Fighters in Nongoma maintain that umsila is also used to protect the face during a stick fight. As an aesthetic accessory, Nongoma fighters tie strings of antelope skin to the top of umsila. As a rule, however, the shield used for stick fighting is between 55 centimetres and 63 centimetres long and 31 to 33 centimetres wide.
This is viewed as fair sportsmanship. In other instances this rule is not followed as the stick fighters launch the fight by landing chopping blows. These blows are dangerous as they are meant to overpower the opponent, resulting in serious injuries.
In time this also meant a change from stick fighting being used as a way of training young men for war and self-defense, to a sport that at times could get out of control.
This is one of the reasons why in past centuries the sport took place in an open space away from the homestead. The character of the fight also depends on the mood and occasion as some fights take place at organized tournaments.
Young and single participants known as Amasoka are not only hoping to win, but also to make mark for themselves by being favorites and being popular among the girls. From where in Ireland? I refer to your comment…. This is bad journalism on your part and I find it highly distasteful. You further say that you cannot accept disbelief as proof that these styles are not what their practitioners believe them to be. Again, this is insulting as you do not know my evidence and do not listen to what I have said.
I clearly stated that I applaud anyone for try to keep Irish traditions alive and you choose to ignore that. How dare you. I joined in this conversation to help educate but you instantly become defensive.
I have not said I was not accepting or supportive of those styles, only that they are later derivatives of the older original form and that they are not known in Ireland until recent internet times. Am I not allowed my opinion? At no point have I used abusive or foul language or showed any anger, or indeed any examples of being defensive.
You are clearly not interested in open constructive debate, or indeed interested in the history of Bataireacht other than what you want to accept. I hope to learn more about your art and its history in due time. I value oral history and living lineage. Moreover, the travel diaries, newspaper articles, court documents, etc.
Those kind of records can only tell us so much, which is part of why my current research project is looking into music and poetry from the oral tradition as a way hearing a different side of bataireacht. Please do check out the Resources page on my blog and let me know if there are other sources you think I should be adding. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account.
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Colin P. McGuire Irish stick-fighting , shillelagh music , stick-making November 1, January 14, 6 Minutes. Definition of Shillelagh The origin or etymology of the English word shillelagh is a bit convoluted. Shillelaghs, Faction Fighting, and Music What does all this have to do with music?
Like this: Like Loading Tagged definition etymology Ireland martial art shillelagh stick-fighting. Published November 1, January 14, This grip also allows the fighter to use a guard which is unknown to most weapons art. If the stick was held by the end, the fighter wanting to take a high guard would essentially open up his arm as a target. In our case, the lower arm is protected as well as the whole front side.
The only target that remains is the hand which can be protected quite simply while the stick is ready to strike at any moment. The high guard combines then both the advantages of a defensive and offensive guard. This grip also means that the stick can be used quickly in a variety of distances. A long range can be covered by grabbing the stick by the end with both hands, which is mostly done to keep several enemies at bay, but it can also be used at medium and close range and even in enclosed spaces.
If the stick was grabbed by the end the blow would go over or under it, but with the lower part sticking down one can still stay protected. A short stick offers a strong parry anywhere on its surface, but covers less of an area. It is easier for the opponent to get an opening to strike. A longer stick such as a cane covers a lot but it also offers a weak resistance on the upper half due to the length. A powerful blow could make this parry collapse. The Irish grip combines the advantages of the short and long stick.
Its parries are strong even near the tips and if used properly it covers a large area. Finally, the stick can be grabbed in an instant from a normal walking stick position. A trained fighter can take up his guard in a second by sliding the stick up and instantly deal lightning-quick strikes.
We hope that this small overview has informed you better about the nature of Irish stick fighting and the tradition which are connected to it. Hopefully, the art will one day take a seat among the celebrated cultural heritage of Ireland as the unique and rich practice it represents. Early Bronze Age battle site found on German river bank. The Topography of Ireland. The glory of England, or, A true description of many excellent prerogatiues, whereby she triumpheth ouer all the nations.
The agreeable recreation of fighting. Journal of Social History, 33 1 , The advent of modern Irish drama and the abjection of peasant popular culture: folklore, fairs and faction fighting. Kritika Kultura, 15, The Faction fighters of the 19th century. Anvil Books. London: G.
Skelligs Calling. Dublin: The Lilliput Press. Jeffrey Hill. London: Thomas Hurst. View all posts by Maxime Chouinard. Working in remote places with a bad dog problem, a walking stick or staff can be quite a comfort. You can carry one without looking too much like a thug even. Reblogged this on Latosa Concepts, Filipino Martial Arts and commented: A little inspiration from the european side of the block. Reblogged this on Civilian Combatives.
His ,father had a collection of shelaghilies ebony canes and truncheons,. Having trained with a visiting martial artist from Cork a Professor Rick Clark seminar where we practiced escrima ;I wish we,d practiced Irish stick. Reblogged this on The Obsession Engine and commented: More on the fine art of cracking heads with sticks! I am the author, Maxime Chouinard.
You can contact me at Maxdchouinard gmail. Very nice article. I learned a bit from Glen Doyle several years ago and have kept up my practice.
I am a senior Tai Chi teacher in Kitchener, Canada. There are different tactics and strategies depending on the context : who you are fencing, number of attackers, distance, weapons involved, etc. So there is no prescribed scenario, you only learn to apply different strategies by training and forging your own style of fighting. You mention in the article problems with the theory that there was a style based upon sabre. The Cateran Society claims a Scottish source for their cudgel play.
In a vid of their single-stick they Cateran Society reference Celtic bata. Absolutely fascinating. I have studied escrima and have dabbled with some Chinese and Japanese bo staff techniques, but never knew about the Irish fighting style. A pity that no such school exists in Michigan, because it would be quite good to learn.
I will be looking for more on this style. A skilled fighter could take down multiple attackers in seconds. Hawthorn is another classic wood used for Irish stick fighting. Dense and thorny like Blackthorn. There was actually a taboo on Hawthorne, which is why even though it is close to blackthorn in many ways you barely never see it mentioned. Hawthorne is very much associated with the fairies, and cutting some of those trees is very badluck.
Those feelings have now changed, and you see people using this type of wood. Just came across this, as I was remembering my oul lad telling me about his Da using a cudgel.
It would be great to take this up.. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email.
Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content. What is Irish stick fighting? Source: Sean Sexton Collection 1. Deep roots like many old martial arts the origins of Irish stick are extremely hard if not impossible to determine. The gladiator mosaic at the Roman villa in Nennig, Germany AD Ireland before the mid 17 th century is very little documented. On 24th of June, , on the occasion of the Ballyeagh strand horse races on St. The battle was fought with special sticks called Blackthorne sticks or cudgels.
Some were weighted with lead and were not used free swinging but were held in the middle to protect the elbow. The invaders came forward in lines with about 20 women on the sides with aprons full of stones. The authorities tried to stop them from coming but were unsuccessful.
At first the Cooleens got the upper hand since half of their adversaries were still in their tents having a good time with their whiskey. They drove the invaders back into the water and won the day. Masters, fighters and knights errant It is easy to consider that Irish stick fighting was a crude affair that demanded very little skills from its participants.
Another one was recorded in County Kerry: Tis eight score years ago there stood but one house in the Buailtin the old Irish name for Ballyferriter, still used locally at Ballyferriter. Irish shillelagh-wielders were known to have beaten some swordsmen. An Irish woman selling shillelaghs The Travelers Irish Gypsies community had a different view on the subject, and it seems that women were free to join fights with a stick.
The stick itself A shillelagh maker gathering blackthorns Various names were used to describe the Irish stick in Gaelic depending on the time and region. A loaded cudgel or kipeen On some antique blackthorns, you will find the thorns still in place. Becoming infamous Donnybrook Fair- a call to fight by Erskine Nicol around Many faction fighters and fencing masters left for the New World But perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of the art came from within.
While certain traditions such as music and songs were promoted as figureheads of Irish culture, the martial tradition of stick fighting was slowly forgotten source: Sean Sexton Collection 7.
What does it look like? Extinct styles The elusive Troid da bhata or double sticks A style which is often mentioned in historical sources is the Troid da Bhata two stick fight which used one stick in each hand; one short stick to parry and a longer one to strike. Documentary sources Irish culture is in its nature an oral one.
Donald Walker Little is known of the author of Defensive exercises. As in Antrim Bata the lower part of the stick must go past the elbow for about an inch or so. Again similar to Antrim Bata the stick is held primarily with the first three fingers, the thumb extended on the shaft. It has also been featured in Season 1 of the television series Deadliest Warrior. Over time, the stick-fighting which was used as a way of training young men for war and self-defense evolved into a sporting activity for pleasure, but participants ended up with injuries.
Hence, the game was banned in some parts of South Africa. In several townships around Cape Town, stick-fighting is making a come-back and earning people money. Formerly, a traditional art of I ntonga for rural Xhosa boys, today stick-fighting is being used to keep teenagers away from gang violence and drugs.
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