Knife & Sword Fighting M-Z: Books, Videos

If you've ever wanted to learn how to throw a knife, axe or tomahawk, here's your chance. With the help of ultra-slow-motion photography and computer animation, knife expert Michael D. Janich teaches you the secrets of weapon balance, spin and throwing distance and shows you how to apply them to accurately throw and consistently stick knives, tomahawks, axes and a variety of other purpose-designed throwing weapons. Janich demonstrates both blade and handle throwing methods and shows you the intricacies of half-spin, full-spin, one-and-a-half, and double-spin throws. He then teaches you how to apply these same principles to common, everyday objects to turn scissors, screwdrivers, chisels, tire irons and even ballpoint pens into potent improvised throwing weapons. This is the most complete instructional video on weapon throwing ever produced and the only video to realistically address the use of throwing weapons in self-defense situations. For academic study only.

Michael D. Janich is one of the foremost modern authorities on handgun point shooting and one of the few contemporary instructors to have personally trained with the late close-combat legend Col. Rex Applegate. In addition to making his own martial arts equipment, noted martial arts author and instructor Michael Janich has designed and engineered everything from blowguns to knives, including the highly acclaimed Masters of Defense Tempest folding knife.
$19.95
DVD-R 805966 046433 60 minutes

First published anonymously in 1849 in Madrid, Manual del Baratero has the distinction of being the oldest manual on Spanish knife fighting ever published and is the only known historical text on the subject. The often-cited, rare Spanish manual has long been surrounded by an aura of mystery and intrigue among aficionados of the knife-fighting arts. Now presented in both English and Spanish for the first time, this annotated translation provides a window to the methods of knife fighting practiced by the working class, the criminal class and the Gypsies in 19th century Spain. With original drawings supplemented by illustrations of the period by noted artists José Luís Pellicer and Gustave Doré, it offers a revealing glimpse into the ways in which armas blancas cortas, or small edged weapons, were used on the dark and grimy cobblestone streets of the Spanish underworld.
$20.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-471-9 174 pages 5.5" x 8.5" illustrations

What skills and tactics give you the best chance of effectively defending yourself with a knife? If you had only limited training time and resources to develop your knife skills, what would you practice? In this amazing video, Michael Janich answers these questions with an incredible crash course in his system of Martial Blade Concepts (MBC). Janich begins by graphically demonstrating what small knives can actually cut and teaches you exactly how and where you must cut an attacker to stop him effectively. He then explains the critical concepts of fighting with a knife and leads you step-by-step through the best "go to" moves of his MBC curriculum. Finally, he teaches you how to connect these techniques into high-speed training drills that will quickly hone your reflexes to a razor's edge. For information purposes only.

Michael D. Janich is one of the foremost modern authorities on handgun point shooting and one of the few contemporary instructors to have personally trained with the late close-combat legend Col. Rex Applegate. In addition to making his own martial arts equipment, noted martial arts author and instructor Michael Janich has designed and engineered everything from blowguns to knives, including the highly acclaimed Masters of Defense Tempest folding knife.
$29.95
DVD-R 805966 057430 60 minutes

Written by one of the world's foremost authorities on martial arts and weaponcraft, Master of the Blade is an instructional manual on the realistic use of the knife in self-defense. Based on the Tactical Edged Weapons System of Richard Ryan's Dynamic Combat Method, it offers priceless insights into a world shrouded in mystery, hype and mystique, and dispels common myths about knife fighting. Ryan covers the various types of blades and how to choose one that's right for you; knife fighting stances, grips, targets, striking patterns and types of cuts; the basics of defense and counterattack; blade tactics and strategies against different types of weapons and attackers; deadly mistakes such as overcommitment and hesitation; dealing with fear and the importance of mind-set; carry methods and tactical concealment; and realistic training methods.

Master of the Blade explores the deadly art of knife fighting in a refreshing and often humorous manner, presenting the stark realities of knife fighting in a way we can all understand and digest. The old adage "don't bring a knife to a gunfight" won't have the same meaning for you once you've read this book. For academic study only.
$23.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-564-8 174 pages 8.5" x 11" photos, illust.

Drawing on the lessons of the first Fighting Folders volumes, Michael D. Janich integrates never-never-before-seen instruction in pentjak silat footwork and throwing technique with all the skills of the other Fighting Folders videos to create an unstoppable edged-weapon fighting system. In this video, Michael Janich shows you how to adapt standard-grip knife skills to the body dynamics of reverse grip, presents step-by-step instructions in his combat-oriented variations of the classic Filipino reverse-grip training drills and teaches you how to extract the appropriate skills from each of these drills so you can reflexively respond with the most effective technique in a defensive situation and more. For information purposes only.

Michael D. Janich is one of the foremost modern authorities on handgun point shooting and one of the few contemporary instructors to have personally trained with the late close-combat legend Col. Rex Applegate. In addition to making his own martial arts equipment, noted martial arts author and instructor Michael Janich has designed and engineered everything from blowguns to knives, including the highly acclaimed Masters of Defense Tempest folding knife.
$69.95
DVD-R 805966 032139 150 minutes 2-Disc Set

Completely revised and updated using state-of-the-art digital equipment, multiple camera angles and crystal-clear slow-motion, this groundbreaking video production featuring balisong master Michael D. Janich will teach you an impressive array of balisong techniques, ranging from the simplest of openings to the actual deployment of the butterfly knife in combat. Whether you are a simple hobbyist or an experienced knife fighter, this video will open your eyes to what the balisong knife can do for you.

Michael D. Janich is one of the foremost modern authorities on handgun point shooting and one of the few contemporary instructors to have personally trained with the late close-combat legend Col. Rex Applegate. In addition to making his own martial arts equipment, noted martial arts author and instructor Michael Janich has designed and engineered everything from blowguns to knives, including the highly acclaimed Masters of Defense Tempest folding knife.
$39.95
DVD-R 805966 038636 115 minutes

First published in 1948, Modern Fencing was used to train generations of fencing students at the U.S. Naval Academy. It is unique among fencing manuals because it contains lessons in all three weapons - the foil, ´pée and sabre - rather than just one. Though long out of print, Modern Fencing is still considered one of the best fencing manuals ever written and is often cited by modern fencing masters for its concise lessons and excellent photos. Don't miss this opportunity to own this classic military fencing manual.
$35.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-456-6 312 pages 8.5" x 11" photos

By combining his mastery of the Fillipino and Indonesian martial arts, Datu Kelly S. Worden has developed a devastatingly effective method of knife fighting.

In Volume 1, Worden reveals his secrets of blade handling, the eight angles of attack, footwork and mobility, the use of the "live" hand and combining cutting and thrusting actions to devastate your attacker.

In Volume 2, Worden teaches you the grim realities of using a knife for personal defense. He also reveals the secrets of using training dummies to perfect your technique, advanced live blade training methods, reverse-grip knife fighting instruction, as well as interviews with people who have witnessed the deadly effects of the knife firsthand. For academic study only.

Kelly S. Worden is the founder of Natural Spirit International and Renegade Jeet Kune Do and is one of the most innovative minds in the martial arts world today.
$29.95
DVD-R 805966 018836 150 minutes

It has been said that "without the knife, there is no silat." What this means is that the techniques of Indonesian knife fighting are in fact the backbone of the art of pentjak silat and the secret of its deadly effectiveness. Unfortunately, the connection between the silat blade art and its empty-hand application has never been clearly explained – until now. In this groundbreaking Paladin video production, silat expert Steve Gartin reveals the secrets of Indonesian knife fighting and shows you why the blade and empty-hand forms of the art are actually one. Gartin also demonstrates for the first time the little-known techniques of kuntao knife fighting and shows you how to make the techniques of this lethal unarmed fighting art even more deadly by applying them with a knife. This video is a fascinating exploration of the roots of the Indonesian martial arts and the awesome effectiveness of the knife in personal combat. For informational purposes only.
$19.95
DVD-R 805966 052533 60 minutes

Here American ninjutsu master James Loriega presents the secrets of the three distinct styles of Sevillian Steel, the term for the weapons and fighting systems that originated and evolved in Andalusian Spain. His focus here is on the blade most associated with Spain and the one used in the practice of Sevillian Steel: the navaja – an elegant folding knife that took its classic shape in the 17th century. Through photos, rare historical illustrations and colorful stories, Spain's rich history of blade-handling comes alive in this book, making it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in knives, knife-fighting, European martial arts or Spanish culture.
$20.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-039-1 182 pages 8.5" x 5.5" photos, illust.

NEW! In this video, Doce Pares Eskrima Grandmaster Christopher J. Petrilli takes the highly evolved skill set he demonstrated in the best-selling videos Crashing the Lines and Cutting the Lines in a brutal new direction: knife fighting. The foundation is a blade form that merges slashes, stabs, cuts, and throws into a lethal flow of combat effectiveness. Taking the form piece by piece, Grandmaster Petrilli teaches the principles behind each motion and movement, showing a myriad of applications that can be used both offensively and defensively. The material can be applied to any length of blade, from close-range sword and machete techniques to lightning-fast dagger thrusts and cuts. Expanding the curriculum further, he also teaches stick and empty-hand applications, making you almost unbeatable in close-quarter combat. Whether you are armed or unarmed, facing an opponent bearing a knife or stick, this video will teach you a fighting system you can't afford to be without. For information purposes only.
$49.95
DVD-R 805966 062631 210 minutes 2-Disc Set

Nobody in his right mind wants to get into a knife fight. But when you're faced with a lethal force situation and the only weapon you have is your trusty folder, you have to know how to use it. In this no-holds-barred video production from Paladin Press, master martial scientist Joseph Simonet has taken his street-proven Argument of Movement form and made it even more effective by adding the blade.

Simonet's combination of in-your-face intensity and grim pragmatism shows you the true seriousness of fighting with a knife and how, if you want to survive, you can't just fight: you must act with skilled, lethal determination. This isn't an adaptation of previous material, but an evolution of combative technique that combines rhythm disruption, use of both edge and point, striking with the handle, vicious takedowns and pain compliance into a knife combat system suitable for any encounter requiring the use of deadly force with a blade. Don't think that just owning a knife makes you competent in its combat use: you have to train, and train properly. This video teaches you how to do that. For information purposes only.
$49.95
DVD-R 805966 054933 95 minutes

This is the classic book on knife fighting from one of the world's foremost experts. From it, you will learn all the facets of the art: assassination methods, history and development of knife design and in-depth reviews of the techniques perfected by Fairbairn, Biddle, Applegate and others. Rare photos and never-before-published information on Oriental techniques.
$25.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-029-9 134 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos, illust.

In the latest addition to his Fighting Weapons series, Dwight McLemore does for the staff what he did earlier for the Bowie, tomahawk, and sword. The Fighting Staff is a modern illustrated guide to using one of man's oldest weapons. In keeping with his philosophy on fighting weapons, in this workbook McLemore does not attempt to duplicate methods from a specific period in the past. Rather, he offers an eclectic approach that borrows the most effective techniques from Asian and European martial arts throughout history. The Fighting Staff covers such essentials as footwork, grip, strikes, thrusts, blocks, and targeting. But its real value lies in the fighting concepts imparted, which serve as a language for advanced training. As always, your martial arts training is greatly enhanced by McLemore's beautifully executed drawings that take you step-by-step through 25 fighting drills for the martial arts staff. His use of frontal, side and overhead views, as well as his unique "floating staff" perspective, allows you to truly see how your actions correlate with those of your training partner (or opponent), as well as how and where your weapon moves. The training techniques taught in this book are not limited to the staff. They can also be used effectively with other weapons.

Dwight C. McLemore is a retired combat arms officer with the U.S. Army and is an accomplished bladesman and instructor. He is renowned for his vast knowledge of Bowie and big-knife fighting and has more than 18 years of experience in self-defense and martial arts. The founder of the School of Two Swords, McLemore is rated expert level with the American Knife Congress, is certified in kung fu, and holds 1st dan in kendo.
$35.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-714-7 234 pages 8.5" x 11" illustrations

The second in Dwight McLemore's Fighting Weapons series, The Fighting Sword began as a way for the author to chronicle his experience of commissioning a custom-made sword and then designing a training program to use with it. As he developed the sword-fighting concepts, techniques and combat scenarios for use with his sword, however, he realized that they could be adapted and used by anyone with a sword.

McLemore brings the fighting sword to life with his unique style of dynamic drawing, seen also in his books on the Bowie knife and in The Fighting Tomahawk. First he gives a crash course in how to balance form and function in a sword and then focuses on tactical techniques and concepts. He teaches you how to train for a confrontation by using visualization and training partners, as well as how to instantly and accurately evaluate an opponent, his weapon, the terrain and environment, and your advantages or disadvantages in various combat scenarios. Following his precise instructions and skillfully rendered illustrations, you will learn how to master cuts, thrusts, blocks and parries, which you can then use for the more advanced techniques of disruption, working the inner circle and single-hand use.

When it comes to fighting weapons, there is no better instructor than Dwight McLemore.

Dwight C. McLemore is a retired combat arms officer with the U.S. Army and is an accomplished bladesman and instructor. He is renowned for his vast knowledge of Bowie and big-knife fighting and has more than 18 years of experience in self-defense and martial arts. The owner of the School of Two Swords, McLemore is rated expert level with the American Knife Congress, is certified in kung fu and holds 1st dan in kendo.
$39.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-660-7 266 pages 8.5" x 11" illustrations

The low-tech, high-impact tomahawk has been carried by American soldiers in every conflict since the Revolutionary War. The same versatility and effectiveness that endeared the multipurpose tomahawk to frontiersmen and Native Americans also make it a valuable addition to the arsenal of modern combatants. It saw service in Vietnam, and it is currently being used by Special Forces members in Afghanistan and Iraq, including U.S. Navy SEALs and Army Rangers, for everything from engaging enemies to digging foxholes to opening ammo containers.

In The Fighting Tomahawk, Dwight McLemore traces the origins of the tomahawk and the fighting techniques that make it so brutally effective. Then, just as he did for the Bowie knife in The Bowie and Big-Knife Fighting System, McLemore utilizes his dynamic drawings to show how the tomahawk can be used singly or in combination with the long knife to win in both single- and multiple-opponent engagements. The illustrations depict offensive and defensive uses of the tomahawk and long knife, including the chop, cut, rake, deflection, intercepting punch, circular catch and pull, stab and more.

McLemore's home-study package for the tomahawk also includes step-by-step fighting scenarios, solo and two-person training schedules, instruction in throwing the tomahawk and applications of the war club.

Dwight C. McLemore is a retired combat arms officer with the U.S. Army and is an accomplished bladesman and instructor. He is renowned for his vast knowledge of Bowie and big-knife fighting and has more than 18 years of experience in self-defense and martial arts. The owner of the School of Two Swords, McLemore is rated expert level with the American Knife Congress, is certified in kung fu and holds 1st dan in kendo.
$39.95
Softcover 978-1-58160-441-2 296 pages 11" x 8.5" illustrations

A uniquely American weapon, the tomahawk has been used in warfare from 18th century colonial skirmishes to the modern battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. In this groundbreaking video, veteran Dwight McLemore has taken the painstaking research that made his book The Fighting Tomahawk such a best-seller and adapted it to video, showing not only how the tomahawk was used during the Colonial era, but also how it can be used as an almost unbeatable self-defense tool today.

In addition to the hard-and-fast tactics of tomahawk fighting, McLemore takes you through the history of the weapon and its evolution from the ball-headed war club that made the American Indians such feared hand-to-hand fighters to the razor-sharp field axe and beyond. The fighting techniques taught include learning basic grips and angles, mastering footwork that will always put you at the most advantageous position to attack, striking at close range, combining cutting and chopping, surprising your opponent with low-line kicks, and much more. He also includes dangerous live-blade work, sparring, and throwing of the weapon to give you the combat skills any frontiersman would have.

The pioneers didn't bother with martial arts dogma, and neither should you – let this video teach you how to fight like a true American warrior. For information purposes only.
$59.95
DVD-R 805966 062136 250 minutes 3-Disc Set

A knife in the hands of a skilled fighter is one of the most devastatingly effective self-defense weapons known to man. In this video, Filipino martial arts master Bram Frank takes you step-by-step through the process of learning and mastering street-realistic edged weapons skills. Get the edge you need to survive in today's violent world. For information purposes only.
$19.95
DVD-R 805966 054339 105 minutes

Here is a complete training program designed to help the aspiring sword fighter become proficient with his weapon of choice and truly dangerous to an adversary. Covers mental conditioning, air-cutting drills, slow-motion and exaggerated-range-of-motion practice, extra-heavy sword drills, isometric and resistance training, point-sensitivity drills, aggressiveness and power training, speed and accuracy drills and more.

Fred Hutchinson is an avid martial artist who focuses on practical, systematic training in traditional combat methods for use in effective modern self-defense.
$22.00
Softcover 978-0-87364-995-7 78 pages 8.5" x 11" illustrations

When you find yourself facing an opponent armed with a bad attitude and a knife, your only hope for survival is a solid grounding in realistic knife tactics and the fighting spirit necessary to make them work. In this groundbreaking video, JKD expert Joe Maffei rips away the myths of knife combat and shows you how to combine technique, physical attributes and attitude into the ultimate edged-weapon system. Featuring graphic footage shot on location in back alleys, swamps and prison cells, it shows you what it's really like to fight with and against edged weapons and why many commonly taught techniques can get you killed on the street. It also reveals how Maffei integrated his Brazilian jiu-jitsu training (learned directly from Rickson Gracie) with edged-weapons tactics to create a revolutionary knife-grappling system that has previously been taught only to his private students and the U.S. Army Special Forces. For information purposes only.
$19.95
DVD-R 805966 056333 60 minutes

For centuries soldiers and woodsmen have armed themselves with the tomahawk, and for good reason. Its design is simple but extremely effective at both close and throwing ranges; it does double duty as a close-quarters weapon and a field tool, great for dispatching attackers and busting through doors; and it is durable, easily repaired and readily available without a permit or license. Tomahawks: Traditional to Tactical traces the evolution of the tomahawk as a tactical weapon. Though author David Grant examines historical and traditional designs, his primary focus is on the tactical tomahawks of today.

Grant uses his firsthand knowledge of hawks to analyze the contributions of tactical pioneer Peter LaGana, creator of the legendary Vietnam Tomahawk, as well as those of the best modern masters, including Wally Hayes, J. Neilson, Daniel Winkler and Kevin McClung, among others. Dozens of photographs showcase an amazing variety of tomahawk styles, including those offerings from American Tomahawk Company, Bear Mountain Tomahawks, Graham Brothers Knives, Ranger Knives and RMJ Forge. An instructive chapter on choosing the best tomahawk for your needs and contact information for designers and manufacturers round out this indispensable guide to the modern tactical tomahawk.

David Grant is an avid researcher and collector of handheld weapons. He is the author of Knuckle Dusters and Knuckle Knives.
$15.00
Softcover 978-1-58160-608-9 150 pages 5.5" x 8.5" photos

Packed with bleeding-edge military knife techniques designed for real-life combat in the most hazardous situations imaginable, this hard-core video production from Paladin Press brings you Datu Kelly S. Worden's knife-fighting program, originally taught only to U.S. Special Forces troops. Utilizing principles of instinctive movement, instantaneous counterattack and simple arcs and thrusts, Worden focuses on the nitty-gritty of knife fighting, not martial arts dancing useful only in the dojo. Shot on location in one of the most dangerous urban neighborhoods in Washington state, this video will teach you how to maintain your footing in places you're most likely to wind up in a real fight for your life, as well as how to use your environment to put your attacker at grave disadvantage. Worden also teaches control methods with the knife as less-lethal options for defense, as well as one- and two-man restraining techniques previously taught only to military personnel. Then, taking what you've learned with the blade to empty hand, he shows you how to crank up the intensity into the red zone, demonstrating how to disarm a determined attacker and keep him from getting back up again. For information purposes only.
$29.95
DVD-R 805966 052038 85 minutes