Wahabbi Jambiya

[Michael Blalock]

Here is a page with photos of men dancing with what we call wahabbi jambiyas or Sabiki. Very long jambiyas, in fact. The photos are from Asir region, formally part of Yemen and taken by Saudi Arabia at the begining of the century.


http://www.galenfrysinger.com/flower_men_of_saudi_arabia.htm

[Emanuel]

Interesting that they're holding the sabiki with the concave edge forward, no the convex. I wonder if they were used in this manner to strike.

[Rick]

It looks like an efficient way to use such a large weapon .
The way the Kukri is held comes to mind as a similar gripping style .
Also the weapon held as it is stabs quite efficiently .

This kirach in my collection is quite good at stabbing straight and true .

The backhanded cut from such a large kanjar would be nasty after a chop or stab .

[Michael Blalock]

Here is a video of a yemen battle charge, albeit staged for the camera. The jambiyas are all held in the same fashion as they are in the dances,(further in the video) with the concave edge forward. I never saw a sharp yemeni jambiya though and I would wager most of these warriors' jambiyas had blades made of welded sheet metal. If it really came to using the jambiya, there would most likely be no slicing, only stabbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEzXLpwGPB0

dancing

[kahnjar1]

These particular Jambiya are called SABAK in the HIJAZ region and SABIKI in the ASIR region. The Wahhabis (after whom this particular type of Jambiya is popularly named) were just one of the many tribes who inhabit(ed) the Arabian Peninsula, and certainly were not the only tribes who used this type.
A few pics attached of these jambiya.

[Emanuel]

Since I first read "sabiki" in Elgood I wondered about the root of this word. In Polish "sablje" means sword, and this word has been adopted in French and English as "sabre" and even Romanian as "sabie". Of course it could very well be coincidence, but I wonder...

Can anyone enlighten the roots of these two words?

[Michael Blalock]

This is just speculation but;:

SBK is the root for foundry سبك
and masbak= Place of foundry مسبك

So maybe, sabiky = Of the foundry? سبكي
Though I did not find this in a dictionary.

[Emanuel]

Thanks Micheal.

A bit of research on my part shows that the slavic word sablje comes from Hungarian "szablya" itself supposedly derived from the verb "szab" = to taylor.
Perhaps "tayloring" and metal casting have some connection?

One taylors garments to fit their user, as one taylors metal parts to fit an assembly and match its user.

A bit of a stretch, I know...

[Lew]

Manolo

I think we are stretching it here with the Slavic translation for taylor? ;)


Lew

[Battara]

You guys sure are punny! :D

[Lew]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfS3C-qfnvw&feature=related

Seems the Yemen men hold the dagger in the same manner. This may be a non threatening posture when held in this fashion for ceremonies?

Lew

[spiral]

I thought they were used the way they were drawn? Point forward?

A slash that way would leave a jagged & ugly wound on a mans face or body, Not good fun in a warmer bacterial climate not used to microstiching etc. perhaps?

I think stones mentions most Jambia fights are about slashing? but kidney stabs also used to cause fatalities? {Thats just from shaky memory so I may be mistaken or quoting something else?}

Spiral

[Michael Blalock]

Here is a video from arabic tv in which toward the end a fellow is threatening another person with his Jambiya. For show I'm sure but it is a downward stabing motion. Perhaps the grip used in dance is meant to look unthreatening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dRMy9MmATE

[Rick]

I would guess the opposite .
Any cultural dance with weapons would be intended to enhance or reinforce the spirit and power of the people .

So maybe threatening ?? :shrug: :)

[KuKulzA28]

Well, I dunno much, but the Jambiya looks like the Chilean corvo... and that was usually used with the concave side forward... you can find parallels in other forward curving blades like the kuku macan, ayda-katti, ginunting, sica, falx, etc. Just a thought. :shrug: