Customer Reviews

Sevillian Steel: The Traditional Knife-Fighting Arts Of Spain

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Sevillian Steel is a fascinating and highly informative book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an introduction to the history, culture, lore, and basic techniques of the navaja.

That said, I feel that I must address the few negative reviews posted here (many anonymously), which seem to be born out of either extreme ignorance or some sort of concerted campaign to attempt to discredit Maestro Loriega (at least two of the one-star reviews on this page seem to be from the same person, posting under different names). In many cases, negative reviewers appear not to have read the book at all. In others, they seem to deliberately mislead and even twist history itself to suit their own needs.

For instance, "Pankratos," who claims to be from Spain, discounts the possibility of a surviving navaja tradition by sarcastically commenting that "oh, yes...and if you go to central park in new york and look beetwen trees you can find a native americans'community living as they do 328 years ago." Actually, many Native American traditions are still very much alive here, including music, dancing, pottery, cooking, weaving, religion, etc., as is readily apparent to anyone who has visited the western United States. In fact, such traditions can be found even at some of the ten Native American reservations that still exist in New York State.

As to the navaja, we need not look nearly so far into the past to document its survival. For instance, in "The Story of Seville," Walter Gallichan, who visited the city around 1903, describes the widespread use of the navaja among the criminal class, noting that "it is too often drawn [there] in street broils and for vendetta purposes." And in 1908, the Spanish government passed severe measures against navaja use, due to the fact that "cutting affrays were becoming increasingly common throughout the peninsula." (see N.Y. Times, 1/19/1908) This same article goes on to note that "every rowdy in town and country carried his knife, and, it would seem from police statistics, was ready to use it...the navaja constitutes a particularly dangerous weapon and the wounds inflicted with it are often fatal." During the same era, the navaja was also used in the United States by fencers such as Ella Hattan (popularly known as Jaguarina), who learned Spanish knife-fighting from her mother, a Spaniard (NY Times, 4/11/1897). Hattan was still living and practicing in New York City as late as 1906 (NY Times, 4/29/1906). Another American exponent of the Spanish knife was Colonel Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, who learned knife-fighting in Spain and continued to teach the art in the U.S. well into the 1940s, as evinced by his book "Do or Die" (1937, 1944), and two articles published in 1942 in the Kingston Daily Freeman and the American Mercury. Biddle, who had traveled throughout Spain (and whose son became the U.S. Ambassador to Spain), taught close combat to the U.S. Marine Corps and the FBI, and was considered "an authority on Cossack, Spanish and other knife techniques."

As to the critic's assertion that Sevillian knife schools "never existed," I refer you to the works of Theophile Gautier, who reported in 1853 that "The science of the navaja has its professors like fencing, and navaja teachers are as numerous in Andalusia as fencing masters in Paris." (p. 210) Or to "The Spanish Navaja and its Use in Spain" by Charles D'Avilier (1881), who describes how he "had the curiosity to take lessons from a professor [of fencing with the navaja], who disclosed the secrets of his science, aided by an ordinary cane in case of the bare blade." Or to the Travels of Samuel Parsons Scott, who noted in 1886 that "Defence with the navaja has been reduced to a science, which has its regular school of instruction. The teachers give lessons with wooden knives, and the most noted among them have their private strokes, which are kept secret for cases of emergency." The renowned fencing scholar Egerton Castle was also clearly aware of an existent navaja tradition, as he notes in his "Schools and Masters of the Fence" (1885) that "With the Spanish `navaja' and the South American `machete' most of the art depends on `timing.'" (p. 9)

The proof is there in print. The navaja is not some arcane weapon that became extinct around "328 years ago," but was, as can be absolutely proven, widespread in Spain as recently as 1908. It's rather silly to think that the navaja instantly died out after 1908, when it was known to have been so widespread. Is it far-fetched that a navaja tradition could have survived from this period (80 years, a single lifetime), among a nation of 46 million people, for Mr. Loriega to learn it (he asserts that he trained under the late Santiago Rivera during the 1990s)? I leave the reader to decide.

The criticism that Maestro Loriega's techniques resemble "recycled ninjitsu" is especially bizarre, given that one can find obvious parallels in his navaja techniques to those in historical European fencing, such as the inquartata and passata soto (see the cuadrada and passada baja, described and photographed on pages 79-83 of "Sevillian Steel."). This goes for Maestro Loriega's system, as well as navaja techniques shown in period sources such as the "Manual del Baratero" and the article "Duel With Knives" published in the Chicago Daily Tribune (12/10/1893). In fact the authenticity of Loriega's system can be attested to by these and other lesser known period sources.

It is difficult to believe that Loriega's renowned colleagues and collaborators such as James Keating, Colonel Dwight McLemore, Pete Kautz, Maestro Paul Macdonald, and Maestro Ramon Martinez (all luminaries of the western martial arts) have the wool pulled over their eyes, whereas the naysayers here (most of whom do not have the courage to post their actual names) are somehow "in the know."

Frankly, neither am I inclined to trust the judgment of the critics on this page who have evinced themselves to be so ignorant of Spanish history and martial culture.

Instead, I am more inclined to trust the judgment of Maestro Loriega, whose navaja technique I have studied and witnessed in two separate seminars. Having years of experience training in martial arts such as Krav Maga, western boxing, Filipino Arnis, and classical/historical fencing under notable masters, I can attest to the fact that Maestro Loriega's techniques are "the real deal."

NOTE: I have individually commented on the most misleading one-star reviews on this page, citing specific evidence to debunk erroneous criticism. Click on the "comments" noted at the bottom of those reviews to see my rebuttals.

If your intent is to read a knife fighting manual for self defense purposes then do not read this book. Mr. Loriega does an excellent job at describing the history of the spanish fighting arts and he obviously knows a fair amount about spanish culture. Sadly the book comes up short when it comes to demonstrating knife fighting techniques as the few techniques that are shown are very basic and can be found in most self-defense manuals. Read this book if you are a spanish history buff, but not if you are interested in using a knife for self defense.

This book attempts to teach authentic Spanish knife fighting, but it is more anecdotal stories than actual technique.

The little technique that is shown is more or less authentic, but is far from complete or representative of this style of combat. Manual del Baratero(1849) says more in 54 pages on this subject than Sevillian Steel says in 170.

There is no evidence whatsoever to support that this technique was used three hundred years ago. While navajas certainly existed in that time, no manuals on their use during the 17th century survive. Which isn't to say they didn't know how to fight back then, just that since we have no documentation of how they fought with navajas back then, we can't comment on it or make claims of such a long lineage.

This book also doesn't teach the jiros or contrajiros which form the base of this style's offensive and defensive footwork.

George Silver's Paradoxes of Defense is brought up in one chapter, actualy about the gitano, or Gypsy, style of knife fighting, which is very odd considering that Silver didn't say anything about navajas or Gypsies, only had a few short paragraphs to say on knives in general, held all schools of rapier(including Spanish) in low regard(indeed, that's what he wrote Paradoxes of Defense about) and on top of that Silver was a 16th century Englishman.

The author has obviously read Manual del Baratero, so I can't understand why he would withhold so much relevant technique that is essential to understanding this art, unless he considers it "botta secreta".

In short, if you truly wish to learn Spanish knife fighting skills, you are better served by reading the original 19th century Manual del Baratero, which presents a more complete and sophisticated system, one that is wholey historicaly accurate being that it is itself a historical document, and it provides cultural insight on the society that developed these techniques.

The book is written by the translator of the "Manual del baratero". It seems to be mainly based on this last one and explains the technics of the Spanish fighting art with the knife. This comes with a very interesting study of the historical and socio-cultural context: different styles of fighting, styles of navajas, caring the arms, woman'knife, etc. A very complete book.

While delving deep into training European martial arts, I found this book great to describe the culture, atmosphere and techniques concerning Spanish knife fighting. I think it's a great addition to any martial artist's collection.

James Loriega has created a very interesting and fascinating book that not only illuminates the art of the navaja but Spanish Culture also. The section on the Salva Virgo (Virginity Saver) carried by many Spanish Women was particularly informative. We must remember that during the centuries Mr. Loriega writes of there was no 911.

Regarding the techniques presented; I would have to remind the other reviewers that Mr. Loriega's stated intentions (read HIS description in Editorial Comments) was not to write JUST another knife fighting book but to also do justice to the historical and cultural aspects of the navaja and its use. This he most certainly accomplished.

I for one do not wish to become a knife brandishing thug. The reason I purchased this book was to better understand the Spanish Painter Goya (who lived during the time of the navajero) and this book did that. To me Mr. Loriega, in this work at least, typifies the martial artist at his best; one able and willing to defend oneself but also interested in the deeper and life enriching aspects of the arts.

*** On Edit, seven years later. Given what I've heard and read regarding the author and his prior associations (Ronald Duncan, etc.), I can no longer personally recommend this book.

I'll admit I was a bit skeptical going into this book after learning that Mr. Loriega was a student of Ronald Duncan, who's generally regarded as a rather... controversial... figure in the martial arts communty. However, I figured that so long as there is historical documentation to back up the information in the book, it may make a good addition to my library. Unfortunately, the book does indeed suffer from a rather glaring credibility gap.

As stated in other reviews, the few techniques shown are taken from the 1849 "Manual del Baratero". In addition to this, descriptions of Spanish "knife culture" are provided from contemporary travel guides penned by French and English authors. However, beyond that, most of the information is solely derived from the late Maestro Don Santiago Rivera. We are expected to accept without question bold statements about the superiority of the "Sevillian School" of knife fighting over all other Spanish methods, and by extension (according to Mr. Loriega's recknoning), all other Mediterranean styles of knifeplay. This "My kung fu is better than your kung fu" attitude is prevalent in the book, though most writers and practitioners of European martial arts take pains to avoid such chest-beating.

The other reviews also mention that the book is full of anecdotes, and as I was expecting these to be historical accounts of navaja encounters (we have volumes of such things regarding swordplay), I was again disappointed. Rather, we are treated to numerous stories from the author's time training in Seville, which to be perfectly honest, sound like they've been taken from various "Zorro" movies.

Sadly, in order to verify any of this, one would have to fly to Seville, and even this would be a shot in the dark, as the author provides no contact information for the Escuela Sevillana de Armas Biancas, or any other knife school in Spain.

These major issues aside, there are a couple of other curiosities thrown into the mix. One is a short discussion on the relationship between knife fighting and sex. Another is a fictional (and historically inaccurate) story set in the mid-15th century of a Moor, a Gypsy, and Courtier discussing the merits of their various weapons (scimitar, razor blade, and rapier, respectively) and deciding to combine them into what would become the navaja. Mr. Loriega also includes a story of himself being rude to a shopkeeper in Nice, France.

In the end, it would be best to skip over this book and purchase Mr. Loriegas translation of the "Manual del Baratero" instead (provided you ignore the translator's rather smug remarks on the inferiority of previous translations). My favorite line of the book? "Even the deadliest .357 Magnum is less than worthless in the hands of child who cannot hold it to fire." Hurray for gun safety!

if you want to buy this book it's your chioce, but you have to knwo first that the "Sevillian school of edge weapons" is near the bus stop to Kripton...it has NEVER existed. i know what i said becouse ***i've been living in seville more than 12 years...***

it's said on the back cover of the book:"in seville, as troughout many parts of spain, one can find training halls where
edge-weapons combats is practiced today as it was 300 years ago"

oh, yes...and if you go to central park in new york and look beetwen trees you can find a native americans'community living as they do 328 years ago...

i don't know why loriega decided to create the fantasy about sevillian steel, perhaps he needed an exotic title for his book.

if you want to buy this book, it's your money and you can do whattever you want whit it. the book can have interesting techniques but as it's said in spain "te dan gato por liebre" (literally: they give you a cat instead of a rabbit)

This book has special relevance because the Filipino martial arts have one root in the West, but it is not often clear what that really means. Within the Filipino arts there are many terms that come from Spanish, and this book sheds light on the original meaning of these terms. James brings the past up to the present, showing how the blade is woven into the fabric of daily life. This is not a book for those interested in a technical teaching approach, but for those who have some understanding and appreciation for skills for surviving this sort of bloody and dangerous encounter.

Sevillian Steel is not just a good book, it's a great book. It is an excellent book for both novice and expert bladesmen. Just as children and adults used to watch Rocky and Bullwinkle with a "different eye," so can the beginner and advanced enthusiast benefit from this book. I like the techniques, I like Loriega's writing style, I like his sense of humor, and I like his attitude toward combat in general. Reading between the lines, it's pretty clear that he doesn't have any more patience with the "pretty stuff" which doesn't work in the real world than I do. There is no nonsense (spell nonsense "BS") in this book.