Here is a piece of leftover fighting Americana Appalachian style from the early frontier. The kali stick and dagger (espada y daga) people will no doubt appreciate its down-home spun way. On the old 1960s Andy Griffith TV Show, there is a fleeting reference to a stick and dagger Appalachian fighting art long before martial arts ever became popular in America. In episode Divorce, Mountain Style (03/64), starring a very young Bob Denver (Gilligan) and esteemed actor Denver Pyle as mountain man Briscoe Darling. Briscoe is quoted as saying as to who gets his daughter Charlene to marry: “You and Dud can fight it out . . . Willow branches and whittling knives. Nature’s law. Tooth and claw.” There it is–stick and dagger old Appalachian martial arts (espada y daga, like Filipino kali). This is authentic I feel because karate and judo were barely peeping their heads out in public at this time and the Scots, Irish and English settled in this area. The Irish did have a formidable stick art of their own, and in fact, was outlawed by the British. Catch this wonderful family comedy show. It is more than brilliant dlaurent
"Nature’s law. Tooth and claw.” He's paraphrasing Tennyson there, by the way. Interestingtheory but there's no real evidence of this is there? An organized Appalachian fighting art passed down through traditions? Stick and daggers was never banned in the US so you'd think it would still be around if so. I am actually from the Appalachians and this is the first I've heard of this. Now this, is evidence of Appalachian art, from your same source.
