09/16/2026
One of my good friends and Irish Stick Instructor posted the following.10 Fundamental Keys to teaching . It is not just for Irish Stick but all Martial Arts. Thanks John for the reminder.
10 Keys to Successfully Teaching Irish Stick
With the massive growth of Bataireacht, and the increase in the number of new coaches and instructors supporting that growth, I thought I’d share 10 Fundamental Keys to successfully teaching Irish stick.
1. Know what you’re teaching—and why. Don’t just demonstrate movements. Understand the mechanics, purpose, tactical context, and common errors well enough to explain them several different ways.
2. Teach fundamentals relentlessly. Stance, balance, structure, distance, timing, body mechanics, and control matter more than collecting techniques. Advanced skill is usually excellent basics performed under increasingly difficult conditions.
3. Demonstrate clearly, then stop talking. Show the complete movement first, then break it into manageable pieces. Give students one or two corrections at a time rather than ten things to think about simultaneously.
4. Progress from cooperative to resistant practice. A useful progression is learn → drill → pressure-test → spar → review. Technique practiced only against a cooperative partner can create false confidence.
5. Correct the student, not just the technique. Different students learn visually, verbally, or physically. One explanation won’t work for everyone. A good instructor adjusts the teaching method without changing the underlying technique.
6. Create a safe environment for mistakes. Students need permission to fail while learning. Correct mistakes firmly when necessary, but don’t embarrass people for making them.
7. Develop judgment, not obedience. Explain why something works and encourage thoughtful questions. The goal should be students who can recognize problems and make decisions for themselves—not students who simply imitate the instructor.
8. Keep ego out of instruction. You don’t have to win every demonstration or have an answer for everything. Saying “I don’t know; let me look into that” can strengthen rather than diminish an instructor’s credibility.
9. Maintain standards. Encouragement doesn’t require lowering expectations. Advancement should represent demonstrated ability, understanding, control, and consistency.
10. Remember what you’re ultimately producing. You’re not trying to create people who are good at performing drills. You’re developing stick fighters who can apply sound fundamentals under movement, uncertainty, pressure, and resistance.
For something like Doyle Irish Stick Fighting, I’d add one more: preserve the system while teaching the student. An instructor can adapt the explanation to the individual without casually altering the mechanics of the system being passed down.
Note: While this list is not all-incompassing, hopefully you will find some value.
