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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.
#
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.
#
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.
#
Mental Preparation for
Confrontation, by C. Allen
Reed, Kaiden @2001 C. Allen Reed  (Jul04)
#
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.
#
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.
#
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.
back to top
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.
#
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.
#
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.
#
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.
#
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)
#
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)
#
Drills for Single Sword with Baron AElfred of
Chester @2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
#
Rapier Melees, by Baron AElfred of Chester
@2004 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
#
James Bowie and His Knife ©2004 C. Allen
Reed (Jul04)
#
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 GallowglassAcad@aol.com
and we'll work something else out. Like a hard copy, which was
going to get published sooner or later anyhow,
anyway! (Winter 05)
#
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.
back to top
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
#
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.
#
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.
#
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.
#
Resource List for "Workout for the
Martial Artist" provided by
Baron AElfred of Chester ©2003 C. Allen Reed (Jul04)
#
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.
#
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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