Martial arts probably aren’t the first thing that come to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day.
The cultural holiday that marks the death of the patron saint of Ireland is more commonly associated with parades, feasts, music, bars, and shamrocks. But Ireland also has a rich martial arts tradition of its own — and a rich tradition of martial artists and combat athletes who have fought all over the world. There’s no reason that a celebration of all things Irish shouldn’t include a little Irish martial arts.
In that spirit, let’s see what kind of AWMA spin we can put on this March 17.
Practice Traditional Irish Martial Arts
Irish martial arts like Bataireacht might not have the international recognition of some of their counterparts like traditional Okinawan martial arts, but they’re just as interesting. And they’re just as important to their home country’s history and identity. Learning a little more about them — or even learning a technique or two — could be a fascinating and rewarding way to celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day.
Bataireacht’s origins in the 16th century will probably sound familiar to anyone who knows about martial arts history in general: An occupying force banned a population from using weapons, and those people responded by using whatever tools they had on hand to defend themselves. In this case, the occupiers were the British and the weapon was a stick called the shillelagh, which could be disguised as a cane.
Early Bataireacht practitioners developed a complex blend of boxing, fencing, and wrestling techniques where they would use the shillelagh to execute a broad series of strikes and parries. The martial art continued to develop and spread until it became a casualty of the Great Irish Famine in the mid-1800s.
But Bataireacht’s story doesn’t end there. As reported in the BBC and Irish Central, the martial art is currently enjoying a revival thanks to the efforts of Irish martial artists and their students across the world.
(If you don’t have a shillelagh at your disposal, you could also try using Escrima sticks or a bo to practice some basic Bataireacht techniques.)
Celebrate Irish Martial Artists
You don’t have to wield a shillelagh to celebrate Irish martial arts, though. Ireland has also left its mark on a number of other disciplines and combat sports all over the world, thanks to the efforts of its homegrown fighters.
Here’s a quick look at five Irish fighters worth celebrating this St. Patrick’s Day to get you started:
Aisling Daly: The Ultimate Fighter star and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt was the first Irish woman to win a fight in the UFC. Her groundbreaking MMA career also included fights in Invicta FC, Bellator, and Cage Warriors.
Benjamin Fletcher: The British born Judo star began representing Ireland in 2017 and became the first judoka representing Ireland to win an IJF World Judo Tour in Tunis a year later. He is a multi-time IJF Grand Prix and IJF Grand Slam medalist.
Joe Duffy: Although he retired at the beginning of the decade, Joseph “Irish Joe” Duffy remains one of Ireland’s most beloved fighters. In his prime, he was also one of the country’s toughest. The The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck star racked up a 16-5 record in his MMA career and was undefeated in both professional Boxing and Kickboxing.
Nonpareil Jack Dempsey: This Irish-born American boxer came by the nickname “Nonpareil” honestly enough. He was almost unbeatable in his prime, with a record of 51 official wins (and another 52 unofficial ones) and only 3 losses. In 1884, he became the first boxer to hold the World Middleweight Championship. And he continued to defend it until 1891.
Sinead Kavanagh: This five-time national boxing champion turned professional mixed martial artist currently competes in Bellator MMA’s Women’s Featherweight division. In addition to her decorated past in boxing, she also has a background in Karate and Kickboxing.
Wear Green
It’s a little basic, but wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day is a classic for a reason. Green’s a great color! Everyone looks good in it! It’s a way to participate in the day without having to put too much extra energy and effort into it!
As luck would have it, green is also one of ProForce’s signature colors, so we have a lot of green martial arts clothing and gear that you can wear and train in this March 17. Here’s just a taste:
Green Clothing: If you want to go big and bright, ProForce Sport® Angel Wing Muay Thai Shorts come in an eye-popping neon green. If you prefer your shorts a little longer and baggier, ProForce Sport® Mystery Mutant Shorts come in a sweet purple and lime color combo. And if you’re more into muted shades with green accents, there’s the black with neon green ProForce Sport® 8 Oz. Combat Pants or the black with neon green ProForce Sport® Logo Sweatshirt.
Green Training and Sparring Gear: ProForce’s Lightning sparring gear series, including Sparring Gloves, Ultra Lightning Kick shoes, and Sparring Head Gear, all come in a smashing green. You can also box in green, thanks to ProForce Sport’s bold green Mutant Chainlink Ninja Boxing Gloves. You can even protect your hands with neon green hand wraps and your mouth with a green mouth guard.
Green Martial Arts Weapons: ProForce Champion Kama, Super Speedchucks, and Competition Bo Staff all come in green if you want to do a little fighting with your Irish celebrations.
