A disscussion and network group to explore and promote the Irish Martial Arts - Na Healaíonaí an Chogaidh Éireannach. This will include the two main streams of Féinchosaint - self defense; Troid Armáílte (Armed Fighting) and Gráscar Lámh (Hand to Hand Fighting).
Troid Armáílte (Armed Fighting) will include Bhataireacht (Stick Fighting using a variety of sticks) and Scianóireacht (Knife Arts using various sizes and types of edged implements and knives for self defense or the silent dispatch of an enemy.
The group focus is both the study of traditional Irish fighting arts and their viability in professional use of force or self protection applications in today's society.
The Irish have long taken their heritage arts for granted, seeing them simply as our way of doing things and never,really, considering them 'Martial Arts". Even in Ireland there are, today, far more people studying Eastern martial arts than their own traditional fighting arts. Add to this that the Irish arts are traditionally taught to family members or close friends and are not commonly available even to the Irish.
Small wonder then that most of the outside world and many of the Irish, consider the Irish arts 'lost' or 'gone'. Some people have gone so far as to attempt to 're-construct' the Irish arts from historical documentation. This comes as quite a surprise to those of us who've grown up practicing these timeless skills.
We'd like to see this all changed. We want to promote and teach the Irish fighting arts to the general public and, in particular, to those with a professional need of solid use of force options.
I, Philip (Plib) Bradley, a full-time defensive tactics/use of force instructor, multiple black belt holder in a variety of Eastern martial arts and life long practicioner of the Irish fighting arts, will be the moderator for this group. Together with my wife, Charlene, I/we provide training to both the law enforcement and private sectors.