About

Steve Ledwith’s Red Clay Combatives offers uncompromising instruction in Unarmed Combatives and Filipino Martial Arts, with a dedicated focus on preserving Western Blade Craft—Georgia’s premier Bowie Knife Fighting System and a living martial tradition.

Western Blade Craft

Georgia Bowie Knife Fighting

Western Blade Craft is a living martial tradition rooted in the history, culture, and fighting methods of the American South and West. At Red Clay Combatives, this system preserves and advances Georgia’s Bowie Knife fighting heritage as a functional, combative art it is the ultimate expression of the Knife Fighters craft. This system is rooted in the research and teaching of Master at Arms James Keating with our own flavor based on decades of training. The Bowie knives are cool, fun and challenging!

Unarmed Combatives

Real violence doesn’t look like a sport—and neither does our training. The Unarmed Combatives Program at Red Clay Combatives is designed for real-world self-protection, focusing on practical, pressure-tested methods that work under stress.

Filipino Martial Arts

Filipino Martial Arts are among the most practical and battle-tested fighting systems in the world. Built around edged weapons, impact weapons, and empty-hand skills, Eskrima develops a complete understanding of combat that translates seamlessly from blade to stick to unarmed application. At Red Clay Combatives, our Filipino Martial Arts program emphasizes functional movement, timing, and adaptability. Students are trained to fight across all ranges—long, medium, and close—while developing coordination, awareness, and combative mindset. Training is rooted in traditional Filipino methods, while remaining focused on modern, real-world application.

About the Instructor

Master Instructor Steven Ledwith
With more than three decades of teaching experience and over 40 years immersed in the martial arts, Steven Ledwith brings a lifetime of study and practice to his instruction.