The African martial arts are among the largest variety of martial arts on earth. In fact African martial arts are also the oldest and was practiced over 30,000 years ago in the Aquatic Civilization of the Sahara (Zingh Empire ). The earliest African martial art was probably wrestling and various forms of hand to hand combat. Later on, kicking and other forms were added. Stick and pole fighting as well as weapons came in later. AFRICAN MARTIAL ARTS FROM THE TIME OF EGYPT TO TODAY: The oldest and longest practiced martial arts on earth today are Nuba wrestling and Hikuta (the martial arts used to protect the Pharaohs of Nubia and later Egypt (Khemet). Hikuta is a lightening fast martial arts that applys force on particular pressure points that lead to immobilization. Nuba Wrestling is the ancient art found among today’s Nuba (in Sudan) who still practice this art as a test of initiation into manhood. Various martial arts developed from the ancient Wrestling and hand to hand and feet combination martial arts that began in the Sahara and Nubia. These arts spread to Southern Africa, Congo-Angola, West Africa and Eastern Africa. African martial arts comes in various forms: Wrestling (Gidigbo Yoruba) Wrestling/boxing combination (Senegali,Laamb) Boxing/open hand – boxing/slapping (Dambe) Acrobatic feet fighting (Angola capoeira, ) combination hand and feet (Pinge, Danmye, Mani, kicking and knocking) Head butting with knees, elbows (Ja Rock) There are also a wide variety of sword fighting, stick fighting and other weapons forms including ‘knockout’ powders and such chemicals used by those who practice the voodoo and Dahomey/Benin martial arts. MORE ON MARTIAL ARTS: One of the most famous African martial arts is Capoeira. Capoeira is an African martial arts in every sense of the world just as English is a European language. Capoeira comes from the old Angolan martial arts such as Ngolo, the acrobatic martial art done by Angolan males during the marriage ritual – and before choosing a bride. Capoeira also comes from the Angolan art Kipura, which mimics the fighting style of roosters and animals like the leapord. The Origins of Capoeira is Angola. Forms of capoeira is also found in Mozambique, Congo and West Africa. Fighting arts similar to Capoeira are also found in the Americas in places apart from Brazil and points to a common origin in Africa. In ever region where slaves were bought from Congo-Angola or West Africa, the martial arts similar to Capoeira are found. For example. Susa is found in Surinam among the Njuka, Saramaka who both have their own heiroglyphic alphabets and whose boats look identical to boats once used in the Mid Sahara and Egypt, with the curved hulls. Danmye is found in Martinique, the French-speaking island in the Caribbean. Knocking and Kicking is found in the SOUTHERN US, IN MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA. Mani is found is Cuba. Pinge is found in Haiti. Ja Rock is a secret martial arts that is also of African origins. Research shows that this art was used by the bodyguards of kings in Africa as well as special ‘commondo’ units. Ja Rock is found among a segment of African Americans who form one of the most secretive secret societies in the US. Ja Rock is also practiced by some Black fraternities in the US, along with the form of African dancing called ‘stepping,’ which has its origins in Zulu military drilling/dancing movements. Learn more about the ancient civilizations and military arts of Africa.
See, “Susu Economics,”
When one mentions the term “martial arts”, the first thing that comes to mind is most
probably a number of Asian combat sports, namely: Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Aikido, Tae
kwondo, Ninjutsu, Thai boxing, etc. Very little is known about the “martial art”
techniques invented and perpetuated by dark-hued peoples of the tropics and the purpose
of this article is to serve as an introduction to what I call “Black Martial Arts”, or simply
BMA, a term used to denote the various “martial art” forms of Black origin.
By “black” I mean those people of African, Melanesian, Dravidian, and/or Australian
Aboriginal origin, including their Diaspora, in various parts of the world and by “martial
arts” I mean a physical combat involving daring and risk-taking against any type of
adversary. In my definition, the adversary may be another person (as in Capoeira de
Angola from Brazil), an animal (as in the Savika bull domination of Madagascar), an
object (as in Mallar Khambam pole acrobatics of Tamil Nadu), an element of nature (as
in walking on heated stones in Fiji), or even one’s self (as in the painful Sharo flogging
ritual of the Fulani cattle herders of Nigeria or the Tamil Kavadee ritual of Mauritius and
India).
The important element in the definition here is a competition involving the “risk to life
and limb” and thus whereas basketball and soccer are not considered “martial arts” under
my definition, rugby (a kind of football where protective padding is not used) and Hele
(diving into waves that crash the diver against a sharp precipice) would most certainly
qualify. Among the benefits of engaging in such activities, one finds:
1) combat training for
young men;
2) the development of body discipline and endurance;
3) the fostering of
guild loyalty and/or village pride;
4) an opportunity for a combatant to acquire fame,
prestige, and popularity;
5) an opportunity to demonstrate to friend and foe one’s virilityand courage;
6) a source of money and gifts for organizers and performers; and
7) a socially sanctioned outlet for the aggressive tendencies inherent in man.
In the Fulani stick flogging ritual called Sharo, it constitutes a rite of passage
from boyhood into manhood. Indeed, a Fulani youth who even winces upon being
flogged is disgraced and will never find a Fulani girl that would accept him in marriage.
Over the years, I have studied and written a series of books entitled Black Martial Arts
which presently is composed of six volumes, namely: 1) Hausa Combat Games;
2)Combat Games of the African Indian Ocean;
3) Capoeira de Angola (from Brazil) &
Congo (from Panama);
4) Ladjia (from Martinique);
5) Northern Nguni (i.e. Zulu, Swazi,
and Ndebele) Stick fighting; and
6) Tamil Displays of Daring. The Combat Games of Hausa speakers (the dominant linguistic group of Northern
Nigeria) include:
1) Dambe – a form of traditional boxing practiced by members of the butcher’s guild and increasingly by local toughs who are not guild members. In dambe
only one hand is “gloved” (i.e. bound for striking purposes), the other hand
being used to ward off blows. In some areas, both kicking and head-butting
are also permitted;
2) Farauta – hunting expeditions in which one group snatches prey from
another. In bishi, a specially convened gathering of hunters, the combatants
(armed with knives, bows and arrows, maces, clubs, and other sundry
weapons) shout their taunts and praises and engage in mock (but sometimes
real) confrontations. Feats of magic, such as the materialization of arrows
from thin air, are said to occur at these gatherings;
3) Kokawa – a form of traditional wrestling practiced mostly by farmers. Though perhaps the safest of the combat games, serious injury sometimes result – particularly when a wrestler is lifted high into the air and slammed to the
ground at the foot of a spectator. Unlike American wrestling one does not
need to pin an opponent to win. If an adversary’s head, hands or body touches
the ground he is considered defeated. There exists in Sokoto the survival of a
harsher form of wrestling in which adversaries are equipped with ringlets that
can be used to slash the back of an adversary when grabbed;
4) Shanci – a spectacular and bloody contest performed exclusively by the
Maguzawa Hausa in which gallantly arrayed adversaries each armed with two
razor sharp iron bracelets and arm-shields engage in pitched battle;
5) Sharo (also known as shadi) – a Fulani man-hood contest involving mutual
flogging with a long pliant stick or a short inflexible one. Those who cry out
in pain are disgraced and are not considered worthy of marriage;
6) Tauri – a large gathering of tough-skins (‘yan tauri) who (due to their use of
traditional medicines) are supposedly impervious to being cut by metals. They
shout their praises and taunts while demonstrating their invulnerability by
drawing swords or knives across various parts of their body including the
tongue. If conducted in a remote area, these gatherings (commonly called
gangi) produce confrontations which result in serious injury and even loss of
life; and
7) Other contests – a category that includes minor combat games such as faka
(which imitates the butting of goats), kwambe (foot boxing), wowwo
(communal mock raids), and wasan sanda (Fulani stick fighting) as well as
those games of courage which do not pit man against man, but rather against
nature such as: wasan wuta (testing invulnerability to burning), hawan kaho
(riding the horns of a bull), wasan kura (dangerous play with hyenas), wasan
mahaukata (self flagellation with swords), wasan macizai (snake dodging),
and wasan kunama (permitting poisonous scorpions to roam over one’s skin).
Combat Games of the African Indian Ocean with examples from Madagascar, Reunion and the Comores (see photo gallery) include:
1) Moringue (Reunion) / Morengy (Madagascar) / Mrengé (Comores) – a form of traditional boxing accompanied by music and song which is practiced by Creoles, Malagasy and Comorians alike. This sport (of presumed mainland African origin) is essentially a spectacular form of bare-knuckle boxing though in some areas both kicking and head butting are permitted; (many more techniques were apart of it) practiced by Malagasy farmers and herders. In Toamasina (eastern Madagascar) toho-body (a form of wrestling in which one competitor begins the fight with his back facing his opponent) is practiced;
3) Savika – a form of ceremonial Zebu bull riding practiced by the Betsileo of
Madagascar. This sport (like Jalli Kattu in Tamil Nadu, India) requires the
combatant to grab the hump of an enraged bull and cling to the bucking
creature for a specified period of time;
4) Malaso – a tradition, the object of which is to steal someone else’s cattle. This thieving incorporates many of the elements associated with other combat sports including the performance of rituals, use of magic, songs, dance,
combat, and daring;
5) Hele – a spectacular water sport in which naked or scantily clad Comorian youths leap off rocky crags into a turbulent ocean where they are carried by
powerful waves either back to the very crag from which they jumped or into
another rocky crag;
6) Mixed Genres – the grafting of Asian Martial Arts to Traditional Malagasy Games (i.e. daka, diamanga, ringa, and morengy) resulting new and powerful
hybrid forms. This is somewhat similar to what Mestre Bimba and Mestre
Sena did to Capoeira Angola to produce Capoeira Regional and Capoeira
Estilizado respectively.
Capoeira, a patrimony of Brazilians of African descent, is a spectacular form of acrobatic
fighting which is said to be derived from an Angolan ritual where males (imitating Zebra
fighting) squared off to determine who would wed the girl of his choice. The combat
resembles a battle between two cocks and is accompanied by music and songs. Congo, on
the other hand, is a remarkable dance ritual from Panama which takes the form of a
mock-combat between a man and a woman. Although these two arts are superficially as different from another as “male” and “female”, they have a great deal more in common than meets the eye. Whereas Capoeira is a mock-combat between two men, Congo is a mock-combat between a man and a woman and in both “games” the aim is not to defeat the opponent, but rather to cue the adversary to defend himself/herself. Moreover in both games:
1) the combatants must stay in rhythm with the music which is played
throughout the contest;
2) a combatant tries to anticipate the movements of his/her adversary and tries to oblige her/him to break rhythm;
3) there is a “call and response” singing with music and evocative lyrics played
throughout the match; 4) there are a prescribed number of characteristic attacks and defenses, but the performance is spontaneous and not choreographed;
5) both cunning and malicia (treacherous deception) play a more important part
in the development of the contest than strength; 6) both games are of supposed Bantu (Congolese) origin that were further developed in the context of slavery in the American diaspora – Capoeira in Brazil, and Congo in Panama;
7) both dances incorporate many bird movements and motifs; and most
importantly 8) the two arts can be seen as complementary aspects of a mating ritual
(Capoeira to select the male who will mate and Congo the male’s attempt to
seduce the female) both having the same “raison d’être” – the preservation of
the species.
Ladjia (also known as Danmyé and Wonpwen) is a martial art of probable African origin
that took root on the soil of the Caribbean island of Martinique. It is performed to
rhythms produced by the tambour (drum), ti-bois (sticks) and choral response singing.
Here, agile fighters deliver blows with the hands, feet, elbows, knees, or head and [unlikeCapoeira] also employ grappling techniques to best their opponent.
Throughout the combat, drummed binary rhythms are accompanied by evocative solo
singing and enthusiastic choral responses. In choreographed versions of this art the agile
fighters perform a mock-fight following the commands of the drumming – each beat of
which is known and decoded by the performers. Thus, when the drummer executes the
kassé stroke, the fighters stop abruptly, and when the drummer executes the oulé stroke,
they just as suddenly resume fighting.
The primary reason for the continued existence of this art form is the result of the effort
of certain Black Martinicans (particularly members of AM4) to rescue and preserve this
unique element of their culture which was passed down to them by their African
ancestors. In addition to being a regional patrimony and a great source of black pride, the
practice of Ladjia serves as a means to:
1) develop skills in self defense;
2) test one’s
(newly acquired) combative skills against those of an adversary;
3) stay in good physical
condition;
4) put on shows as a form of spectator entertainment;
5) earn money;
6)receive acclaim;
7) impress women;
8) release frustration;
9) identify with one’s culture;
10) simply have fun.
It, too, can be compared to a mating ritual, but here one need not travel to Panama for the
dance of seduction. Indeed, the Martinican Belé dance – which utilizes the same
instruments as Ladjia – plays the role of the Panamanian Congo admirably well.
Northern Nguni (i.e. Zulu, Swazi and/or Ndebele) stick-fighting is an African
“celebration of masculinity” (dating from time immemorial) that involves a contest
between two adversaries each of which is armed with two sticks. The attack stick (usually
held in the right hand is used to strike with; whereas the stick held in the left hand is used
to parry strikes made by the opponent. The blows may be delivered from any direction
(i.e. down-swing, slashing swing, up-swing, or side-swing) to any part of the body; but
neither striking with the stick used to parry nor jabbing with the attack stick is permitted.
Moreover, fighters must refrain from injuring the eye of an opponent and strikes to the
head and knuckles are discouraged. Depending upon the nature and venue of the contest,
the left hand may be either unprotected or protected by a small shield.
Nguni children learn stick-fighting from an early age with relatively harmless light reeds.
As in Capoeira, sparring is used to teach and train a companion rather than to defeat him.
After learning the basic rudiments of the art, the boys then begin to employ harder sticks
and/or war clubs that are very lethal. Boys typically engage in stick-fighting with other
herd boys while grazing their cattle or sheep. More serious competitions typically take
place at weddings and/or other ritual events such as puberty celebrations. Though stickfighting
is considered a game (umdlalo wezinduku = “game of sticks”) rather than a
“fight”, it can result in serious injury and (in some cases) even death.
The Tamil – a dark-skinned race from southern India – have several “Displays of Daring”
(see photo gallery) which I classify as martial arts, namely:
1) Silambam – which primarily involves stick fighting using long bamboo poles.
This combat requires a great deal of hand, leg, and eye-co-ordination to strike
an opponent and prevent one’s self from being struck and there are a number
of techniques employed to force an opponent to drop his pole. Bare hand
techniques and weapons other than sticks are also learned and employed. This
art has been largely preserved in southern Tamil Nadu – particularly in
Tirunelveli – a district that gave birth to many experts like Marudupandi,
Kattabomman and Umaithurai. During festivals the art is performed as a game
accompanied by both music and song;
2) Malyutham – one of the 64 arts listed in ancient literature, this sport (similar to wrestling) reached its zenith during the Pallava dynasty. During the mid- Chola period, local champions traveled to other communities and even to Sri
Lanka to participate in tournaments there. In ancient times this art was the
patrimony of the Malliga Chetty community.
3) Kai kuthu sandai (Gushti) – a kind of boxing where the adversaries “rain blows on each other” in an attempt to floor the opponent. Skilled practitioners of this art are known to be able to easily defend themselves against an armed
opponent with their bare hands;
4) Sword fighting – this art reached its zenith in Tamil Nadu during the period of the Chola dynasties. Victory came when the adversary was wounded or when he lost his sword. Swords were sometimes used for parrying during these
competitions;
5) Jalli kattu – in this competition ferocious bulls with sharpened horns are
released from an enclosure one at a time. When the bull rushes into the arena,
one or a number of courageous youths try to slow it down by holding down its
horns, grabbing its hump, or climbing on its back. In the old days a prize of
gold or money was attached to the horns awaiting he who was bold enough to
snatch the prize. In those days it was (like Sharo of the Fulani) also used as a
test for youths seeking a bride. This competition between man and bull (which
is quite similar to Savika of Madagascar) typically takes place during the
second day of the pongal festival;
6) Urimaram eruthal – considered an activity of great courage – involves an attempt by youths to climb a tall greased pole at the top of which is tied a pot
filled with colored water. As a youth attempts to climb the pole, people shout
and throw water on him to thwart his efforts. The first one to reach the pot and
break it is rewarded with gifts. The danger here consists in the risk of falling;
7) Deer-horn fighting – – involves the use of a weapon made from razor-sharp
deer horns in which the practitioner (using twisting and turning movements)
defends himself against an adversary armed with a staff, knife, dagger, etc. He
may choose to use one deer horn or two (one in each hand);
8) Mallakhamb – Here, a youth utilizing exceptional body flexibility, quickness,
balance, strength, and perfect timing, pits himself against a pole which he
climbs and then executes various yoga postures (usually) at its summit.
Traditional martial artists and soldiers trained in this art to strengthen their
muscles, discipline, co-ordination, body control and daring. Soldiers who
underwent this training were held to perform better in combat;
9) Curled swords – this weapon consists of a number of thin tensile steel blades
which are attached to a strong handle. When it is swung at an adversary, “the
blades unfurl slicing through the flesh”. It is a very dangerous weapon and a
great deal of skill is required to use it properly;
10) Burning torch – here the practitioner plays with fire and (according to M. Shahul Hameed) becomes “one with it”. In one type of performance a long flexible pole is selected and both ends are wrapped in cloth soaked with oil
and set afire. The performer holds the pole in the center and twirls it around
(like a baton) creating a magnificent display of light and fire. Two burning
torches can be held (one in each hand) and twirled in a similar way.
Sometimes a lighted wheel or star is used and the performer spins it from
various positions (standing, seated, prone, kneeling, etc.). Performers also use
chains to produce the same effect. The chain can be twirled with the chest,
mouth, or even hair;
11) Kavadee – an awesome ceremony of apparent great pain and sacrifice
(similar somewhat to Fulani Sharo, for which see above) that clearly
demonstrates the physical and spiritual heights that man can reach when
forgetting self and taking refuge in god. Here devotees become one with god
by purging passion, pride, hate and envy from the soul by means of a ten-day
abstention period followed by participation in an arduous barefooted kavadee
procession during which their bodies are typically transfixed with metal
needles, skewers, and weighted-down hooks as they carry a kavadee (arc)
over a long distance. This abstinence from physical gratification is said to lead
to self-liberation;
12) Teemeedee – is a ceremony in honor of a Warrior Goddess in which devotees, after undergoing austere preparations, walk bare-foot across a bed of burning
embers to obtain the goddess’s protection from adversity (cf. Fijians who
walk on stones which have been heated red hot); and
13) Kathi poosai – Here, certain Tamil men, after undergoing a ritual of austerity, mount a ladder, the rungs of which consist of sharp swords with the blade side facing up. They do this as penance for wrongdoing or to seek a boon against ills that might befall a family member or the community as a whole.
It should be noted that although I have identified all of these forms as “martial arts”, I
have also occasionally referred to some of them as “combat games”. According to the
Collins Dictionary a game is defined as a competitive activity involving skills, chance,
endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules usually
for their own amusement or for that of spectators. As such Northern Nguni stick-fighting,
Ladjia, Capoeira, and the other competitions discussed above can also be called games.
What distinguishes a “game” from a “fight” is mainly the existence of rules designed to
lessen the risk of serious injury (e.g. no jabbing with the stick in Nguni stick-fighting, no
head strikes in Silambam, etc.). Note that in the more spiritual kavadee, teemeedee and
kathi poosai, described above, the “rules” that must be followed in order to be able to
tolerate the pain.
Nevertheless, despite these rules and regulations, risk taking and daring are such that the
possibility of serious injury is not only possible, but frequently occurs, and it is for this
reason that they are all considered – according to my definition – to be “martial arts”.
Indeed, despite all precautions, several people typically die each year in the jalli kattu competition and painful injuries during silambam sparring matches (despite the use ofmasks and headgear) also occur.
There are no doubt many other African martial arts forms that have not been mentioned in this article.
