APACHE KNIFE FIGHTING & BATTLE TACTICS (AKFBT) INTRODUCTION

Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactics (AKFBT) Introduction - by Snake Blocker

Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactics is a collection of studies based on the verbal and recorded history of the Apaches.  The Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactics course is not a martial arts system, nor is it an organized structure of how all Apache Warriors fought.  The Apaches consisted of numerous Tribal Bands and Sub-Bands which all fought in various ways, and on various terrains…but one thing the Apaches all had in common was they always fought to destroy.  The Apache Warriors fought like animals, and because of their savage mentality, they defeated their enemies in battle after battle.  The AKFBT course looks at how Apache Warriors and groups fought for survival, for greed, for revenge, and sometimes, just for the sake of killing.  Some tactics were more commonly used among the Apaches, and other tactics were used on occasion, by a handful of Warriors.  The Apaches didn’t invent any system of Knife Fighting or Battle Tactics, however, they did, in fact, apply universal principles that effectively worked in many battles, raids, and killing sprees.  They applied tactics that benefited them as they fought in the mountainous terrains, desert plains, and river fronts.   Battle tactics have been around since Cain killed Abel.  Each culture puts focus on certain ways to fight based on many factors (terrain, climate, weapons, enemy force, etc).  What works for one culture, may not work so well for another culture.  The Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactics (AKFBT) course teaches the tactics that worked well for the Apaches, and the history behind their techniques.  A Warrior must always learn from the experiences of other Warrior Races/Cultures.  AKFBT teaches the mindset of many Apaches, and it takes a look into what made them “tic.”  Some Bands created standard ways of training/fighting to prepare them for conflict.  This included horse races, boxing & kicking contests, bow & arrow contests, gun/riffle shooting contests, dirt wrestling, knife sparring, and stick sparring.  Many Apaches included a variety of cross training formats to prepare them for their attacks.  Apache Warriors would begin the training process to become a Warrior at a very young age.  By the time an Apache was a young teenager, he/she would be assisting other warriors into battle.  The AKBT course teaches what the young teenagers had to go through in order to become a true Warrior.  Fighting in various locations meant that the Apache Warriors had to adapt to their surrounding (which would always be different).  The San Carlos Apaches fought in different battle fields and terrain than the Lipan Apaches, and the same was true for other Bands and Sub-Bands.  Each Apache group used different strategies to meet their unique situation.  The majority of Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactics come from the 1800s, during the heaviest fighting.  Some Apache Tactics are from more recent history.  Apaches fought in World War I, World War II (Apache Code Talkers), Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Modern Apaches have also been active among US Special Forces on Special Operations throughout the world.  Apache Warriors are still around today applying tactics to modern times.
The AKFBT curriculum will continue to grow as more conflicts arise among the Apaches.  This AKFBT Manual is Part I of a continuing series.  Due to the vast curriculum of AKFBT, the manuals will consist of several volumes.  The first volume is to just get your feet wet.  I only include about 1% of what I wanted to include, but my goal is to educate and open your mind to the benefit of learning from the Apaches.  There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to fighting.  The Apache's guerrilla war tactics came naturally and were unsurpassed.  The name Apache struck fear into the hearts of Pueblo tribes, and in later years the Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American (“Pale-Face”) settlers, which they raided for food, and livestock. The Apache and the Pueblos managed to maintain generally peaceful relations early on. But the arrival of the Spaniards changed everything. A source of friction was the activity of Spanish slave traders, who hunted down captives to serve as laborers in the silver mines of Chihuahua in northern Mexico. The Apache, in turn, raided Spanish settlements to seize cattle, horses, firearms, and captives of their own.  Fools say that a certain technique originated from a specific martial art, or a specific culture, or a specific country.  This is foolish thinking…that would be like saying running was invented by the Africans, talking originated from the English, or wrestling was created by the Greeks.   Studying various cultures and their “tactics of fighting” will only improve one’s fighting attributes and open the mind to alternative ways of training.  It is very difficult to fight a culture you know very little about.  Know the “Art of the Enemy.”  Know what it is to be Apache.