and return it to the shoulder.
   
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
(and it continues...) The 10 muckin' huuuge files of this article have been moved to their own page. Click here, please and thank you. And if this still doesn't work (and I have it on Guid Authority that it probably won't, alas!) send email to [email protected] and we'll work something else out. Like a hard copy, which was going to get published sooner or later anyhow, anyway! (Winter 05)
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Title: Sport Sword DVD
Publisher: Guard Up
Viewed and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Dec04)
Guard Up (www.guardup.com) is a martial arts school in Burlington, MA, which provides training in four different areas: fencing, martial arts, Historic Weapons and Sports Weapons.
One of the ideas behind the Sports Weapon program is to provide people in Live Action Role Playing (LARP) and computer games that use swords and other historic weapons a basic introduction to use of these weapons.
The Sport Sword DVD shows the basic techniques for use in the Sport Weapons classes. The DVD starts with a discussion of safety and the gear that should be used for training with the Action Flex swords used by Guard Up.
The DVD introduces the footwork and guards for use with the Sport Sword program. A simple set of bladework and tactics is then shown. The DVD finishes with some slightly more advanced techniques, including the moulinet and off-line movement. The DVD finishes with two simple games that can be used to teach the student the use of the sword.
The material provided on the DVD is presented clearly and in a simple-to-follow format. The voice-over is succinct and also easy to follow. I would recommend this DVD to anyone who is interested in starting to learn to do historic European swordplay.
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A review of the James Loriega Navaja workshop, by Chris Harvey (posted 061005)
Not a single patron found it out of place that yet another fight was about to take place in one of Seville's many gambling houses. A lanky gambler had taken the winnings from a table and was quickly making his way towards the door, when a single large man stood up from his seat by the door and blocked his way. With a strong tenor, the large man stated in a rehearsed tone, "When you play in this house, all winners forfeit a percentage of their winnings to us as a token of your appreciation." Defiantly the gambler pulled a large carving knife from his sash and began to brazenly wave it about. "Come, fight me if you want a part of the winnings," he teased, "You'll not get a si........" The gambler was cut short by the unmistakable click-click-click-click of ratchets popping into place. Color immediately left the gambler's face, leaving it pale white, as the larger man deftly opened his navaja and steadily stalked in. One way or another, the baratero would receive his payment.
Such fights were commonplace among the many gambling-houses in Spain during the 18th and 19th centuries. The men who worked in these places as enforcers were often called baratero, after the barato (the percentage of winnings) they would collect/extort from gamblers. Given the hazards of this line of work, the need to protect oneself or exact the barato through violence was often necessary. The tool of choice for many a baratero was the navaja, a large uniquely styled folding knife. A baratero would have learned to use his navaja, either through training or experience, and undoubtedly had to apply his skills at some point during his career.
The weekend of May 14th and 15th saw a small mid-western town briefly transform into 'old-world' Spain, as students of edged weapons from all over the United States arrived to learn the art of Sevillian Steel. This intensive two-day seminar was hosted by Allen Reed of Gallowglass Academy and taught by none other than Maestro de Armas Blancas James Loriega. The seminar covered, in depth, the use of the navaja in combat and the skills of the baratero. Maestro Loriega drew upon a variety of sources, his personal experiences training in Spain and his new translation of the treatise "Manual del Baratero" among them, during the class to highlight the various lessons.
For a majority of the day on Saturday, the Maestro introduced us to the navaja, its various forms, and related a bit of the culture and history surrounding the knife. Following this brief primer, the basic grips, stances, and footwork pertaining to the navaja were discussed and demonstrated to the class. Within the span of a few minutes, every student in the room was deftly pacing about, changing from one stance to another. Maestro Loriega also demonstrated a few wrist dexterity/retention drills that served as a slight warm-up for the next topic to be covered.
Once the basic principles of movement and stance had been covered, Maestro Loriega moved on to covering the basic striking techniques associated with the navaja. Unlike a majority of Western knife fighting styles, slashes are made by extending the arm towards your target (in a manner similar to a basic straight punch), then rapidly and powerfully flicking the wrist to produce a strike. The slashes achieved by this method, while not appearing to be, can become quite damaging to flesh and muscle tissue. Maestro would constantly remind us, "Imagine that there is a spring attached from the point of your knife to your forearm which gives your slashes power."
Thrusting with the navaja proved to be quite varied. Thrusts such as the enfilar are executed in a manner similar to the classic punta roversa with its explosive direct attack. A viaje, however, is distinctive from the more classical thrust by the low arc it transcribes as it swings like a pendulum into an opponent?s abdomen. Asides from the various types of thrusts, the class was shown a number of counter-thrusting techniques that utilized the footwork we were taught earlier.
Saturday's class ended with the Maestro covering a few blocking drills designed to get us to incorporate our off hand. The blocks, nicknamed "raindrop blocks" due to the assist they got from gravity, were made by dropping the off-hand onto the threatening arm (palm down, cupping the hand) of our opponent as an attack was made. Students worked through this drill by utilizing the block against various types of slashes and thrusts.
Class was adjourned for the day, and dinner was taken by a majority of the students, as well as Maestro Loriega, at a local steak house. After dinner, those willing to sit up and discuss the day's events were able to do so at Mr. Reed's house. Keith Jennings, a scholar of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, also found time to instruct a few interested parties in some Filipino sinwali and sumbrada drills. Before long though, it was time to rest and recuperate in preparation for the second day of the seminar.
Sunday started off with a review of the footwork, slashes, and thrusts covered the day before. Before long, the class moved onto partner exercises where counters to the basic slashes, cuts and thrusts of the navaja were taught. After a significant amount of time was dedicated to the play between partners, the Maestro moved on to cover a few of the more advanced cuts and slashes such as the flamenco slash combination and the reves (reverse cut/reverso).
After dedicating a majority of the class time to the navaja alone, the class switched gears and began to work on the use of a cloak (or jacket, handkerchief , etc.) in tandem with the navaja. Various methods of holding a cloak for defense and offense, as well as employing the cloak as a weapon by itself were explored. When executed properly, many of the sweeping motions made with a cloak can duplicate effects similar to those of a whip. Maestro Loriega also covered using a cloak or handkerchief as a tool to block and trap various cuts and thrusts.
Another topic covered in addition to the material already discussed, was the Mediterranean or inverted (edge up) grip. The Maestro demonstrated how such a grip could easily increase the damage done to an opponent by using the inverted edge to cut back out of a thrust due to the elasticity of the human body and the mechanics of the pull. Emphasis was placed on the advantage such a grip afforded one in escaping various grabs and in situations where movement was restricted.
The final activity of the weekend was a series of intensive free-form sparring drills, each of which had a specific goal in mind. Sometimes only slashes were allowed, sometimes only thrusts. At times only one person could attack, only then to find the roles reversed and that he could only defend. To cap off the seminar, one last sparring drill was set up. Appropriately named 'The Gauntlet,' this drill had each student take turns holding their ground in the middle of a circle comprised of their peers, from which he would fight each of his fellow students in a two-minute bout until there was no one left. It was a pleasure to see so many fine fighters perform and to have been a part of it!
'The Gauntlet' drill ended a little past 4:00pm on Sunday. Maestro Loriega wrapped up with a review of everything we had covered over the course of the weekend and gave us some tips for us to continue practicing the art of the navaja on our own. After congratulating everyone on their outstanding performance, the Maestro saluted out the class and the seminar was officially over. Hearty thanks must be given to Maestro James Loriega for his fantastic instruction and enthusiasm for this wonderful art. Also, a big thank you goes to Allen Reed and his wife Andrea for being excellent hosts and organizing such a spectacular event. Hopefully some time in the near future, we can all again practice the art of the baratero.
Cheers!
--Chris
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Title: Apache Knife Fighting DVD
Availability: http://www.ApacheKnife.com -- $75.00, sixty-minute playing time
Viewed and Reviewed by: Allen Reed (Feb06)
I was looking forward to seeing the system put forward by Robert Redfeather, the chief instructor of the Apache Knife fighting system, on this DVD since I have heard good things about his system and teaching style.
The instructional part of the DVD is divided into five sections. The Basic section comes first. In this part of the video Redfeather and Tanner Nydstrom, one of Redfeather’s instructors, introduce the system by talking about safety equipment that should be used when doing knife fighting training and then go on to show the stance and grips used in the system.
The second section is titled Apache Knife Techniques. In this section Redfeather and Nydstrom demonstrate different patterns of counters to attacks and Redfeather’s twelve angles of attack drill.
The third part of the video is the Non-committed or Non-lethal Techniques section. This section has Redfeather demonstrating techniques to disarm or discourage an attacker. I have a major concern with using the term "non-lethal" in the context of any knife fighting system. This concern is based on the fact that legally any use of a knife will be considered using deadly force.
In the fourth section, titled Committed Techniques, Redfeather shows fully committed, close range lethal techniques. These techniques include stabs to the body and head.
In the final section is a Review. Redfeather shows how techniques he has already demonstrated can be put together for use in a knife fight.
The production values on the video are good. Redfeather clearly demonstrates each technique multiple times and slowly enough that they can be followed. The name of each technique is clearly shown on the screen so the name can be associated with the techniques. However, it is a pet peeve of mine when martial artists wear black uniforms on their instructional videos and then use a dark background so it is sometimes hard to see all of what is going on. Unfortunately, Refeather has fallen into this style of martial arts video production and I feel it detracts in a small way from the instructional portions of the video.
Most of the DVD is taken up with video of the final free assaults (sparring) Redfeather has his students take part in at the end of each seminar. During these sessions the students use No Lie Blades training knives which are fairly heavy and rigid. In the first section of the DVD Nydstrom stresses using proper protective gear, but then in the two sections where Marines are shown fighting each other, no one has any eye protection at all. I n the other sections where free assaults are shown the students only have goggles on. In my personal training experience I have found that this really does not allow the student to use the knife with any real threat, since good attacks to the head cannot be made.
At the beginning of the DVD a statement is made that Redfeather bases his system on experience not theory. Yet on the DVD Redfeather gives no real information about his experience.
I went to the Apache Knife website and looked at Redfeather’s biography where he states that he holds an 8th degree black belt but he does not mention in what system or school. He also claims he is in several Halls of Fame but does not give their names.
As I mentioned, the basic production values on the DVD are good. The instructional sections present the material in a way that can be followed and replicated by the student. Redfeather and Nydstrom speak clearly and distinctly. However, there are only twenty minutes of instruction on the video. The rest of this sixty minute video is taken up with the free assaults. I just do not feel that this is worth the $75 that Redfeather charges for the DVD.
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Title: Advanced Bowie Techniques
Author: Text and drawings by Dwight C. McLemore
Availability: published by Paladin Press, www.paladin-press.com or 1-800-392-2400, retail $35.00
Read and reviewed: Allen Reed (March06)
I have had the honor to train with Dwight a number of times and found his first book on the Bowie knife, Bowie and Big Knife Fighting System, an excellent source of information on the history and use of this American icon. So when I heard that his second book on Bowie knife fighting was being published I really looked forward to pouring over it and adding more of his ideas on how to train with the Bowie knife to my training.
Dwight sets up five sections in the book. In the first section of the book Dwight explains the use of the Spanish Circle in his knife fighting system. An easily made training device the Spanish Circle is laid out on the floor so while you are training with the knife you can get an idea of the angles of attack and defense. This is one part of Dwight’s system that I plan to put in place in my own school.
Dwight then launches into the major portion of the book showing his system of what he calls engagement sets. These sets allow each student of the knife to work through different paired attack and defense scenarios. In this section Dwight has the students working with fairly simple attacks and defenses up to more complex sets.
In each set Dwight uses his excellent line drawings to show how to do the drill. I also like how Dwight suggests using a focus mitt to allow the student who "wins" the engagement to make full contact with his partner. I feel that too often knife training involves only minor, if any, contact.
Dwight also emphasizes that any real knife training must include full body contact sparring. He shows how to build a padded training knife and illustrates the full body padding he recommends for doing the sparring. Again, I like Dwight’s emphasis on full speed training in protective gear.
The third section introduces the use of kicks for use with the Bowie knife. Dwight emphasizes that if kicks are added into the mix, you must consider keeping the kick low and protecting yourself as you launch the kick.
In the next-to-last section of the book Dwight deals with how the Bowie knife can be carried and put into use. One style of carry that Dwight mentions is the Southern Comfort sheath from River City Sheaths (www.rivercitysheaths.com). I have one of these sheaths and can second Dwight’s comments that Mike Sastre makes an excellent sheath for carrying a big knife concealed.
Finally, Dwight finishes up the book with a section on dealing with multiple attackers. Fast aggressive movement is how Dwight feels you must deal with such situations. He shows two different engagement sets to work with when doing this kind of training.
Anyone who is interested in learning how to use a big knife in combat will find something to learn in this book. In particular I find Dwight’s drawings to help show how to do his drills. The drawings can show details that a photograph cannot.
However, there are problems with the book. There are some major copy-editing mistakes where the text calls for one move and the drawing shows another. Most of these problems can be dealt with by carefully following the drawings, as they show the correct application of the drill.
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Other
Title: The Warrior Diet
Author: Ori Hofmekler
Publisher: Dragon Door Publications
Read and Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan '04)
Ori Hofmekler has had an interesting career. He was in the Special Forces of the Israeli Army. He is a painter of political satire and a columnist and writer on sports and fitness.
In The Warrior Diet Hofmekler sets out to not only get you to lose weight but to change your entire lifestyle. Hofmekler argues that you should follow the lifestyle of ancient warriors who while on the move during the day could only eat lightly, and then ate a large filling meal at night in camp.
Hofmekler states that by following his system of controlled fasting during the day and eating to satisfaction at night, you will not only lose weight but be much more energetic during the day. He emphasizes eating mostly fruits and vegetables during the day so that you can eat proteins and carbohydrates at your evening meal.
Hofmekler also includes in the book his suggestions for workout routines. This is where I find some fault with his system, as he presumes you are already in good shape (see his set of abdominal exercises!) and that you have access to free weights. I would have preferred that he provided some starter sets and some ideas on how to do resistance exercises without free weights.
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Resource List for "Workout for the Martial Artist" provided by Baron AElfred of Chester ©2003 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
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Title: Terror at Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America's Schools
Author: John Giduck
Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan 15 07)
Every teacher, parent, law enforcement officer and concerned citizen should read this book. Giduck outlines how the attack on a school in Russia by a large group of Islamist terrorists could occur in the U.S.
Most schools and local police department now work on handling an active shooter situation involving one or two killers. However, most departments would be absolutely overwhelmed by an attack from a large group of heavily armed suicidal terrorists.
Giduck argues that if parents, teachers and police officers cooperated on security at local schools this would cause terrorists to look for softer targets.
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Title: Innocent Targets
Authors: Michael and Chris Dorn
Reviewed by: C. Allen Reed (Jan 18, 07)
After you have read Terror at Beslan, make sure to pick up this slim volume.
In it the authors lead you through the history of attacks on schools and students throughout the world.
Then the Dorns go on to report on how schools can start to prepare for the many hazards they face up to and including attacks by terrorists.
The Dorns also provide a resource list for further study and evaluation of how schools can make themselves ready for severe hazards.
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