Guro Rob’s Cyber-Studio

A Motley Crew of Stick Fighters!

So what is Irish Stick Fighting?  Well it is part of a long Irish Martial Arts Tradition that includes Pugalism (or Boxing as we have come to refer to it), Wrestling and of course Stick Fighting.  The sticks are referred to as Shillelaghs and are used as a walking stick when not employed to defend oneself!  

As a stick-fighting instructor (although originally in the Filipino tradition) I am partial to this weapon and tend to be somewhat opinionated about various systems.  I have seen many approaches to this weapon that have some solid understanding but lack any sophistication in leveraging the capabilities of this device.  I was so very pleased when I discovered Sifu Glen Dyle and his family system and appreciated the skill that the system embodied!

Let me extract copy from the description from Sifu Glen’s site:

Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha (pronounced rinkan batta ishka vahaa which translates to: Dance of the Whiskey Stick) is a Doyle (Dubhghaill) family style of traditional Irish stick fighting which was common place in the faction fights of the 18th & 19th centuries.

 

While most Irish styles used the on-handed methods (much like fencing) the Doyle style evolved from a one handed style to the much more effective two handed style when a family member fused the principles of pugilism into the motions of the stick. Passed on from generation to generation, this two handed style was only taught to individuals with the surname Doyle. A much sought after style, Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha was thought to have derived its name from the fact that the style’s creator rented his stick fighting services out to guard illegal distilleries from rival whiskey makers (the other story states that the style’s originator liked to drink before a fight).

 

Passed from Doyle male to Doyle male, Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha soon found its way to Canada via Eddy Doyle a Galway scrapper who left Ireland to start a new life inNewfoundland. From there, the style found itself passed on to Christopher Doyle to Greg Doyle, and finally to the current keeper of the flame, Glen Doyle. Breaking with tradition of only teaching Doyles, Glen has spread the popularity and tradition of Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha to anyone with the intensity and desire to learn it. Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha is a big part of the curriculum at the Cead Bua Fighting Arts Centre, and all students are encouraged to experiment and experience this amazing Gaelic tradition.

Here is an image of Sifu Glan demonstrating the proper hand technique for holding your stick in the Neutral Position:

Proper Hand Position

Here is Sifu Glen’s Site with more detail about the System

Sifu Glen has a number of videos on YouTube that demenstrates the Art: