Postby JeanryChandler » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:37 pm
Ah, I feel kind of stupid ! <img src="/forum/images/icons/blush.gif" alt="" /> Thanks for the explanation.
My confusion arose because of the similarity of your cartoon character to some modern Irish Stick fighters I have met. There are a few groups doing this now, I know of at least two, one in Nova Scotia and one in Ireland. They also call this "Whisky Stick Dancing". Of course they use traditional blackthorn sticks called Bata (or 'Shilieighleigh' to the uninitiated)
I was also amused to see this because I have had cross-form bouts with Escrima guys several times myself, armed with Longsword wasters or sword and shield vs. those little sticks they use.
I should have known there was something similar in Britain. It seems like almost every country in Europe has or at some point had a stick fighting martial art not altoghether unlike Escrima. The French have 'la Canne', they have a version in the Canary Islands which is probably closely tied to filipino styles, they also have it in Holland and Italy. John C. has a good article on this board somewhere about stick fighting in the Renaissance in Venice.
Anyway I forwarded your cartoon to one of the Irish Stickfighting groups mailing lists, I'm sure they will find it amusing.
JR
"We can't all be saints"
John Dillinger
