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.

Blade Once Was Immediate End...pt.1

 ...or, in a word - Bowie! It is probably safe to say that my interest in combative use of the bowie knife comes from the same dimension as that regarding tomahawk. This time however, I will split the review of the materials into three categories: introductory; comprehensive course; and additional resources. In presenting them, the order in which the materials are presented is based on the alphabetical order of the authors' last name. So, without further ado...

James Keating's double video package titled Legacy of Steel is essentially the edited recording of one of his legendary Riddle of Steel camps that he used to run annually for a number of years. It was professionally recorded and edited by the good folks of the Paladin Press, so we all can benefit from this work. And benefits abound! The first volume of the pack is titled Left Hand Path and deals with the close quarters use of smaller knives, the method being strongly influenced by FMA approach, and as good as it is (more like awesome), we shall focus today on the second volume - the Right Hand Path. 

What we have here is roughly a 50-minute introduction to all the fundamental aspects regarding the usage of bowie-type, i.e. big knives. Keating starts with a spoken introduction to the specifics of this kind of knife, thus providing the context for the better understanding of the instruction that follows. He is than joined by another Comtech instructor, Rob Langford, who gives an excellent explanation of the timing that makes the bowie knife such a feared and respected implement. In practice, he analyzes and demonstrates teh mechanics of non-telegraphing striking, exemplified on this occasion by the straight thrust. Keating takes over the instruction to work on the topics of guard, with focus on the blind-spot targeting, and stance that serves as a mobile platform for the whole thing. Next, he shows the tactical maneuvers of in quartata and passata soto that allow you to place your thrusts as counters to the opponents initiative. In the last section, Langford steps in again to teach the functioning of the often mentioned but rarely understood specialty of of the bowie - back cut! 

All in all, this is a great video, which should give an excellent overview of what the bowie knife is about, and if you practice the material diligently, it should give you a fairly sufficient command of the tool in practice, in case you do not want to investigate further. 

The next piece is a book from Marc Lawrence, with a rather interesting take on the subject. Specifically, as indicated by the title American Bowie Knife Methods From the 1880s, the author takes a HEMA-type approach. Even the historical overview of the origins and popularity of the weapon itself is shown through a newspaper article from 1888, with all of the possible inaccuracies and bias, so the interpretation is left to the reader. When it comes to the fighting methods, he uses two newspaper articles from 1890 and 1888 (in that order for some reason), and then uses the information therein to formulate a couple dozen drills and exercises in order to put the material into practice. According to him, the goal here is to help the readers/practitioners to the level of skill demonstrated by the exponents, as described in the original articles. 

Now, this approach is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, most instructors teaching the bowie knife today are explicit in saying that there is no a sure way to establish the period-authenticity of the techniques and methods used, i.e. that we can't know with certainty how Jim Bowie himself or other exponents in the first half of the 19th century, presumably the heyday of this type of knife, fought or taught their craft. Lawrence attempts to get us as close as possible, using the information that is as close as possible to the historical period and geographical region concerned. Second, while most practitioners would use this kind of resource to maybe pick up a couple of techniques or tactics at best, he strives to look beyond mere individual nuggets and see a bigger picture, thus developing an actual training plan that would get us to a higher level of understanding and, consequently, skill. 

It has to be noted that the two articles used as mining source are quite similar, possibly a retelling of the same story.What are the implication of this fact to the historical authenticity and technical accuracy of the content...I leave that to the reader to ponder. 

Among these three resources, James Loriega's book Behind the Bowie Blade is the only one that offers some comprehensiveness in its historical introduction, regarding the origin of the tool, particularly with regards to the influences of other cultures and earlier blade designs that were present in the southern part of today's USA in 1830's, where the roots of the phenomenon are. 

Unlike the previous author, Loriega adheres to the subtitle - A Personal Method of Edged Defense - when treating the hands-on portion of the book. It means we get to see his own interpretation of how a big knife ought to be used for the combative purpose. While doing that, he covers all the bases required for a well rounded grasp of the situation: cuts, thrusts and related fundamentals; attack and defense; footwork and targeting; recommendations for safe training, including several suitable models of training knives for this kind of work. 

Now, the author offers a rather succinct sort of instruction, primarily relying on written descriptions and very few illustrations. In itself that wouldn't bother me much, if there wasn't for the fact that out of 100 pages of this book as many as 15 (fifteen!) are used for a selection of posters and pictures from the a number of movies and TV shows that dealt with the lore of Jim Bowie. Aside from a possible bit of nostalgia trip for some of the readers, it seems to me that this space would have been much better used for a somewhat more detailed coverage of the instructional portion of the book. That said, it is an expensive book, and probably goes in tandem with Keating's video better that the previous one, due to a more conceptual method of approaching the material.

If these resources succeed in awakening more interest for the subject matter, keep en eye on the following posts about it.

Modern mag for old school training

 Well, this was supposed to be my last article for 2022, but it wasn't meant to be. So, instead of ending the last year with a bang - here's to a happy and prosperous 2023!

Back in the 1990's, prior to Internet and Youtube, the only way to find out about new and interesting martial stuff out there was reading about it in magazines such as Black Belt. Otherwise, you would have to order a tape (yeah, VHS) from an author you had seen in an ad in those magazines. And those weren't cheap! At one point, the Black Belt actually came up with the idea of putting out a video magazine, and it looked exciting in their ads, but...at the time I just couldn't find the way of ordering to where I lived, and never got too see them to this day.

Fast forward a decade or so, and a gentleman named Pete Kautz, the founder of the Alliance Martial Arts decided to do a similar thing, but in a DVD format, featuring himself and James Keating as regular contributors in each issue, along with a guest or two being featured as well. Each issue focused on a single topic, and although titled Modern Knives, it wasn't dedicated solely to the edged weapons. Since I had already been a fan of their work, and been interested in what they had to show, as well as discovering new exponents, I ordered the first eight issues (i.e. all they had at that point) some 15 years ago. And guess what? I keep re-wathcing those somewhat frequently to this day. So, let's lee what they're all about!

First, a few words about the format and production. Typically, the DVD's are organized into chapters, where Keating usually takes the lead, followed by the featured guest, and then Kautz closing the instructional part. A first few issues also had a review of some instructional video's available, too - and, as you may imagine, I loved those. As the matter of fact, I ended up buying Blaise Loong's Sabungin Silat series after seeing the review in Modern Knives! Naturally, the reviews strived to cover the material that fits the topic of that issue. The video production is quite good, even if not always done with fully professional equipment, but both image and sound are clear, so the content is clear and easy to follow. Again, the videos have navigable menus with chapters, thus causing no inconvenience for the viewer. 

Oh, the only aspect that gives out the "homemade" nature of the entire publishing operation is how the DVD jackets are done. Still, it didn't bother me the least - the cover image is indicative of the theme, and the back cover gives the content outline, which even many professionally produced and published videos before and since then failed to do.

front...

...and back

The issue #1 is about the the Spanish Fighting Arts. Keating opens up with with some instruction about the often misunderstood and/or neglected topic of how to use the so-called Spanish notch on some of the bigger fighting knives out there (including his own design - Crossada). He also touches upon the utilization of the knife's guard for the trapping purposes in the clinch phase of a knife fight/duel. Obviously, this material is mostly applicable with big blades, but those are rather interesting insights.

The guest author in the 1st issue is James Loriega, best known for his promotion of the knife fighting methods using traditional navaja folding knives of Spain. To me, this was the most interesting feature, because it is (still) one of the very few possibilities of actually seeing Loriega's material in action. Namely, despite having a few books on the subject published, they are not very clear with regards of how the techniques are executed (maybe even deliberately?), so if you have any interest in this domain - this DVD should be on your list of priorities.

Kautz goes into what is possibly the most evidently Spanish influence in FMA, i.e. the espada y daga approach to using a long and short blade simultaneously in combat. He presents the material along the lines of the so-called cinco teros (5 strikes) method of instruction, and offers what is probably one of the best available introductory lessons on this manner of armed fighting. 

The video review in this issue is about the La Verdadera Destreza school of fencing, as presented by maestro Ramon Martinez. 

The issue #2 deals with another geographical region - South East Asian Fighting Arts. Keating shows a very interesting method of using the kerambit knife, based on his Hellbows material. What I really liked about this is the conceptual nature of instruction, that integrates the defensive and offensive applications of the moves, doable without the weapon, too. 

The legendary Kelly Worden is a featured guest instructor in what is actually a segment of his seminar on the FMA knife. A portion of his material is shown with Worden's patented Travel Wrench tool, and I liked it for the crossover applicability with other small palmstick-type tools and improvised weapons of similar characteristics.

Kautz teaches the triangle thrusting drill of the FMA and its variations, adaptations and applications. Again, in accord with his conceptual overall approach, he goes beyond the most obvious purpose of the drill and shows us how to see deeper into the work. These insights are meant to teach you how to get more mileage from any other type of drill and training method you may be using.

The review is focused on the above mentioned Sabungin Silat DVD series. 

The issue #3 is closes to the title of whole series - Modern Knife Concepts. In it, Keating goes into the specifics of use with his signature Chinook folding knife made by Spyderco. It is always interesting to see and hear what a knife designer had in mind when coming up with his or her personal model, and this is no exception. Probably my favorite part was the use of a small, folding knife for back cut technique typically associated with much bigger weapons. 

As the guest instructor, ninjutsu instructor Dale Seago does a rather interesting feature about the defense from an unexpected knife attack. I particularly appreciated how he connected cultural and philosophical layers of his art with the tactical and technical applications. That said, the very idea of training/drilling something unexpected is somewhat paradoxical, but there is still quite a bit of value to be gained from this chapter. 

Finally, Kautz offers an excellent segment on the extensions and variations of the Comtech Drawpoint method of the knife used in the reverse grip manner. Now, this portion of the material is very useful when taken on its own, but even more so if you have also seen and worked on Keating's original material. It is also a brilliant example of how practitioners can take what they had learned and then put their own flavor to it, and how do do it right!

This is NOT a clip from the described DVD, but gives a fairly good taste of how Kautz does his material there.

The issue #4 is about the Western Martial Arts. This time, instead of being geographically specific, the focus is more on the historical research of the combat methods of Europe and America. Interestingly enough, Keating features a niche kind of material here - single action revolver twirling. Now, if you are not into firearms this may not be of interest at all, and if you are, you may wonder about the practical value of the stuff shown. The way I see it, attempting this material is aimed to achieve developmental effects, i.e. working on your attributes, and particularly the frequently missed benefits to honing one's neural connections and coordination. 

Featured guest Bob Charon gives a presentation of the dagger fighting methods from the late medieval manual of Fiore Dei Liberi, i.e. Flos Duellatorum from 1410. It gives us insight into some of the time tested and confirmed principles of combat, regardless of the place they were used in. Also, should you be among the folks who believe the whole HEMA things is just a bunch of guys and gals involved into some sort of glorified costume-wearing reenactment play, it may open your eyes to practical benefits of studying this kind of material. 

In the footsteps of the previous chapter, Kautz shows more dagger from another medieval master - this time a German one, Andre Lignitzer. Again, this is not so much about historical accuracy, but more looking toward how it can still be researched to find the worthwhile aspects for our day and age. 

The issue #5 stays with the previous theme to a degree, and gives the viewer an incredible amount of information, since it deals with the American Bowie Knife. Now, Keating has long been recognized as one of the leading authorities in this domain, and once more he goes one step further than most other instructors. Namely, the bowie is most often perceived as a dueling implement nowadays, but back in the day it was probably seen more as a great backup weapon/tool, which is where Keating's treatment of the knife in tandem with a revolver is a unique value. Weapon deployment, retention and transition are the name of the game here, and the implications to footwork, distance and angling are as important as any other element. So, don't skip this part!

The late distinguished author Dwight McLemore focuses on one of the bowie knife signature moves - the snap cut - but specifically how do defend against this deceptive and destructive tactic. Like the previous chapter, this is they kind of instruction that is hard to find elsewhere, thus making the DVD that more valuable. 

As if the above was not enough, Kautz demonstrates the application of historical sabre fencing techniques with the bowie knife, hence elucidating on some of the highly probably sources of this knife material in the first place. On top of it, we see done the techniques used against the bayonet attacks, which is, again, how the bowie was probably often used in its original environment. 

But, there is even more! To give you even more insights into the phenomenon of this legendary blade, we are given a glimpse into the forging of a true fighting bowie under the hands of the legendary master blade maker Bill Bagwell, as well as the suggestions for the every day carry options from the sheath maker Mike Sastre. All in all, one heck of a great and informative DVD!

The issue #6 takes a step away from the blades and is concerned instead with Filipino Stick Fighting methods, and here we have a 2 DVD set. Keating leads the way with a series of options of using the stick as a tool for LEOs, i.e. teaching the locks and releases to control the opponent, where simply using the baton as an impact weapon may not be appropriate. 

Dr. Remy Presas, the son of the legendary master Remy A. Presas of the Modern Arnis fame, is shown in a fragment of a seminar, teaching the counter for counter methods and tactics of his art. I liked that the editor (Pete Kautz) chose the material that really fits well with Keating's, and the viewer should probably try investigating how they could be combined. If this is your field of interest, you should be able to spend a long time in discovering modes and options of use with these. 

Another guest instructor is Ken Smith, and his chapter is maybe my favorite here. Namely, he goes into Sibat, the long staff material, and for some reason I have always felt some primordial pleasure when handling this tool. Smith demonstrates a two-ended staff approach in his segment, showing how some well known FMA drills and exercises, normally done with a regular stick, can be adapted to and used with sibat. 

Finally, Kautz delivers another phenomenal instructional package with his explanation of how to functionalize siniwali (double stick) material. Like before, he teaches us how to see "behind the curtain" of simple movements and movement patters, and into the driving engine behind them. And this not another set of interpretations of the meaning/applications of the already familiar mover, like with so many other FMA instructors. No, Kautz deconstructs the mechanics of strokes, their lines, trajectories and sectors, and then shows you how to come up with your own patterns and applications. In other words, he does not give you a vocabulary of words, but the actual grammar that makes one fluent in "speaking" siniwali. Highly recommended! 

The issue #7 is another "deviation" from the topic of knives, but this time it is about the Grappling Arts. OK, with Keating's segment it does not entirely stray from knives, because this segment, taken from his legendary training camp Riddle of Steel held in 1992, shows how to integrate grappling with the blade work. As in some of the previous issues, he shows that there is a wide scope of possible strategies and possibilities to be researches, if you are a "lifer" with a serious and deep commitment to martial training. 

Dr. Les Moore was one of those unexpected gems that I hoped to find in this type of publication, as mentioned at the beginning of the article. He shows a number of exercises and drills, some of which I have never seen elsewhere, primarily coming from the catch-as-cath-can wrestling of yesteryear. There are some preparatory/conditioning exercises and then several grappling techniques and tactics taught that make this issue well worthy of your time and money.

Guess what? We have another "double trouble" issue with two guest instructors here, with Mark Hatmaker as the second one. His topic is one very dear to my heart - dealing with grounded aspect of a fight, which means when you are down and your opponent still standing. I am always curious about various asymmetrical scenarios of combat, and Hatmaker's  feature is excellent in this regard. He shows several solid approaches and responses to the challenges faced in this situation, and if your interest in grappling goes beyond the sport arena and with an eye toward the street-savvy solutions, this is a great place to learn something valuable. 

In his manner, Kautz shows us grappling options and applications of hubud-lubad, one of the bread and butter drills of FMA. He focuses on what is called lock-flow sequences, which is an interesting way to see how on the higher levels of combat the finality of some techniques may be a relative thing, depending on your training and preparation. From the standpoint of MMA and BJJ this will probably look unrealistic, but like before - it should be looked at from the developmental angle... Plus, adding a weapon to the equation may change your view about the practicality of the exercises. 

The issue #8 is one of my favorites, even though I really love the entire series. Probably because its subject is the one of Combative Drills & Skills. In my personal opinion, adequate drills are too often a missing phase between simple technique acquisition and sparring. In this DVD we are shown a few approaches to drills and exercises that should help in bridging this gap. Keating works on one of my pet topics - solo drills. In this chapter the developmental benefits mentioned earlier are really in the forefront. He demonstrates several drills done with a rope, unlike anything else I have seen. Now, for the best results, Keating's stuff requires you to put your thinking hat on and dig deep, in order to reap the fruits. Maybe, this clip will help you understand his approach a bit.

The guest instructor Ed Lawson teaches a couple of of muti-purpose and multi-layers drills from his Combat Escrima curriculum, inspired by the Pekiti Tirsia Kali, from what I was able to see. His presentation is really good, and if you are into FMA, you will probably like this portion of the DVD. 

Kautz shows a simplified path of learning the use of stick in fighting, via his Figure-8 Method. True to his conceptual approach, Kautz applies a progression of drills to demonstrate his material, and to me an even greater value lies in trying to utilize his method of teaching to other stuff you may be working on in our training. Still, even if you just stay on what he shows, you will be satisfied for having acquired a functional fighting skillset that is fairly easy to maintain. 

Now, since my buying this series of DVDs (and Mr. Kautz was so great that he threw in a set of Sharkee training knives that I still use regularly) there have been another three issues published (9 to 11), but for some reason I have never got them (that happens when family and children get into picture, lol). Although, obviously, I haven't seen those and cannot comment on the actual content, from the experience with the first eight issues, I feel comfortable recommending those as well. 

In the end, there is one more element of Kautz's work on this video magazine that shows what a class act he is. Namely, instead of using some random/generic royalty-free music for the opening and closing credits, he actually goes with music from the demo bands that he likes, and then gives them full credit and some exposure by including footage of their performances. 

Thank you sir Jim Keating and sir Pete Kautz for doing this awesome body of work!

Lucky draw

 As some of you may know I have been running a sort of intermittent series on the methods of knife use in self defense, according to the approach of reverse grip with edge-in configuration, aka RGEI. Since that first article that dealt with the WHYs of the whole thing, there have been a couple more about the HOWs. Obviously, I liked those quite a bit, but this time the focus is on the gentleman and his video that first got me aware of this characteristic mode of utilizing the tool at hand for the purposes of managing physical conflict.

The gentleman is the one and only James A. Keating, the founder and director of Comtech. To say that Mr. Keating is a progressive-minded practitioner of martial disciplines and combative methods would be a huge understatement, at the very least. I have been following his work for almost 25 years now (whoa, it even took me by surprise!), and his body of knowledge put to public never fails to be incredibly inspiring. I can't even begin to grasp his influence on the people who have had the opportunity to work with him in person. The sort of forward thinking in the relentless pursuit of ever broadening and deepening understanding of one's chosen field of study is always admirable, particularly when done in a such a comprehensive and non judgmental manner, as is the case here. 

It is no wonder then that he was the first (to my knowledge, anyway) to propagate the RGEI style of knife combat and present it in an excellent video instructional. The testimony to his being ahead of times is that it first came out on VHS! Now, this volume was/is available in two versions actually. My first exposure was via the tape distributed by the now defunct Paladin Press (ugh, I will never get over it), titled transparently as Reverse Grip Knife Fighting.

 

At issue is the same material as originally published by Keating himself, just with an additional intro that talks about the type of knives best suited for the method of work as taught in the video, and their availability. The instructional portion, however, is the same as in the case of Comtech production, titled Drawpoint, which is the moniker I normally use when referring to this system. 

The first thing that struck me here was the author's emphasis on the method of carry and deployment of the knife. It is safe to say that prior to that I had seen knife fighting as most other people do - a situation that somehow magically got to the point of facing an opponent with the blade already in and in a fighting stance, with no sense whatsoever about what had preceded it. And Keating does a great job explaining all the pertinent factors about this topic, while pointing out that in the close quarters combat, which is where the RGEI is primarily meant to be applied, the speed of reacting and drawing the weapon plays the main role. 

In line with the subtitle of the Drawpoint video, i.e. Knife Fighting Fundamentals, from the deployment we go to learning two basic strikes/offensive techniques (yes, just TWO), but they are worked in such a way that you will thorough understand the mechanics of delivery, footwork to make them doable, applications to make the functional across various situations...in other words, the honest work on integrating the tool and usage method, and fostering actual skill. 

But, it doesn't stop there! Remember how I mentioned the emphasis on deployment? Well, Keating goes into some innovative drills that should really hone both the speed, timing, perception and accuracy in drawing the blade and putting it to proper use in a self-protection scenario. And this is probably where the material truly shines, because although several other instructors have formulated their own take on the methods of RGEI use, none have gone anywhere near Keating's approach in terms of developing those attributes. 

As you have probably noted from the above picture, the Drawpoint system is presented in a set of three videos, but the second and third are concerned with the reverse grip EDGE-OUT configuration. For that reason, I decided not to review them here. That said, the first volume is really a standalone instructional package, and as such is sufficient in providing the necessary information that will take you a long way in search for the solutions to the problems commonly faced in the real world (think high percentage here), whether it is opposing humans or aggressive animals in similar predicaments. 

In conclusion, if you have somehow managed to let James Keating fly under your radar, this is a great way to get introduced to his (astonishing) body of work; if you know the man for his other stuff, this is an excellent to see him at his most straightforward combative mode.