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Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - Sevillian Steel: The Traditional Knife-Fighting Arts Of Spain
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List Price: $20.00
Our Price: $15.60
Your Save: $ 4.40 ( 22% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 946
EAN: 9781581600391
ISBN: 1581600399
Label: Paladin Press
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 184
Publication Date: 1999-09
Publisher: Paladin Press
Studio: Paladin Press
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Editorial Reviews:
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Spain's rich hisory of blade-handling comes alive through photos, rare historical illustrations and colorful stories from American ninjutsu master James Loriega. He presents the secrets of the three distinct styles of Eveillian Steel - this book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in knives, knife-fighting, European martial arts or Spanish culture.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Recycled Ninjitsu
Comment: This book is pure fantasy. I've talked to people from Sevillian fencing schools who say it just doesn't exist. The book has many geographic inaccuracies. The author has invented an imaginary world that he could be the sole expert on. There's a few photos of techniques but it's just fancy recycled ninjitsu moves.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting if true, but....
Comment: 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!
Customer Rating:
Summary: The History and Lore of the Navaja
Comment: This book is the prime English-language source for information on the history and use of the Spanish navaja. Although not intended as a technical manual, Sevillian Steel nonetheless provides insights on how this particular edged weapon was used in times when every man, and many women, carried one.
Of greater significance is the history and lore it provides on the Andalusian culture and the significance of the navaja within that culture. The novice knife enthusiast will yearn to learn more of the methods touched upon in the book; the veteran enthusiast will yearn to travel to Spain to experience the sources of those methods first-hand. Whatever category you fall into, throw a Flamenco CD on the player, pour yourself a glass of Rioja, and sit back and enjoy the book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: a fake
Comment: 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)
Customer Rating:
Summary: NAVAJA!!!
Comment: This was a great book. It is not, however, to be considered an introductory text. Mister Loriega discusses the history of the navaja fighting knife in great detail -- of course, certain aspects of the history are unknown, but he does the best that he can. The navaja, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is a large folding knife with a clasp lock which was popular with Spaniards, Gypsies, and sailors. It often is seen with a recurved blade that has a pronounced clip point. Usuually the craftsmanship is excellent, resulting in a work of art that cuts. The finest modernized version of the navaja (in my humble opinion) is the "Vaquero Grande" produced by Cold Steel, which can be snapped open with one hand to reveal a fully serrated edge.This book is divided into a number of sections. According to Loriega, traditional training in the art of the navaja comes in three distinct levels: streetfighting, sneaky tricks, and mastery. He then gives numerous examples of technique from each level. Good advice on knife selection and concealed carry. Also includes knife defense methods utilizing the cape (jacket) and cane -- as well as details as to the lost Gypsy art of THROWING SCISSORS! Although the methodology is fairly specialized, this is one of the finest knifefighting texts I've seen in a long time.
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