James Loriega

Nowhere in Europe has the art of knife fighting been so nurtured as in the countries of the Mediterranean, and the country with the richest knife culture of all is Spain. In Seville, as throughout many parts of Spain, one can find training halls where edged-weapons combat is practiced today as it was 300 years ago. Just such a place was discovered by American ninjutsu master James Loriega when he toured Spain several years ago to conduct training semnars and demonstarate his martial arts skills.

At the Sevillian Steel School of Edged Weapons, situated on a cobblestone side street near Seville's famed Plaza de Espana, he met Don Santiago Riviera, a master of arms who teaches the centuries-old art of traditional Spanish blade-handling. Loriega, already an expert in Japanese and Filipino knife-fighting disciplines, soon began learning the art of Sevillian Steel-the term used to identify the weapons and fighting systems that originated and evolved in Andalusian Spain.

The blade most associated with the Spanish and the one used in the practice of Sevillian Steel is the navaja-an elegant, curved folding knife first developed during the 17th century-which has been carried and used by the rich and the not-so-rich alike. Navajas crossed the hands and drew the blood of countless people, both in and out of Spain.

Through step-by-step photos, rare historical illustrations, and colorful stories taken from seven summers at the Sevillian school, Loriega presents the strategies, tactics, techniques, and philosophies behind the three distinct styles of Sevillian Steel. He examines the passionate art of the Spanish navajero, providing insights into those who through the centuries used and relied upon the navaja as an everyday accoutrement: aristocrats, rogues, Gypsies, and ultimately the common folk. Throughout the book, he offers the reader glimpses of exotic places not found in any guidebook-places where martial arts ranks have no meaning, and no one bows before closing with you. This is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in knives, knife fighting, European martial arts, or Spanish culture.

Contents

Part I History and background
Chapter 1 Andalusia and the cradle of Mediterranean knife arts
Chapter 2 The knife of the common folk
Chapter 3 The Escuela Sevillana de Armas Blancas
Chapter 4 Navaja fundamentals
Part II Styles and tactics
Chapter 5 The Baratero style
Chapter 6 The Gitano style
Chapter 7 The Sivillano style
Chapter 8 Offensive techniques of the Navaja
Chapter 9 Defensive movements with the Navaja
Chapter 10 Finding flesh
Chapter 11 The woman's Navaja
Chapter 12 La Navaja Companera
Part III Knifeless and unarmed defenses
Chapter 13 Sevillian defense
Chapter 14 Scissors versus blade
Cahpter 15 Cloak versus dagger
Chapter 16 A Mano Limpia
Part IV Staying safe and selecting steel
Chapter 17 First aid and gypsy remedies
Chapter 18 Selecting your steel
Chapter 19 True to its name… (mehr)