celtic martial arts

**Goemon** · 03-23-2011, 20:47

Does anyone here happen to be knowledgeable about traditional celtic martial arts? I have heard hints and rumors, and certainly they had their own specific ways of fighting in ancient times, but at this point I don't know of any that have been preserved as martial arts, with the exception of bataireacht. Really, im just curious if any other styles still exist at all.
And please, no one mention Greenoch or Llap Goch...

**Neil Yamamoto** · 03-24-2011, 16:33

There is very little preserved as far as formalized teaching methods similar to what you find in Japanese or Chinese arts. Check out the links below for some general articles and the sources for more reading materials.

http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/...enger_0300.htm
http://www.clannada.org/culture.php

**Jon-Bhoy** · 03-24-2011, 17:55

Like Native American fighting techniques, there have been people throughout the years who claim a secret knowledge of celtic fighting styles..but I think in modern terms, youll find the "Glasgow Kiss"(Headbutt), and "strawberry ghoulies"(kicking in the groin) the most popular in use.

**Jay Bell** · 03-24-2011, 23:30

Outside of Scottish Backhold and the like, I haven't seen any that had any basis of historical fact.

**Goemon** · 03-25-2011, 11:38

well, this is interesting...It seems that traditional wrestling styles exist for most of the celtic lands, and most of them are similar. The Irish have the collar-and-elbow style, the scottish have backhold style, and the Cornish have their own style too...very interesting. Not exactly martial arts per se because of their sporting aspects, but still interesting. Thank you all for pointing me in the right direction.

**DragonMind** · 03-25-2011, 15:07

Wrestling was undoubtedly one of the first combative and sport forms of martial arts, along with weapons like sticks, rocks and sharp things. "Traditional martial arts" as in a formalized method of training would not likely have existed until modern times as the Celts are a clannish group and tribal warfare was common. In that regard they are more like the Filipinos than the Japanese. And don't forget the huge influence of Norse raiders and their settlement around Dublin. You're also talking about a culture steeped in oral tradition so not much would have been written down until the times of the Catholic priests.

**Jon-Bhoy** · 03-25-2011, 18:47

Most of my history books are in storage right now. I have a book on Scottish history, and specifically clan warfare that describes people as late as the forties who were "Custodians of Haeland(Highland) clann battle tactics"..or something similar..It might be a mention of one of the Clan Chattan branches (Mackintosh, Macpherson, Grant, Shaw etc) who taught scottish sword, and buckler techniques, and battlefield as well as hit and run tactics.. Ill have to look through them sometime, but I think the teachers are all dead now..

**Goemon** · 10-24-2011, 21:31

interesting...so if there were people teaching scottish battle arts in the 1940's, it is at least remotely possible these arts still survive in some form. Does anyone here know anything about the dirk dance? that one seems to be pretty authentic, even if it was preserved in the form of a dance and certainly doesn't look all that martial. Still, if it was created to preserve fighting methods in a disguised form (as many suggest), then it would represent an authentic style of celtic knife combat, albeit a somewhat reconstructed one.

**Mekugi** · 05-12-2012, 07:51

Have you ever seen Cornish Wrestling? It's outstanding.
http://youtu.be/0JdrPOQ4L1Q

Very good stuff. IMHO high culture in European martial arts. I am of the opinion that this is the direction that Judo is headed, it is going through the same tribulations in a very public way (and not a small culture one) with rule changes. They've already been there...