How to swing a Shillelagh

I have studied many weapon arts and the specific way in which sticks are swung in Irish stick fighting is very unique and something specific to this art. I go over some details around this in this video and some of my thoughts on why it is done this way.
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[@VTPSTTU]

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

[@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.

[@billtaylor1656]

This was cool. Thanks

[@ramblingkern]

You are very welcome

[@boxingboy442]

Excellent

[@ramblingkern]

Thank you mate.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 ❤️

[@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 UA-cam 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.

[@ericthompson3982]

Irish Balintawak.

[@ramblingkern]

Some big differences but definitely some similarities too.