The 8th Annual International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention Hosted by Art of Combat inc. & New Dawn Duellists Society July 12 - 15, 2007

Home

●

Registration

●

Schedule

●

Updates

●

Hotel Information

●

Scholarship

●

Contact Us

Master Class:

The American Bowie Knife

Advanced Techniques

ROOM: T.B.A.

INSTRUCTOR: Col. Dwight C. McLemore

DESCRIPTION: 1. The Enigma of the Bowie Knife There are many different theories about the history of James Bowie and the Bowie knife. Whether it is the design of the blade, the fighting techniques, or the historical exploits of the man himself, all are the product of almost two centuries of fanciful, creative storytelling by journalists and historians. The Bowie knife is an enigma. The mere mention of it conjures up visions of the violent world that was 19th Century America. From 1828 through the Civil War, the 'Bowie knife craze' swept the nation and the knife took on a life of it’s own. Bowies of all shapes and sizes flooded the country. Frontiersmen, pirates, lawyers, fencing masters and congressman alike favored the deadly knife as a backup weapon. The designs range from the Mediterranean dirk, to the Spanish dagger to simple, wide-bladed butcher knives. Any research into Bowie knife fighting methods must begin with the colonization patterns of America. The English, French, Dutch, German, and Spanish settlers used the continent's major waterways to colonize, and into these areas they disseminated the fighting methods they brought with them from their homelands. My research into Bowie knife fighting led me back as far as the early 16th Century to see basically what weapons came with the early settlers. From 1650-1780s I found indications that fighting methods were being modified to fit the unique environment of the American continent. The dense forests and limitations of the single-shot firearm called for shorter backup weapons that could be put into play quickly. The military fighting methods of the Old World formed the basis for the knife fighting methods seen in the 1800s: 18th Century saber and backsword drills, small-sword methods of fencing, and the dagger work from the Renaissance, all being passed by word of mouth as one generation taught them to another. Fighting with large 'Bowie-like' knives in 18th and 19th Century America generally took the form of explosive, rough-and-tumble engagements with the combatants employing their weapons spontaneously. Although there are few documented historical accounts the weapons may have also been used in an occasional duel-like scenarios where there were some initial 'squaring off' prior to closing to hand-to-hand range. As you consider taking this class, please keep in mind that there are no authentic Bowie knife experts. We martial artists exploring this field can only give you 'our take' on how to employ this big knife. All of us have ideas and opinions that are as diverse as our 19th century counterparts. As their descendants, we are still passing on what we have learned to the next generation. You see, the Bowie knife craze never really ended. It continues today as we continue to explore the paradoxes of the deadly myth called the Bowie knife. 2. Resource In early 2006 Paladin Press published the companion text to my Bowie and Big-Knife Fighting System, written back in 2003. It was sort of a 'graduate level course' on using the Bowie knife in a combative situation and was titled Advanced Bowie Techniques. The manual contained more complicated drill and engagement scenarios for attack and defense against single or multiple opponents. For all practical purposes this is the lesson plan for this class. The primary training mechanism is a series of engagement sets that combine advanced techniques with conceptual aspects of time/distance and body motions associated with offensive and defensive fighting methods. Basically, I combined many of the techniques in the 2003 publication into sequences that create openings for offense and defense. Although not a requirement, this text will be helpful to anyone attending this class. Both books will be available for sale during the class. 3. Who May Attend This Class Don’t let the title 'Master Class' deter you! Anyone that comes with a good positive approach to learning is welcome. You’ll need a minimum of martial arts experience in some Asian or Western discipline, but specialized knife fighting is not a requirement. The class is specifically tailored to those that have not worked extensively with knife or dagger. If you are one of those whose ego demands that you constantly prove yourself and use seminars as a vehicle to show everyone how much knowledge you have, you should not attend. 4. Equipment Required Eye, hand, forearm, and groin protection. Wooden training weapons will be provided. There will be some light contact sparring, so if you have special protective needs please bring the appropriate equipment. 5. Class Outline A. Introduction to Bowie Basics 30 minutes B. Putting the Bowie into Action 30 minutes C. Engagement Sets 1 through 3: Defeating the snap cut and follow-on thrusts. 30 minutes D. Engagement Sets 4 through 6: Disruption attacks and follow-on. 30 minutes E. Engagement Sets 7 through 12: Parry, pass, pin and push. 30 minutes F. Engagement Sets 13 through 15: Hand-on-hand, power assist, hand change, back cuts, and multiple opponents. 30 minutes Total Class Time: 3 hours.