In Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” knife fighting holds significant cultural and practical importance, particularly within the context of the desert planet Arrakis and its Fremen inhabitants. The combat style and the philosophy behind it are integral to the story, reflecting the harshness of the planet and the survivalist ethos of its people. While knife throwing isn’t quite involved in much of this combat we felt it would be worth taking a look at some of the knife combat styles that are used in the film as well as described in the book.
Knife fighting in “Dune” is a complex interplay of culture, environment, and individual skill, reflecting the broader themes of survival, adaptation, and identity that permeate the series. It’s not just a method of combat but a way of life that encapsulates the essence of Dune’s desert world and its people.
Knife fighting in the “Dune” universe is a close-quarters combat form, necessitated by the personal shields used by many warriors. These shields can stop fast-moving projectiles and even slow bullets, making melee combat more viable and strategic.
Given the scarcity of water on Arrakis, Fremen culture emphasizes the conservation of bodily fluids, including blood. Therefore, knife fights often aim to minimize unnecessary bloodshed, reflecting the value placed on water in Fremen society.
But how did they get these concepts into the films?
“In this universe, there’s an invention: The Holtzman Shield. It’s something that you can wear on your body, and will deflect something fast coming towards you. Only something slow can penetrate that shield. So, it made them use things like bullets less. Humanity went back to close combat, where you fight with knives and blades because it’s the only way you can kill someone through those shields. You can penetrate the shield slowly with the blade, “Villeneuve told EW in 2020.
“I developed with our stunt coordinator and choreographers a way of combat that is closer to a chess game than a fighting sequence. When you fight someone with a shield, the idea is to distract them with moves in advance. You want to distract them with a specific move so you can slowly bring the blade into their body. It’s a totally different way of fighting. It’s a way of fighting that is very fast. It’s like a chess game, you have to plan in advance and distract the adversary. It’s a very specific, new art form of combat.”
“That choreography was designed by Roger Yuan. He developed the Atreides fighting style borrowing from a martial art technique developed in the ‘50s,” he explains. “This technique was called Balintawak Eskrima. It’s a style that involves blocking the opponent’s attack with both a weapon and the free hand.”
Balintawak eskrima is not only suitable for the movie due to the technicalities of Dune’s shields, requiring slow and covert strikes for penetration, but it also aligns with Paul Atreides’ temperament. The book emphasizes Paul’s strategic calculations and patient, restrained approach to challenges. The choice of balintawak eskrima goes beyond a mere representation of a Filipino martial art; it is purposeful, showcasing a profound understanding of how this martial art seamlessly integrates into the complex narrative of one of the world’s beloved sci-fi stories.
Its use in Dune and Dune Part 2 are excellent examples of martial arts versatility by taking a predominantly stick fighting medium and adapting it for knives
