The Basic StanceIn the photo to the left Glen demonstrates the basic stance for the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha stick fighting style. The style is based on boxing and note the similarity of this stance to a boxer's stance.

The bata is held evenly in both hands, just above shoulder height and level to the ground. Each hand is placed approximately a third of the way down from its respective end of the stick. This allows the stick fighter to stick punch effectively with either hand at any time.

KUNG FU ALERT**: Glen's foot/leg placement of his starting stance is similar to the horse stance in Kung Fu. However, the traditional Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha stance is actually more similar to a boxer's. Also note that Glen holds his hands slightly lower than a typical Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighter would. Oliver's stance, in the photo below, is closer

to the traditional stance.

In general, all of the footwork in the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style closely resembles the footwork in boxing. 

Oliver Yost and Glen Doyle square off(For photo purposes, the distance between the two fighters is closer than usual)

The Stick Punch: Long-Range

Similar to a boxer's punch or jab, the long-range stick punch is executed in one swift, continuous, powerful motion. As shown in the photo sequence below, it can be executed with either hand. The non-punching hand releases its grip on the stick while the punching hand snaps the stick outwards and immediately returns it to the starting position all within a split second.

When looking at the photos below, keep in mind that Glen is a southpaw so his strongest stick punch is from his left hand. Therefore, those familiar with the one-handed grip Irish stick fighting style would expect that Glen would hold the bata in the opposite way so that the knobbed end would strike his opponent when he stick punches with his left hand. However, in the Uisce style the knob end is more important for disarming and other techniques rather than for striking an opponent. This will be explained more in the pages that follow.

Click on any of the photos below to see an enlarged version.

1. Starting position. Both hands are spaced evenly on the bata so that a stick punch can be executed by either hand at any time.

2. Glen simultaneously snaps his bata outward with his wrist while thrusting his arm outward. It's an entire body move that gives the stick punch a lot of power. The bata actually hits the back of Glen's forearm. This both aids in the control of the bata and facilitates the return of the bata to the starting position.

3. Glen quickly returns the bata and his body back to the starting position. The entire move is as fast as a boxer's punch.

4. Back to the starting stance and ready to now execute a stick punch with his right hand.

5. Again he snaps the bata outward but because Glen is a southpaw there is less power with his right-handed stick punch.

6. Back to the starting position

It takes a little getting used to, but beginners eventually get conditioned to their own bata striking their forearms during the stick punch.

Note that the long-range stick punch is one of the few moves in the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style where BOTH hands are not on the stick.

Although the obvious purpose of a stick punch is to strike the opponent and to block an opponent's strike, it's main purpose is to initiate a charge-in. The Uisce Beatha style has the advantage at short-range distances so practitioners of this style want to move in on their opponent as soon as possible.

The Trinity is a training exercise that involves continuous, consecutive, rapid-fire stick punches aimed sequentially at three key locations of an imaginary opponent -- namely the head, the left hand, and the right hand. These three points form a small triangle and therefore this exercise improves both aim and bata control. The Trinity is first performed with one hand for several repetitions and then repeated with the other hand.

.

The Stick Punch: Short-Range

For a short-range stick punch, both hands maintain their grip on the bata throughout the entire movement. The ends of the bata are treated as if they were extensions of the fist. Unfortunately we don't have a photo of a simple short-range stick punch. To picture the move, just imagine what a boxer would look like if he had to maintain a grip on a stick with both hands while executing a punch. The main difference is that instead of making contact with the fist itself, contact is made with the portion of the bata that extends from the hand.

Also in the short-range stick punch category are all of the ways that a stick can be powered with the basic two-handed grip such that it makes contact with the opponent. This includes jabbing the opponent with the tip of either end of the bata.

Short-range stick punches are used after the fighter has moved in on his opponent in many of the same ways that a boxer uses punches once he has moved in on his opponent.  

The Charge In 

The Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style is characterized by in-close moves and techniques that are launched from a contact point, called a pivotal. Therefore, the first thing a fighter wants to do is to get in close and create that first pivotal with his opponent from which he can launch further moves. The Charge In is the most common method for doing this.

The Charge In is essentially a stick punch except that instead of returning his bata back towards himself, the fighter moves his body in towards his outstretched bata. This changes his position by 90 degrees leaving him in close to his opponent. It's important to note that the stick punch and the body swing movement are NOT two separate moves. Both are part of one FAST, continuous motion that is almost simultaneous.

Click on any of the photos below to see an enlarged version.

Glen launches a stick punch which Oliver begins to block. (Oliver is using a make-shift bata because an authentic bata was not available at the time the photos were taken.)

Glen immediately swings his whole body in (like a door hinge) towards his bata re-gripping his bata so that he once again has it in both hands.

The photos below show the exact same technique but from the opposite angle. Even though the stick punch in this demonstration is an offensive stick punch, the Charge In can also be done with a stick punch used as a block.

Glen launches a stick punch, really a stick jab because the emphasis is more on speed than on power.

Using his leg like a pin in a door hinge, Glen swings his body in towards his bata. This is NOT a separate move but rather a continuation of the stick punch motion.

Notice that at the end of the Charge In, Glen's bata is now in contact with Oliver's stick. Glen will launch his next move from this contact point -- and Oliver will also use this contact point to launch his next move if he gains the advantage in time.

Note that once an Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighter is in on his opponent, both hands remain on, or in very close contact with, the bata at all times.  

The Pivotal 

A pivotal is the point of contact between your bata and your opponent's bata or your bata and your opponent's body. It is a source of leverage and power from which all techniques are launched. Having an intuitive understanding of the pivotal and the forces at work around it is the key to being a successful Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighter.

Examples:

The pivotal can act as a fulcrum: In the basic disarming technique the contact between the two batas and the opponent provides a fulcrum for prying the opponent's bata out of his hand. (See second photo on the left.) The basic disarm is discussed and demonstrated on a later page.

The pivotal can act as a deflection point: A short-range stick punch (i.e. both hands on the bata and the ends, not the tips, act as extensions of the fist) creates a pivotal between the end of the bata and the opponent's body. The deflection force generated when this pivotal is created allows the fighter to easily turn his bata and throw another short-range stick punch with his other hand/stick-end. This in turn forms yet another pivotal.

The pivotal can act as a pivot point: If a Uisce fighter's current pivotal is at one end of his bata, he can use it as a pivot to flip the other end of his bata into his opponent. (See third photo on the left.)

One goal of Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha is to disarm the opponent. Therefore some of the most important pivotals are those that lead to disarmament. A Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighter is always searching for that key pivotal and chooses his moves accordingly.

More details on pivotals can be found on the pages that discuss specific techniques.

The Say Hello TechniqueThe Say Hello move is an explosive poke in the chest or gut. It is used not only to injure the opponent but also to catch him off guard which allows the stick fighter to set up for his

next move. It is a simple poking maneuver that is launched from the fighter's pivotal gained during the Charge In.

The photos below show the Say Hello move as well as the stick punch and Charge In moves that frequently precede the Say Hello. Note that all three are NOT separate moves but rather one FAST, CONTINUOUS motion that is, if not blocked by the opponent, completed within about one second.

Click on any of the photos below to see an enlarged version.

1. Glen launches a stick punch which Oliver begins to block.(Oliver is using a make-shift bata because an authentic bata was not available at the time the photos were taken.)

2. Glen immediately swings his whole body in towards his outstretched bata -- the Charge In.

3. Within the same continuous motion Glen Says Hello by sliding his bata into Oliver's gut

4. This catches Oliver off guard and gives Glen time to execute his next move.

using Oliver's stick as leverage.

In Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighting the two ends of the bata can really be thought of as extensions to a boxer's fist so poking/jabbing with the end of the stick is very common. However the Say Hello move is unique in that it is an extension of the Charge In move. Its name comes from the fact that it is often the first time the stick touches the opponent's body during a match.

The Give 'em a Hug Technique

Click on Photos to see an enlarged version.

(Oliver is using a make-shift bata because an authentic bata was not available at the time the photos were taken.)

Give 'em a hug is a pulling move used to improve your pivotal advantage and to get your opponent off balance giving you the opportunity to set up your next move.

In the top photo on the left, Glen has just finished a Say Hello move so his bata and body are now in a good position to give 'em a hug. He slides his bata towards Oliver's hand and re-grasps the bata. The new pivotal is now where the two sticks meet right near Oliver's hand/thumb.

In the second photo Glen pulls his bata back towards himself with both hands taking Oliver's stick with him. This causes Oliver to lose his balance.

The Windmill Disarm 

The Windmill, formerly known as the cauldron, is the basic disarm technique used in the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style of Irish stick fighting. It's a scooping and turning motion similar to a combination of the motion used in shoveling snow and the motion of a blade on a windmill. It will help to keep these two images of motion in mind while

looking at the photos since it is difficult to demonstrate this move with still photographs.

The two sets of photos below show the windmill from two different angles. Each sequence of photos represents one continuous motion lasting only a few seconds.

.

Windmill Sequence: View Point 1Click on any of the pictures to see an enlarged version

1. Glen starts with a stick punchwhich Oliver blocks. (Oliver is using a make-shift bata because an authentic bata was not available at the time the photos were taken.)

2. Glen simultaneously does acharge-in allowing him to get in close to Oliver.

3. Immediately following the charge-in Glen says hello by jabbing Oliver in the gut throwing him off guard which gives Glen

4. This is the start of the windmill. In a scooping motion Glen weaves his bata down over Oliver's stick and under Oliver's

the opportunity to start the Windmill disarm.

wrist creating two new pivotal points. The first is where Glen's bata is on top of Oliver's stick near Oliver's hand. The second is where Glen's bata is under Oliver's wrist.

5. Glen rotates his bata by pushing down with both hands. He gets leverage from where the two sticks are in contact. As his bata rotates it presses under Oliver's wrist.

6. Glen's bata rotation causes Oliver's stick and arm to rotate, eventually throwing Oliver off-balance.

7. At this point if Oliver doesn't let go his wrist will break so he releases his stick.

8. Glen continues the rotation as Oliver begins to fall to the ground.

9. Using the ends of his bata as extensions to his fists, Glen stick punches Oliver in the kidney and...

10. ... and then stick punches Oliver in the head.

.

Windmill Sequence: View Point 2The exact same technique but from the opposite angle.

Start with the Say Hello. Note it's not necessary to do the Say Hello first but it catches the opponent off guard and sets up the perfect opportunity to scoop your bata into position.

Glen scoops his bata into position so it is weaved in over Oliver's stick and under Oliver's wrist.

Glen pulls the bata slightly back towards himself and down starting the rotation.

Glen's bata rotation causes Oliver's stick and arm to rotate.

As the rotation is completed, Oliver must let go of the stick and he loses his balance as well.

In a boxing motion, Glen uses the ends of his bata as extensions of his fists to get in a few more hits.

Note that the same windmill technique can also be used against an opponent fighting with a one-handed grip. As long as you can "weave" your stick over from the outside of your opponent's bata and under their wrist creating the two pivotal points you can get the leverage you need to do the windmill. For this reason, the windmill would work best as a continuation of a block of an opponent's side swing. 

The Jig Kick Technique 

The jig kick is a move that would undoubtedly be illegal in any fighting event with "rules". But Irish stick fighting is a vicious art with no rules and Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha is no exception. The jig kick starts off with a defensive block and transitions into an offensive Irish jig kick. It is used to block an opponent's side strike that comes in from the one o'clock to three o'clock position. In addition to injuring the opponent, the jig kick is intended to put him off guard allowing you to move in and set up for your next move.

 

In the photo on the left, Glen moves in to block Oliver's side strike. Then, in the sequence of photos below, Glen uses the opposing forces of the two clashing sticks to brace himself as he executes two alternate Irish jig style kicks towards the groin area.

Click on any of the photos below to see an enlarged version. (Oliver is using a make-shift bata because an authentic bata was not available at the time the photos were taken.)