How to swing a Shillelagh

[@nunyabiznez6381]

My grandfather taught me that the proper way to hit your opponent was to bounce the head of the stick on the head of your opponent. He explained that it was important to bounce the stick not use it like a sword. He said to think of the shaft as a spring.

[@ramblingkern]

@@nunyabiznez6381 he was dead right. Sticks don't cut things as simple as that is it can take people some time to figure that out

[@MasterPoucksBestMan]

Im new to shillelagh, but I've trained tomahawk for many years, and I was telling a friend I was teaching several months ago about this very feature of tomahawk fighting, that you have to return the strike along the same line that you threw the strike out on, like hammering a nail, so that you don't accidentally hook the weapon unintentionally, and that strike through hooking motions are counter-offensive when you want to hook on purpose.

[@ramblingkern]

Ah that's the perfect analogy it is very much like hammering a nail. Yes it was not until I did some tomahawk where I really began to notice the overlap in how they are swung obviously the ranges are different but the same principles.

[@Occident.]

Im a Gael on Tyneside. Iv just ordered a Blackthorn stick/ Shillelagh from Ireland. I will be studying you stick Fighting videos 👍

[@glennmeade2390]

Plenty of blackthorn growing in plessy woods near Cramlington if you want to make your own👍

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Thanks mate. I have a couple of blackthorns and was wondering

[@ramblingkern]

Very welcome mate.

[@CDKohmy]

Could you talk about Irish pikes, many look as though they came from tool pikes for firefighting, logging, and fishing.

[@ramblingkern]

I will indeed there are even a few manuals on them I just need to invest in some equipment for class and then I will do a series on the Irish pike.

[@boxingboy442]

Excellent

[@ramblingkern]

Thank you mate.

[@VTPSTTU]

Thanks for the video. I wish I were in a position in life to train in Irish martial arts.

[@cobobrien366]

Great Stuff doing your bit to help revive this ancient Irish Martial Art ..maith thú a bhuachail!

[@ramblingkern]

@@cobobrien366 go raibh maith agat

[@billtaylor1656]

This was cool. Thanks

[@ramblingkern]

You are very welcome

[@caerb48]

Thank You Sir

[@ramblingkern]

@@caerb48 you are very welcome

[@vyr01]

I suspect that native american ball headed clubs might have had similar forms as well - except them being shorter and heavier than the longer shillelaghs (maybe closer to the short shillelagh/clubs)

[@ramblingkern]

I have a good friend who is a native American weapon maker the maple war club he sent me is incredibly light and fast moving not at all what I would have expected.

[@vyr01]

@@ramblingkern Depends on wood species and sizes, geographic location, and use - where I am in the south east they just used a stick due to dense woodlands and mostly (if not entirely) for hunting, then there are Penobscot root clubs which use the root ball of a tree and leave some of the larger roots sticking out as spikes - wide array

[@ramblingkern]

@@vyr01 of course a huge array of variety and cultures working with them.

[@Fenianboyo]

Great video, thank you for that!

[@ramblingkern]

@@Fenianboyo you are very welcome

[@joereynolds475]

Do you have any idea whatstyle they used in cork? Specofically west cork? Was reading a very interesting piece in a local paper on a huge faction fight tha happened somehere near skibbereen and nwent on for day with priests and women and all sorts getting in involved.

[@longshotkdb]

The sound of those stick's swoosh and clack is second to none. I have a stick that my Grandfather ( Shillelagh maker ) made from Gorse* He said it was the straightest, thickest piece of Gorse he'd ever seen . It's so light and springy but I don't know anything about it in the sense like, is Gorse suitable for fighting, would it break, all the usual questions I suppose. Slainte ∆

[@ramblingkern]

@@longshotkdb yes a friend has a staff he made out of gorse it's a strong and interesting bit of wood to work with.

[@longshotkdb]

@ramblingkern Good man. I watched the video on grips so. I do hold and swing right, I suppose sore hands are just part of the deal .

[@ramblingkern]

@longshotkdb sore hands forearms and shoulders tend to be common

[@piddli]

Where do I find a great shillelagh to use?

[@piddli]

I need to also use it as a medical aide, not just for self defense. I had a spinal surgery.

[@ramblingkern]

@@piddli if you are looking for one that fits that bill then the olde shilleglagh store ships worldwide and I own some of his sticks and they are excellent. I also have a video on how to size them if you are unsure.

[@vyr01]

thanks - while watching your vids (and others) I noticed the differences, just never followed through on it to this logical conclusion

[@ramblingkern]

Yeah it makes sense but it's an interesting principle to consider.

[@forteandblues]

I got myself a shillelagh from o’chadla. Where did you get yours?

[@ramblingkern]

I have a few from different makers this one was made by a friend.

[@joeltowle2737]

What do you suggest for a person with 2 bad shoulders and arms (TOS in one arm and carpal tunnel syndrome in the other)? One shoulder bicep tendon cut and moved and rotater cuff fix, but never got better. I have faux shillelagh.

[@ramblingkern]

@@joeltowle2737 it would depend on your goals for most a shillelagh will only ever be used for walking. If you are concerned about self defense then other weapons might suit you better.

[@TheDeathboy900]

zheng gu shui

[@alicelund147]

Why do you hit each others sticks? Are you not supposed to try to hit each other?

[@ramblingkern]

I'm sorry I don't really understand the question.

[@alicelund147]

It look overly choreographed where they take turns striking against each others sticks; not trying to find gaps to hit each other. @@ramblingkern

[@ramblingkern]

@@alicelund147 it's a drill for KZbin if you wish to see sparring you will find that on that channel. You will see we are both aiming for each others heads throughout the drill.

[@FireStar-gz2ry]

I suppose you could treat the shillelagh like a short poll arm, thrusting, hooking, and bashing

[@ramblingkern]

It has a lot of versatility

[@FireStar-gz2ry]

@@ramblingkern It does indeed! I had the opportunity years ago to learn a little of the shillelagh, and it left an pretty good impression on me ❤️

[@ericthompson3982]

Irish Balintawak.

[@ramblingkern]

Some big differences but definitely some similarities too.