African Martial Arts

Africa has always been a very interesting continent. Before the whites came, blacks had their own way of doing almost everything. They had religions, traditions cultures, different forms of entertainment and wrestling, was one of them. Other than the traditional form of wrestling, martial arts as a whole existed in Africa and was called different names by the different communities who practiced them. Today however, even though Africans prefer to watch WWE RAW and boxing with the likes of Mayweather, it does not obliterate the fact that martial arts still exists and most African don’t know it. Here are the different forms of martial arts that exist in different African communities.

Musangwe
Musangwe is a tradition of bare-knuckle fist fighting mostly practiced bu the Venda people of South Africa. It is believed that the Musangwe form of boxing helps young men to cope with present day challenges.

Istunka Istunka is a festival tournament held annually in Afgooye, Somalia on the Somali new year. It is a form of mock fighting between two opponents. In years past, the Istunka was a mock fight between the people residing on each side of the river bed in the town of Afgooye. It symbolized the defence of one’s community and honor and was originally performed in full combat gear, with battle-axes, swords and daggers. However, for safety reasons, performers these days replaced those weapons with large sticks or batons. The current fighting style has been around since the 17th century during the Somalian Sultanate of Geledi.

Dambe
Dambe or Kokuwa is a form of boxing associated with the Hausa people of Nigeria. The technique involved is unique in that the boxers fight with one hand. The boxer’s strong hand is covered in a wrap and called the spear. The other hand is free and called the shield. Kicking is allowed as well. Each match has three rounds and the boxers must knock their opponent out within that time frame.

Engolo or Ngolo The Engolo or Ngolo style of fighting involves various kicks, dodges, and leg sweeps, with an emphasis on inverted positions, i.e. with one or more hands on the ground. The techniques are said to be derived from the peculiar way in which Zebras fight amongst themselves. It is sometimes performed in public and other times in private as a ritual rite of passage for young men in local tribes around the Cunene river area in Southern Angola. It is believed that this style was transported through the African diaspora in the form of Brazilian martial arts.