Q: Now I want to talk about the apparatus. Can you talk about the type of stick you use?
Glen: Yes of course, as the website states, the preferred weapon of the Uisce stick fighter is called a Blackthorn. The length of the stick will of course be determined by the size of fighter. The best way to measure a stick is to put your two fists together, bring them to your chest with the knuckles facing outward, and measure from elbow to elbow. Then add three inches onto each side. I was lucky enough that I was basically the same height as my father, so when he passed on, I inherited his stick and I use it to this day.
Q: Anything else?
Glen: Of course. You have to have a tit on your Blackthorn for disarms and
other specific techniques. You also leave a lot of branch protrusions, which of
course are used for ripping the skin or flesh of your opponent. Ripping the
flesh is probably one of the first techniques my father ever taught me
(chuckling).
Q: Training with your dad. Can you describe maybe a typical day of training?
Glen: There was nothing typical about training with my father (chuckling).
But I will try to take you through a typical day, when I was about eight or nine
years of age. The first thing I remember about my dad was the fact that he
would let me be a kid. He was always very aware of the importance of enjoying the
day, but when it came time to training, he was a taskmaster. We would start
with some basic punching, shadowboxing movements to warm up the shoulders and the
legs. Once I was warmed up, he put the Blackthorn in my hand and I
started with the stick punches, and basic footwork. He corrected my form, and my
technique the old-fashioned way, a quick whack in the skull.
Q: Wow, was he ever in a good mood? (laughing)
Glen: (laughing) Not while training, when he trained me, it was all serious,
but after that, he was a dad again.
Q: I remember reading in your book that you say, every style has an inherited
weakness. If it isn’t too insulting, what would you say the weakness of Uisce
is?
Glen: It's not insulting at all. I stand by my comment that every style has an
inherited weakness and Uisce is no exception. Because it is a close range
style, it should be common sense that the weakness of Uisce is limited long-range
techniques. That's why we have charge-ins; we have to break distance immediately
for our style to be 100 percent effective. This is why I got together with
John Rivers and incorporated some aspects of his Filipino stick fighting style,
which is predominantly a long-range style. LaPunti Arnis de Abanico has some very
powerful long-range strikes that can be utilized by the Irish stick-fighting
practitioner.
Q: So LaPunti techniques can be used with a blackthorn and vice versa?
Glen: So far, so good. As I stated before, a stick is a stick no matter where
you go. I find that the LaPunti style attacks are easily executed using the
Blackthorn and the Uisce techniques can be easily utilized using the LaPunti
rattan stick. This is great because whether John Rivers or myself is instructing,
we can switch back and forth from the Irish or Filipino style without confusing
the student or having to change sticks.
Q: So can you talk about the first non-Doyles to learn Uisce?
Glen: Sure. Ernie DaSilva was the first non-Doyle to study Uisce. He was a
student at Jing Mo for a number of years and when I finally decided to teach Uisce
to others, he was the first to step up to the plate. After Ernie, I began
interchanging techniques with John Rivers, who was heavily into the Filipino style.
After that, I actually worked with a figure skater named Oliver Yost. Though
Oliver only studied with me for a short time, he picked up the techniques very
quickly and I believe still practices to this day. After Oliver there was the
interested group at Jing Mo: Richard, Konan, and Daniel. They’re the current
new Uisce generation. A great bunch of guys, and I'm happy to be their,
'seanachai'.
Q: Now, I know you called your Dad 'seanachaì'. Can you explain that and the ranking system you and he came up with?
Glen: OK, well 'seanachai' basically translates into 'storyteller'. Seeing as
Uisce is passed on through an oral tradition, the term makes sense to me.
Seanachai is pronounced SHAN-UKH-EE. As for the ranking system, my dad was more
behind it than I was. Before he fought in the Korean War, like a lot of Canadian
troops, his regiment went to Japan to train in the art of Aku Jitsu and
hand-to-hand combat. His exposure to the Japanese arts eventually exposed him to the
ranking system that a lot of the styles had, and when he returned to stick
fighting, he decided that a ranking system for Uisce might help break down which
technique should be taught first, and help adjust a person's skill level.
Q: So what are the rankings?
Glen: There are five of them. From the lowest level to highest goes: Iasc
(fish), Bradàn (salmon), Lon dubh (blackbird), Càg (jackdaw), and Mada rua (fox).
To be honest I don't really use this ranking system very often, but if a
student uses it as a guide to where they stand within the Uisce system I can refer to it once awhile.
Q: So how many techniques does Uisce have?
Glen: Well you can't really number them, but I'd say the style has
approximately 25 to 35 techniques. Of course, being intertwined with the Kung Fu stances,
the number could have increased.
Q: What’s your favourite technique, Glen?
Glen: Any technique that works, is my favourite. When a guy is coming at me
with a stick, with the intent of bashing my brain in, any Uisce technique that
works is the right one, and is my automatic favorite (laughs).
Q: Did you ever witness your father training, or fighting with his
blackthorn?
Glen: Yes a few times. I was so honored to be able to remember him training,
working out, and of course competing with his cousins and what not. There were
some good hits in those days.
Q: Did your father have a favourite technique?
Glen: Yes he did. Ironically his favourite technique would finish off the
opponent with fists, rather than stick. He called it a catapult. Basically it was
him heaving his stick horizontally at his opponent's nose and when the stick
struck the opponent, my dad moved in with his 'fists a flying' and pummeled him
down (smiles).
Q: You seem very reflective when you talk about your father… can you give me
your insight to what he means to you?
Glen: What he means to me. What does any father mean to a son?
He raised me, taught me, disciplined me, and presented me to the world in a way
that I could look at it with dignity. I model myself after my father, and when
I was younger, used to think to myself, "If I can be half the man that my father is, I'll be the greatest man in the world." He is the icon that I use to gauge my placement in this world. He is the motivation, and inspiration for
everything I do within martial arts, and outside them.
Q: So what was his reaction when you told him you wanted to incorporate Kung Fu stances into the style?
Glen: Very welcoming. His basic reaction was... he gave me the style; it's
tradition that each practitioner of Uisce inserts, or leaves their mark on the
style, so my mark will be the insertion of Chinese Kung Fu stances. In this we
progress, the style survives, and improves... reacting to society and current
trends.
Q: Did he know you were teaching non-Doyles?
Glen: Yes. My father died in 1998, and I began teaching Ernie back in 1995.
I don't know if he was totally for it when I first started, but once he saw the
results, once he saw how I enjoyed passing on something that was family to the
rest the world, he jumped onboard and became my consultant, so I could ask
questions about Uisce if I had any trouble explaining, or passing techniques onto students.
Q: Now, the Cead Bua Fighting Faction? What is that?
Glen: The name of my school where I teach Uisce. Cead Bua, basically translates
to '100 victory'. In Ireland our family came from two counties, Wexford and
Galway. Because Galway is in the province of Connacht, my father decided to
dedicate our faction to the legendary figure whom Connacht was named after "Conn
of the One Hundred". He was a great warrior who was reputed to have won over
100 battles, or 100 victories. It basically pays homage to the county where
we’re from.
Q: Now you teach Uisce, but there are two more words in front of it, what are
they? And what do they mean?
Glen: The words Cuan Sliabh, basically translates to, Bay-Mountain. Basically
this was to differentiate between the two Doyle clans. The Doyles from Galway
used a landmark to personalize their Uisce. They lived within a Bay that must
have been accentuated with a mountain, thus the term, Bay-Mountain Whiskey Stick
Dance (Cuan Sliabh Uisce Beatha Bata Rince).
Q: So where do you want to take Uisce, Glen?
Glen: As far as the world will let me. I will teach whoever wants to learn,
I'll go wherever there are students, and I will do my best to pass on the
lessons, sayings, theories, and techniques that my father, Greg Doyle, gave to me. I
want to make Uisce a household name in stick fighting circles.
Q: The Ten Commandments, do you follow them?
Glen:(laughing) You're talking to a lapse Catholic now, which Ten Commandments do you mean?
Q: You know which ones I mean.
Glen: (laughing) Of course I follow them, it's how I was raised. It's
how Uisce was taught to me. If I didn't follow the Ten Commandments, how could
I possibly teach them, pass them on?
Q: Now I know that Kung Fu has found its way into Uisce, but has Uisce found
its way into Chinese Kung Fu?
Glen: I'd have to say yes to that question. Though my style of Kung Fu is
close range based, I'd have to say that Uisce has made me a lot more comfortable
moving in, and breaking the distance between my enemy and me. And if you ask any
stick fighter, when you been whacked by a stick, someone throwing a punch at
you just doesn't seem to be as scary... not even close.
Q: Now, let’s examine a few techniques from Uisce. For a new student, what
would be the first thing they would learn?
Glen: Stick punch. They have to learn the stick punches, and hand transfers,
from one hand to the other. They would have to learn the basic stance of Uisce
and work the stick punches from that stance. Once the stick punches are second
nature, then we move on to the charge-in. Before anything else can be taught,
stick punches and charge-ins must be natural, instinctual, and perfect.
Q: Now reading a few other Irish fighting websites, they say that Irish
fighting has honour, and one was even quoted as saying kicking the groin is without
class. So is the Jig Kick dishonourable?
Glen: (laughs) I'm sure at one time, the Jig Kick would have been seen as
dirty, but as I stated before, society is always changing, and each Uisce
practitioner inserts his own fighting experiences, or new techniques into the style. So
I'm certain at some point in history, one of my great, great relatives must
have inserted the Jig Kick into the style, to compensate for fighters getting
meaner, more aggressive, and even dirtier themselves. A kick to the balls now, in today's society, is looked on as cunning rather than dishonorable.
Q: Has Uisce made its way into any of your film scripts yet?
Glen: (sly smile) Not yet, although I was hoping Martin Scorsese would've got
me on as a consultant for the opening fight scenes of "Gangs of New York", but
alas, no luck. I am however working on a couple of Irish based scripts right
now, and if possible, I will insert some stick fighting scenes. If that fails,
I am currently working on a script about the life of my father, Greg Doyle, as a tribute to him. Somewhere down the road, Uisce will be on the big screen, I can almost guarantee it.
END PART II
Interview - Part I