Big Bad Bowie Bonanza

 Today I feel like going back to that somewhat mythical instrument of mayhem – bowie knife. In the previous installment we touched upon the introductory materials on that topic, and if you have consulted some (or all) of them, at this point it should be clear whether you have interest in further research. This time, I’d like to present the sources that I consider to be the best available when it comes to the actual, more comprehensive learning of the craft, short of seeking personal instruction.

It bears saying that these three authors are featured in the alphabetic order of their last names. Each has his own approach to the treatment of the subject, and in each case there is good value to it. Therefore, the choice is upon you, based on personal preferences. That is, of course, if you opt to choose at all… Nothing wrong with having all of them!

The first instructional package titled American Bowie Combatives comes from Pete Kautz and consists of four DVDs. The material in these videos was filmed during the seminars that the author held over the course of two weekends, and it was then edited to keep the instructional portion. And what a great job he did! The end result is kind of best of both worlds inasmuch that it stays focused on the instruction with excellent sound (my pet peeve about a typical seminar recording), but also keeps that live feel of teaching to real people, not camera.

Kautz starts off with the volume on Mobility, i.e. the different kinds of footwork that practitioners need in order to effectively manage the distance requirements of a bowie knife duel. He covers a lot of ground (both figuratively and literally), with good pointers about the application of the material, and offers excellent coaching points along the way, which is another advantage of a seminar surrounding.

In the second part, which is all about Attack Drills, we are shown how to properly perform the essential bowie tactical tools – thrust, snapcut and backcut. When I say properly, it means that the underlying mechanical and conceptual principles are well explained and demonstrated, such as three times (hand, body, foot) and their sequencing for the best outcome. There are some aspects of instruction I like very much here: that the techniques are not just shown in place, but also coached with focus mitts, thus giving the much needed sense of distance and timing in practice. Another one is how Kautz assigns certain technical tools to different combative situations/opportunities, which makes it easier for the students to develop each technique to a certain standard of execution in shorter time. He then proceeds to show how those techniques can be put together in a systematic manner to build a number of fighting combinations (36 to be specific), hence making sure that all bases are covered.

The next video is, naturally, dedicated to Defense Drills, because you will need those to be a well rounded fighter. Again, we are shown a smaller number of tools that can cover a large scope of uses – knife parries, footwork, body evasions. True to his excellent teaching manner, the author works the material in a clear and practical way, to make sure that the students understand the HOWs, WHENs and WHYs of the instruction.

Finally, everything comes together really well in the Partner Drills. This is where we see full application of the material covered to that point, including the use of bowie knife’s trapping guards/quillions, offensive and defensive use of the empty hand, tactical use of specific maneuvers from fencing, and even the application of bowies against different/asymmetrical weapons, such as sticks, tomahawks and bayonets.

All in all, an excellent program that is easy to implement in either a class or seminar situation, due to how it is organized and the instruction arranged. Since the entire package is really a comprehensive unit, it is only available as a set, but honestly, it makes a lot of sense because taking any part in isolation would mean missing the big picture. Kudos to Mr. Kautz for the brilliant product!

The next author, master-at-arms James A. Keating, needs no special introduction. It is important to say, however, that when it comes to the resurrection of the interest for the fighting applications of the bowie knife, he is the man responsible for bringing it back to the public attention. Therefore, it is no wonder that his instructional material on this subject is among the first to hit the market bask in the 1990’s, but still brilliant to this day.

Unlike the previous feature, Keating’s series Comtech Bowie Knife Fighting is a series of six videos, where each stands on its own. It means that the author decided to focus on a single segment of the overall method of using the bowie as a weapon. Such an approach enables him to go deeper in the treatment of each particular topic, therefore getting more precise with technical details and showing a somewhat wider spectrum of options in their use. Mr. Keating has an awesome on-camera personality, and when comparing the two sets, it is evident that Pete Kautz has adopted a number of MAAJAK’s mannerisms, which is no surprise since the former is a student of the latter.

So, the first volume is titled Crossada, after the fighting knife of Keating’s design, used in the video. This one really sets the foundation for the combative of all big blades, as it delves deep into the thrusting techniques and their implementation, inspired by European rapier and small-sword methods. That said, the instruction covers several particular details about targeting, field of perception etc, that I have never seen elsewhere outside Comtech methods. Nonetheless, the actual thrusts are demonstrated only once the proper stance and footwork are under command, and these aspects are where the knife differs from classical fencing. The footwork and blade actions are put together to depict certain tactical situations in which bowies really shine. Besides technical demonstrations, a few partner drills are also taught, in order to develop certain skills that are particular to bigger blades.

The follow-up volume, Bowie Basics, cover the use of cutting techniques – both snapcut and backcut – although the real focus is on the defensive actions that use the blade, along with the accompanying footwork. These parries/defenses remind of the classical fencing guards, but what what especially appealed to me was the explanation and rationale of their use. As is characteristic of his teaching manner, Keating puts the techniques in a set that is is used as a training tool to facilitate smoother handling and better flow when going from one application to another. Despite looking like a formal exercise to some, it is not intended to be a kata-like sequence, but rather the way to put the material in a context that sheds better light on the meaning and significance of some details that might otherwise be discarded as merely stylistic expressions.

While it would be possible to just get the first two volumes in the series and have a solid system of competently handling a large knife, the next installment, Deadly Backcut, gives a whole new sense of depth and opens enlightening horizons to the practitioner. Sure, as the title implies, the technical details of the maneuver that bowies are famous for are highlighted, again with attention to detail and excellent instruction. Yet, if you look beyond the obvious appearance of the material, you start getting a glimpse and understanding the higher levels of the fighting art, i.e. using deception and acute sense of distance to perform your combative task with efficiency. I can’t say this is my favorite “tape” of the series (it is just too hard to pick one), but definitely the one incited the most lightbulb moments for me.

Now, the next three installments belong to the domain of specialty skills, and as such not necessarily needed for a well rounded fighting/dueling skillset. What do I mean? Well, volume four is about knife throwing, as it applies to big blades, such as bowies and Arkansas toothpicks; the fifth deals with the simultaneous use of two knives (not unlike the sinawali/double baston portion of FMA). It is easy to see that from the perspective of an ordinary practitioner those do not exactly fall within the scope of priorities. That said, the presentation is excellent, as always, and if such topics are indeed within your field of interest, you would be hard pressed to find a better source. Finally, the sixth part is something of a mixed bag of odd bits and pieces, i.e. the function of the Spanish notch on a bowie knife, the knife’s use in tandem with a pistol etc. essentially, these are the segments that were previously featured in a couple of volumes of the Modern Knives video magazine.

As you can see, this material is not formatted as a course/curriculum, but more of a well explained syllabus from which one can choose to work on the topics they need.

Our last, but far from least, features author in this article is the late Dwight McLemore. He was once featured in my tomahawk sources piece, and if his treatment of that was to your liking, then so will his books: Bowie and Big Knife Fighting System and Advanced Bowie Techniques: the finer points of fighting with a large knife. The thing that obviously differentiates his work from the above ones is the medium. As much as video is typically better of conveying the finer points of movement, books are sometimes able to give us the perspective that videos can not. McLemore is a case in point – he uses drawings (done by himself) to illustrate the movements in detail, including the handler’s perspective, something that video does not do. Also, the printed medium is more convenient for those more abstract principles and concepts of teaching, like targeting, strategies, historical insights and so on, or the elusive details of footwork and knife orientation. All those elements are beautifully depicted in these two books. 

The first one starts with the historical context of how the bowie knife came to prominence and where the roots of its combative use stem from. The author then follows a similar sequence as the previous ones – grips, guards, stances; thrusting methods; cuts and parries; the forever principles; and in the end a portfolio of techniques drills and training notes. Probably the most intriguing chapters are the last two, where McLemore discusses the area of engagement, ranges of combat, distance etc, as well as a couple of partner and solo drills to reinforce some of the principles covered in the book. Essentially, this volume is conceived as a sort of workbook, where the first two technical sections are to be worked on more or less in the order presented, and the subsequent two as methodical lessons that ought to put the techniques into context and enable us to see a bigger picture, and hopefully allow for better understanding of the material.

The second book offers additional details and insights into some of the material in the first, but the main portion is dedicated to the partner drills and exercises, or engagement sets, as the author calls them. These are akin to the one-step sparring methods in Asian martial arts, or maybe focus mitt/Thai pad and partner drills in boxing and kick-boxing. Namely, the purpose is to put the principles of range and distance, as well as techniques of footwork and hands in the environment of hands-on practice, to serve as a bridge between the purely technical development and free sparring.

As if the books weren’t great enough on their own, McLemore also produced a video titled Bowie Knife and Big Knife Dueling, which provides a more dynamic coverage of the material featured in the first book. With that in mind, it is can stand either on its own, or be used as the accompaniment for the book, which is probably the best option, because the book covers more ground, but the video comes in handy if there are any doubts about the execution of techniques therein.

There you have it! This is the best that the current market has to offer, and quite enough to get a very good grip of the practical use of this superb weapon. As I have mentioned in the beginning, each author has a somewhat different take on the presentation of the material – from what is maybe an encyclopedic approach from Keating, to a step by step course by Kautz, with McLemore somewhere in between, but closer to Kautz. I hope this review will be of help when selecting the one that would best suit your needs, but ultimately, if it grows into a passion, you will probably want have all of them.