The Celts in these times had a great mastery of close quarter fighting and weaponry. The Celts were notable in wrestling system. Roman writings describe Celtic life, including armed and unarmed combat, and note that Celtic festivals included wrestling.
At least two variants of these forms of wrestling still exist: Cornish wrestling and Breton wrestling.
In Scotland, surviving martial practices include single-stick, backhold wrestling, piping and dancing.
Piping and dancing may seem a strange type of martial activity, but the classical music of the Highland pipe consists of praise music for the ancient clan chiefs. The tunes instructed warriors to come to the chief, inspired the clans before and during battle and served as laments.
Archaeology has uncovered, on the scabbards of Celtic swords and other precious items, engraving that date back to the 4th century BC. These engravings depict subjects involved in close combat, including Greeks practicing their combat method of Pankration.
Celtic martial arts
