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Interview
with Western Martial Arts Author Kirk Lawson - Banned From
Boxing
Rick Kirkham: Aloha Mr. Lawson. Thank you
for granting me this interview. I know how busy you must be with
your new book out on the market.
Kirk Lawson: Thank you.
Yes, there's always lots to do. Writing the book is far from the
last step. After that there's the marketing and trying to put the
book in front of people who are interested and want to see it.
There is a lot that comes after and it's less intuitive for me
than actually writing the book was.
RK: You're a noted
expert in Western Martial Arts. Can you tell the readers how you
became interested in this subject?
KL: Well first off, I'm
a little reluctant to call myself an expert. Western Martial Arts
is such a wide and diverse field of study. To just say that I'm an
expert in Western Martial Arts because I have some skills in some
areas would be akin to saying that I am an expert in Asian Martial
Arts because I'm yudansha in Aikido. The Maestro of sword arts in
the former claim might be inclined to take exception to the claim
much the same as Kung Fu Sifu's might be inclined to take
exception to the latter claim. Further complicating matters, there
are fewer organizing and accrediting bodies in the various Western
Martial Arts. In most of the Western Arts that I study, there
aren't any bodies or umbrella organizations giving rank or
attesting to any base-line of skill and knowledge. For those
reasons, I prefer to let my work stand on its own and to let my
reputation in the Western Martial Arts community be set by those
who have worked with me and by the contributions that I make.
But to answer your original question, my interest in
Western Martial Arts began with an accidental exposure to Ken
Pfrenger's bata work. At about the same time, I also began to be
interested in the Bowie Knife as taught by Dwight McLemore. I was
drawn to Ken's reconstructed stick style as well as, later, Lang's
Walkingstick method, primarily because it was different and
unique. Similarly Mac's Bowie stuff. The general martial arts
community at large is inundated with Japanese, Chinese, and
Filipino methods. There's nothing wrong with Arnis, Escrima, or
Kali. They're fine arts in their own right. But stick, knife,
striking, and grappling arts which originate in the West are
practically an unknown to the average "man on the street"
and so, paradoxically, all the more "exotic" because if
it.
RK: As I understand, you're not only an author on the
subject but a practitioner as well. What types of Western Martial
Arts have you studied?
KL: My focus tends to shift from
time to time as I look at the vast array of available interests.
My "core" studies are Irish Shillelagh (Ken's bata
reconstruction), Lang/Vigny Walkingstick, Bowie Knife, Tomahawk,
and Classic Pugilism. However, my expanded interests include such
things as Military Saber and Cutlass (which I study to further my
Bowie study), Collar & Elbow Wrestling, Quarterstaff, and
Fiore's Spear.
Further, I've been involved heavily in the
reconstruction of Bartitsu, the eclectic Victorian martial art of
E.W. Barton-Wright.
RK: Which leads us to your book. As an
author myself I'm curious how long you wanted to write Banned from
Boxing and when did you finally get started on it?
KL: I
had been contemplating the subject for several years. Knowledge of
the rules and techniques of "Classic Pugilism" is so,
well, forgotten, that it seldom fails to surprise and intrigue
martial artists who've not been exposed to it before. It is just
an under-documented sub-set.
For some time after the idea
occurred to me I slowly began formulating a vague sort of outline
in my mind. Yet it wasn't fleshed out well. Finally somewhere
around May of 2007 I started collecting the source material.
Shortly after that, I started formalizing the outline and writing
(and re-writing) the material. So I suppose it took somewhere
around 5 or 6 months of in-my-spare-time writing to complete the
book.
RK: There was actually grappling, wrestling, moves
in boxing? What time period was that?
KL: As I said, it's
really a forgotten bit of information among the general Martial
Arts community. When I tell folks, I generally get a surprised
"Really?!?!" response. Those are the friendly folks.
The, shall we say "skeptical," respond with suggestions
that I've either cribbed it from Judo or the like or, alternately,
invented it whole-cloth.
To define the time period we
first have to define the time period of Boxing, or rather Classic
Pugilism. We'll trim out the pre-English precursors such as Greek
and Roman pugilistic sports and refine it to beginning with James
Figg through the Broughton and London Prize Ring era with a splash
of transitional period between the London Prize Ring rules and the
uptake of the Marquis of Queensberry rules. Say, roughly from the
early 1700's up through the early 1900's. That's a period of 200
years or so and a lot of rule changes and innovation happened in
that time.
RK: How did you research this subject?
KL:
My source material was historic documents; Mostly antique boxing
manuals and historic accounts. I have around 15 or 20 sources in
my Bibliography.
RK: How long did it take you to write it?
KL: Probably about six months. I suppose that I could have
written it quicker if I were able to devote my entire time to it.
However, like many martial artists, I have a regular day job as
well.
RK: Any final comments for our guests?
KL:
The interest in Western Martial Arts is exploding right now. I'm
vastly gratified that this is happening. What's most exciting is
how easily most Western Martial Arts "plugs in"
seamlessly with and enhances the practice of most Eastern Martial
Artists.
RK: Kirk this book sounds great. Would you please
tell the readers how they can order it?
KL: Thank you, I'd
love to. The book is available through my Lulu storefront, an
internet print-on-demand publishing house.
http://stores.lulu.com/lawson
RK: Thanks once again for this interview. This is a great
inspiration to both martial artists and fellow authors everywhere.
And thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate the time
and exposure.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
Published
by Rick Kirkham
http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/
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