Bata (martial arts)

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Bata (Bataireacht or Uisce Beatha Bata Rince in Irish) or Irish stickfighting is a traditional martial art of Ireland. Often associated with hurling gangs and faction fighters, it was recently dramatised in Gangs of New York, and classically by Irish author William Carleton in "Traits And Stories of The Irish Peasantry". The stick (or "bata") is a specific weapon called a shillelagh ("sail-eille") - "bata" is a general term which can mean any kind of stick and calling stick-fighting "bata" is a modern practice used for general clarity. Uisce Beatha Bata Rince means whiskey stick dance and refers to a specific style of Bata, where the stick is often held in two hands.