Scottish Combat Techniques

The Scots employed different types of weapons in their various fighting styles.

Although most forms of Scottish combat no longer exist, historians have a good grasp of the types of combat techniques the Scots practiced during and after the medieval period. These combat techniques descended from predominantly Irish and Viking fighting methods and were taught in martial arts schools known in Gaelic as Taigh Suntais.

Stick Fighting

Stick fighting was a common fighting practice in Scotland. Young men were taught to fight with 3- to 4-foot ash sticks. These sticks sometimes had a wicker guard to protect the hands. Besides this, there was no other form of protection. There were seven offensive and six defensive positions. The aim was to beat your opponent's head with the stick. If blood ran to an inch above the fighter's eyebrow, the fighter lost.

Combative Dance

Dances existed in Scotland that mimicked their combative styles. These dances were presumably ways of practicing foot movements of particular fighting styles. A song still exists in Scotland entitled "Bualidh mi u an sa chean" (I will break your head for you). This suggests that stick fighting may have been carried out to music or that dances developed to practice the movements of a typical stick fight. Other dances existed too, which utilized weapons such as swords and axes and unarmed offensive and defensive movements such as kicks and sweeps.

Wrestling

Wrestling was a common fighting style in Scotland and is depicted on images dating back as far as the 7th century. These styles are presumed to be derivatives of Celtic and Viking wrestling styles. Clansmen were taught these fighting styles, as training with weapons was often prohibited by the English rulers. The most common forms of wrestling were the loose-hold and back-hold wrestling styles.

Sword Fighting

Sword fighting was common in Scotland, but the exact techniques employed in the Middle Ages are still obscure. As many Scots fought as mercenaries in Europe, it is likely that they adopted German and Italian fighting techniques. The typical Scottish guard on a sword is angled to point toward the blade. This type of guard is used to trap the opponent's blade, so it is likely that trapping blades was a common feature in Scottish sword fighting techniques.

References

• Dirk Dance: SCOTLAND'S MARTIAL HISTORY
• Dirk Dance: HALF-LANG & CLAYMORE