Mastering Bowie Knife Combatives

The American Bowie Knife is one of the most iconic and deadly knives in human history. Serving double-duty as both heavy duty utility knife and indispensable side-arm of American Frontiersmen, the Bowie Knife has been immortalized and reinvented through generations of American innovation and adventure. The Vidalia Sandbar Duel, the Alamo, WWII Ka-Bars and Randall Knives, novelized in the Iron Mistress novels, and through the pioneering works of Bill Bagwell, the Bowie is alive and thriving ever since Americans in the 1800’s would ask their local knife-makers to “make me a knife like Jim Bowie’s.”
In this video I share the custom Bagwell Hell’s Belles made for me by the legendary Bowie knife maker Bill Bagwell, and demonstrate the highly effective knife combatives methods associated with the Bowie knife, through the work of Mr. Bagwell and Master-at-Arms James Keating. I hope you enjoy this video!
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[@andrewblack7852]

A blade. Survival. Martial art. The way of the fist. Quan fa. With a weapon or without, most of the crucial factors remain unchanged.

[@paulsmith8855]

When it came to reading you choose the right books for the Bowie topic 😊

[@RolandoEstocada]

They’re great books! We need more authors to cover this amazing topic!

[@jameskeating765]

Bravo Rolando! Bowie Knife / Done well. Spoken well. Presented well! Salute!

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you sir! Honored to by your words - your work with the Bowie knife is a mainstay of my practice. 🙏🏽

[@paulsmith8855]

Mr. Keating is on the board , much respect Sir , you remind me of my Wing Chun instructor from the mid 1980's you both have similar body builds his name is John M Clayton. 😊

[@jameskeating765]

@@paulsmith8855 Thanx Paul! Salute!

[@adamm.4291]

Digging the subtitle's "unsheathing" motion artstyle in the video, might be the most creative subtitles I've seen in a while 🔥

[@RolandoEstocada]

Glad you caught that!

[@rogerwilliams2629]

You've got that back cut down! I e been messing with the Bowie a while. Nice Bagwels and Randall. I have a friend with a beautiful Randall collection. I have been into Joao Ciceros Bowies the last few years. Reasonable and awesome.

[@RolandoEstocada]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@travispadilla3972]

I love Bowie knives I collect alot and made a lot this is the knife that got me into knife making. everything about this tool is amazing love the history behind it love the fighting style about it I get excited point blank 🔥🤘🏼🔥

[@RolandoEstocada]

Love it! Bowies are my absolute first love! I’m a big collector too. I’ll check your work! Could you leave your website info on the comments? Thank you brother. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🔥

[@jessesimmons4503]

Ever looked into the Boker kalashnikov XXL?

[@RolandoEstocada]

@@jessesimmons4503 I have not - the “folding” bowies I like are the CS Espada Series and the Custom Balisong I recently received from Batangas, Philippines.

[@SoldierAndrew]

The James Black design Bowie knife that was made in Old Washington Arkansas for Jim Bowie before he traveled to Texas , then used to kill four attempted assassins in self defense, didn't have a guard, had a coffin handle of black walnut wood, was double bladed, very long blade that canted off set from the handle so that when thrusting the tip aligned with the forearm and elbow. I graduated from the James Black School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington Arkansas. They have hand forged copies of the James Black design knife in an arms room museum there in town. As well as at the original blacksmith shop site of James Black. It was a fencing, thrusting, weapon. The original knife James used in the sandbar duel to defend his life while severely wounded was a common large knife of the era gifted to him by his older brother Rezin Bowie for self defense after a nearly fatal incident during a violent dispute. The large clip blade knives with handle guard was a design that James Bowie never carried and came about later.

[@hunterbowie7576]

I’ve always been fascinated by the history of the knife and wanted to learn the techniques used. I have one that’s been handed down for generations in the Bowie family my grandpa gave it to me when I was 15. Though I doubt it belonged to Jim Bowie himself it’s still fun to imagine the stories it could tell!

[@jamesshackelford6721]

Great video and your insight to using a Bowie knife in combat situations. The Bowie knife can be used as a tool for Just about anything for survival. Like cutting stabbing chopping making kindling cooking splitting wood skinning and butchering . I know about all those from using a Bowie knives in the woods and other places while deployed in other countries when I was in the Military.

[@RolandoEstocada]

It is the greatest knife that ever existed! Thank you for your service!

[@oofz91]

Lets not forget what the "Bowie" is intended for. . . Fighting, through and through. People also tend to forget that its primarily a thrusting weapon. Anything utilitarian comes second to this wonderful class of edged weapon.

[@carloshenriquez4115]

Very cool video and educational. Thank you sir

[@jd-jw8hm]

Beautiful customs..👍

[@deathofkindness]

Love those bowie knives.. always wanted one

[@RolandoEstocada]

I got very lucky that I received custom works from the late Mr. Bill Bagwell. I have yet to hold a bowie that holds a candle to his custom battle blades.

[@arctodussimus6198]

I read, a long time ago, that Bill Bagwell taught a knife fighting technique to the US Special Forces back in the 1980’s (I think). It was based on Jim Bowie’s style of knife fighting. There was a certain colonel that said something to the effect of: “I’ve been studying hand to hand combat for thirty years. I am well versed in multiple disciplines. Mr Bagwell’s training has made all I’ve learned obsolete.” It was such a game changer, the Army asked him to not teach his technique to anyone but military personnel. Have you heard of this? I’ve always been curious about it. I had the Ontario version of the Bagwell Bowie called the “Midnight” Bowie. Loved it but never had a real use for it. I gave it to a very old friend who was a private investigator who asked me what knife I would recommend for someone in his line of work. He has since told me that that knife saved his life on more than one occasion.

[@nightrider5109]

I love your bowie knife collection especially the one with the stag handle Beautiful piece incredible skills you possess Philipine martial arts Kali it's like irrelevant whether you use empty hands edge weapon or bludgeoning weapon the technique is the same

[@MrRugercat45]

BTW Princess Giselle is just making sure none of the Bowie knives walk away, she’s guarding them. Watch out for the gray ones, they’re feisty and their claws are sharper than steel. We’ve had several of them. I’m a cat person (love all animals but me and cats just bonded early in life)

[@crisdeeming2758]

Fantastic collection.

[@RolandoEstocada]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@PatrickNiese-sn6fs]

Very interested and educational. Not surprised a JKD instructor would introduce Bowie techniques. Bruce Lee would be pleased how JKD has grown. You have my attention.

[@NSW15355]

Loved hearing your bowie journey. It's like it hit me the other day, just how versatile the bowie is. Out of curiosity, how thick is it before the edge? A lot of brands tend to go thicker like .030"-.045" behind the edge for utility. Since it's a fighting knife shouldn't it be much thinner? Like .010"-.015"?

[@sgtmajtrapp3391]

Interesting, well done. Great insights and some beautiful knives.

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you! Please check out part 2. 🙏🏽

[@user-lp8uk6iu2z]

Love your sword collection.

[@Kris_Stiletto]

Awesome Video. Very informative.

[@RolandoEstocada]

🙏🏽👊🏽🔥

[@dutchinklettering405]

Awesome video. Thank you.

[@RolandoEstocada]

Glad you liked it!

[@basultoacademy2907]

Outstanding breakdown!

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you SIFU!

[@garycase1790]

Loved it

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you! Backcut REVERSO video should upload by tomorrow. 🙏🏽

[@dimassalazar906]

Everyone should own and carry one for safety purposes.

[@RolandoEstocada]

Such a great knife! I think in certain states you can carry a bowie (I think).

[@B-leafer]

Nice

[@darinmullins4770]

Thank you

[@RolandoEstocada]

You’re welcome!

[@trikk9964]

... very nice!

[@RolandoEstocada]

Thank you!

[@BStrongCo]

Love the quality of the video Kuya! What camera are you using

[@jefftadena5894]

Kaganda ng mga Bowie mo, sir! 😁😁

[@RolandoEstocada]

Salamat! 😎

[@unichooch]

Cool channel, tuning in. Interesting seeing you comparing bowie philosophy with Filipino stick fighting. Wouldn't mind seeing you explore that path a bit more.

[@RolandoEstocada]

You bet! I’m putting together my sources because some second-hand sources say that there is a connection.

[@unichooch]

@RolandoEstocada ha you are my sources. Everyone has a base for their knowledge but for each of us it's up to us to figure out what fits into our tool boxes. Seems as if you've got allot of your own conclusions, looking forward to seeing them.

[@ElGuardaespaldasSilencioso]

Very interesting video. Beautiful Bagwell Bowies. You mention the Randall Model 1, and I think I heard you adding an A, the 1A. Is that correct. I collect Randall knives and actually I love the model 1. Usually the Model 1 is followed with the number 5, 6, 7 or 8 that relates to the blade length. I have a couple of videos about the Randall knives. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@RolandoEstocada]

My pleasure and thank you for the kind words! I should speak clearer - I was trying to say Model 1-8”. 😊

[@ElGuardaespaldasSilencioso]

@@RolandoEstocada not a problem

[@davefletch3063]

Your bagwell bowies are sweet looking

[@user-lp8uk6iu2z]

We have the same cat

[@chrisnewport7826]

Does a blued blade have an advantage?

[@bobs5123]

I'll keep my Glock 17

[@RolandoEstocada]

Good!

[@daxmafesi]

That’s not how you use or even hold a Bowie knife.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

Knowledgeable people on the subject would disagree with you.

[@themaggot8440]

Check out the Svord Von Tempsky 11 inch bowie. A bit heavy I must admit, but I cannot find a tougher blade!

[@hswing11]

[@jd-jw8hm]

Beautiful customs..👍