Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha evolved out of the one-handed grip Irish stick fighting style that was commonplace in Ireland in the 17th -19th centuries. We know that the originator was a Doyle from western Ireland who was a pugilist. According to Doyle lore, he was a ‘dissipater’ of clan squabbles and hired muscle to protect illegal distilleries. He was well-versed in both boxing and stick fighting. The Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style was born when he began applying the principals of boxing to the established art of Irish stick fighting.
The change of holding the bata in boxer-like fashion with two hands instead of one, increased the possibilities of how the bata could be used particularly at short-range distances. Hence the focus became moving in on the opponent where you have the advantage. And of course disarming in general is much easier at close range so it makes sense that a focus on disarming would emerge. The overall strategy of the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha fighter, summed up in the Eight Wises, is in three parts: move-in, disarm, and destroy.
The style would have been originally designed to be used against existing Irish stick fighting styles (i.e. one-handed grip). However, most of the techniques and the overall strategy remain the same regardless of what style the opponent is using. In fact, Glen has paralleled his style with John Rivers, a champion stick-fighting stylist in LaPunti Arnis de Abanico (Filipino Stick-Fighting).
The chart below compares the differences between the one-handed grip Irish stick fighting style and the Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha style.
Photos demonstrating the use of Rince an Bhata Uisce Bheatha techniques against a one-handed grip Irish stick fighter will be added soon.
