Raven Arts Institute of Sevillian Steel
A Training Hall for Edged Weapons
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Workshops |
James Loriega and instructors from the Raven Arts Institute will be conducting multiple workshops at the 7th Annual International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC) in Lansing, Michigan from August 3 to August 6, 2006. Our training sessions include:
There will also be a knife-fighting tournament open to all styles. To register for any of the above, or to obtain more information, visit: www.artofcombat.org Past Events A review of James Loriega’s Navaja Workshop by Chris Harvey 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 barateros, 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!
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