Irish Stick Fighting (Doyle style Shillelag)
Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha (pronounced “rinka an vatta ishka vahaa” which translates to: Dance of the Whiskey Stick) is a Doyle (Dubhghaill) family style of traditional Irish stick fighting which was commonplace in the faction fights of the 18th & 19th centuries.
While most Irish styles used the one-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 Whiskey Stick’ soon found its way to Canada via a Doyle who left Ireland to start a new life in Newfoundland in the early 1800s. From there, the style found itself passed on from father to son for generations 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.
