Chinese Bowie style knife

[Black Jack]

This is a two-parter on the issue of topic. Below is a link to a 19th century chinese fighting knife for sale. From what I understand is that knives which sport this broad style of blade where often used in America by Chinese railway workers for protection and to settle disputes. I have heard buds of mine jokingly refer to them as "chinese bowies" due to their structure.

Since I am a bowie lover this style of chinese knife has always had some appeal to me. I have yet to EVER run into any chinese schools that teach a traditional knife system based on this type of blade nor as a matter of fact any real indepth knife training at all.

I wonder why not as this knife existed at one point in time.

The next part-

Oriental-Arms is a great webpage for antique asian, indonesian, sub-continent african, and other middle-eastern/south-eastern blades. Check out the whole webpage. Good stuff to buy if you collect.

http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/OA/items/000855.html

[Judge Pen]

My sifu teaches a couple of dagger forms. I haven't learned any of them yet, but they look interesting.

[Christopher M]

Looks alot like a barong: http://www.kriscutlery.com/Kris/philippine/com_barong/combat_barong_detail.jpg

Montaigue is working on some knife methods. http://www.taijiworld.com/CLIPS/mtg242.WMV

[Black Jack]

Yeah it basically does look like a barong or even certain bolos with the broad leaf blade.Rovere also has some military chinese knife stuff.

It would be neat to read info on 19th century chinese railway workers and their knife work.

[Christopher M]

I think good chinese (and non-chinese) martial arts have alot of implicit knife defense training. An absence of specific knife defense drills (eg. knife-tapping) doesn't mean an absence of bladed-weapon awareness. Many principles with respect to range and position control, balance and postural control, and proper bridging can be consistent across empty-hands and knife defense training. An important strength of this approach would be a consistent blade awareness in dealing with attackers, as the presence of a blade may be ambiguous. Of course, there are weaknesses to this approach as well.