That would be The Deadliest Men: The World's Deadliest Combatants throughout the Ages by Paul Kirchner, which is admittedly an interesting read.

Francisco Pizarro was a bad mofo...


Thanks for that! The book is at home and I am at work. Apreciated.

Thanks for that! The book is at home and I am at work. Apreciated.

Anytime, bro.

Not heard the Bruce ambuscade story, but the duel with Sir Henry de Bohun is a pretty famous one; the story goes that on the eve of Bannockburn an opportunistic English knight saw the Bruce riding ahead of his troops and tried to charge him down. The Bruce was mounted on a light horse and had only a battle-axe, no lance. However, Bohun's lance missed, and the Bruce clove his skull with the axe so hard the haft snapped. The Bruce is reputed to have answered the Scottish lords, who had been reproaching him for taking such risks, with the words, "I have broken my good battle-axe."

Whether or not the story is an embroidery or not, it seems likely that the Bruce's prowess on the battlefield was not in dispute among his contemporaries.

A great anecdote, and Bruce's exclamation about breaking his axe is classic Medieval humor.

Here's a nice little bit on Robert Roy MacGregor, from Sir Alfred Hutton's classic, The Sword and the Centuries:

"During the reign of that miserable bigot, James II, both civil and religious discord reached their climax, and the most odious deeds of oppression and cruelty were constantly enacted under the cloak of piety. At some such scenes Rob Roy had occasionally been present as a spectator, regretting that, strong man though he was, he was not powerful enough to crush down the perpetrators.

It happened one time that he had been to Carlisle to receive some money that was due him, and returning home by way of Moffat, he comes upon an officer and a party of soldiers, who are engaged in hanging on a tree four peasants, whom they describe as fanatics, Covenaters, and Nonconformists; the daughter of one of these unfortunates is bound to the same tree. Their cruel work being completed, they proceed to unloose the girl, tie her hands and feet, and drag her towards the verge of a precipice, from which, regardless of her cries for mercy, they are about to throw her into the river. It is now Rob's turn; he steps forward and demands why they are treating a helpless woman so barbarously. The officer replies in an arrogant fashion: "Be off, you rascal, or we will serve you the same for your insolence in interfering with His Majesty's commands." This infuriates Rob; he springs upon the soldiers, who are by this time close to the edge, and hurls eight of them into the stream, where they are carried away and drowned by the rapid current; he next whips out his skene dhu, and cuts the cords by which the girl is bound. The officer and the rest of his men are for the moment paralyzed with astonishment, when Rob draws his claymore, attacks him, and promptly stretches him dead on the ground. The soldiers now attempt to surround Rob and avenge their commander; but the herculean Highlander lays about him so vigorously that he soon despatches three more of them to keep the good gentleman company. The remainder take to their heels, and never stop till they arrive at the garrison of Moffat, where they report that, while they were about their holy work, no less a person than Satan himself sprang forth from the earth, armed with a sword which no mortal arm could resist; that he slew their officer and eleven of their comrades, and that it was all that the remainder could do to save as much as their lives."

I learned Scottish Martial Arts as a child. It's an ancient family tradition.
My grandfather showed me how to make a fist when I was about four years old. I remember it quite clearly. Much later, my father taught me to aim at the jaw for a knockout.
The headbutting and kicking I had to figure out for myself

Yes.

There is no literary evidence for the "great kilt" until the 16th century, and no pictorial evidence for it until the 17th.



Yes.

William Wallace was NOT a Highlander. He would have looked like any other European knight.

I assume the the makers of Braveheart wanted to separate Wallace's character from the "evil" English, so they made him look really... "native".

And thus, really silly.

William Wallace was the son of a scottish squire, although there is some dispute over this.

He was, by all accounts, actually very very large, more like his big side kick in the movie then mel gibson. The argyle character represents a composite of several relatives and tutors. His wife and father were never killed - the murderous transaction that resulted in his becoming an outlaw was a personal dispute with another man - an english solidier IIRC -and the events in the movie actually took place over a period of a little more then a decade. The wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace) on it is pretty good

Weirdness - the battle of Stirling was on 9/11...

:ohyeah:

Who was the Argyle character? Can't remember.

Who was the Argyle character? Can't remember.

Mel Gibson's "Uncle Argyle", who looked after him after his father and brother were killed (the dude with the one eye missing).

The same actor played the Marquess of Montrose's creepy accountant (Killearn) in Rob Roy, and King Agammemnon in Troy.

That would be Brian Cox. He also played Hannibal Lector in Manhunter.

Scottish aren't people to have as allies in war against the english. They use to run away from battle.

Remember Glenshiel.

Piss off!! Scots have always been amongst the heartiest fighters in Europe. They were second only to the Swiss as sought after merecenaries for centuries.
Now if only they could produce some decent boxers..
I visited Rob Roy's grave the last time I was there. A very nondescript, quiet little place with a small church.
I may be taking a teaching position in Scotland next year.

My father's father was a scotts man and they all and since have been ludicrous national athletes and army men and on my mothers side also have a once were warriors / portugues / hong kong pre-land split small asia warriorsville blood line meets druid ancestory ( and how the f 'arre' those folks for some quitely under the radar martial thk u rome and catholic capaitalism for a shaolin pre-kaangxi/ sunzhi regime meets todays bs @ shaolin si regime wc / wl where the f*ck are hoistorical documents come have destroyed/ subducated and manilpulated +effect = long lasting prowess of real fu survivor hell)..........and ( ;) :) lol ...........l-) )...... aand 4 myself in several yrs playing at forums, dead set first time I've eever heard the scotts -men get a martial mention........

Seriously electic meat & digging it ..... guess Mel Gibson didnt wear blue foundation for nothing ( shucks at men in make up and bringing on the show :D ;) :) )and personally , all bs aside........ 'precxiating ;new' information and perspective. Thk u all for having the chat.

Nice to be electic and informed.

cheers

BtL

Piss off!! Scots have always been amongst the heartiest fighters in Europe. They were second only to the Swiss as sought after merecenaries for centuries.
Now if only they could produce some decent boxers..


Boxers? How about Scott Harrison and Alex Arthur?

Piss off!! Scots have always been amongst the heartiest fighters in Europe. They were second only to the Swiss as sought after merecenaries for centuries.

I think that depends on what century you're talking about.

In the early 16th century, when the Swiss had reached their military zenith, the Imperial German landsknechte were the second most hired group of mercs.

The really compelling thing is that the Scots actually fought best after they were incorporated into the British military. In Highland Broadsword, Paul Wagner and Mark Rector make a good case for saying that it was the introduction of Highland units in the Americas that helped to turn things around during the French-Indian War. The Highlanders were already skilled at fighting the skirmishing-style of war that predominated there, and they were feared and respected by the Indians.

I think the grandfather of the Gracies was Scotish.

I think that depends on what century you're talking about.

In the early 16th century, when the Swiss had reached their military zenith, the Imperial German landsknechte were the second most hired group of mercs.

The really compelling thing is that the Scots actually fought best after they were incorporated into the British military. In Highland Broadsword, Paul Wagner and Mark Rector make a good case for saying that it was the introduction of Highland units in the Americas that helped to turn things around during the French-Indian War. The Highlanders were already skilled at fighting the skirmishing-style of war that predominated there, and they were feared and respected by the Indians.

Yeah, the Landsknechte were badass..forgot about them. I wrote a paper on European Warfare in the 16th and 17th centuries a couple of years ago. It was fun to research that one..very interesting.

No no no. I just can't see scots, any Scott, systematizing a martial art. I am one - we're a very, what's the word, disorganized race. Your Dad will teach you to make a fist, hit people in the chin and kick them in the groin - right before your first day of school. You learn fast reflexes dodging empty bottles of scotch.

As far as Scots being cowards go, how does one explain Hadrian's wall? The Romans didn't want to go into Caledonia, but they were really happy in Britannia. Caber tossing, et. al, comes from techniques used in the old days to break a roman phalanx - it's hard to hold a formation when it's raining logs.