African Martial Arts in the Diaspora Flashcards
There are several forms of African Martial Arts which can be found
in different countries on the continent
Dambe
which entails boxing and kicking techniques, is practised by the Hausa people of Nigeria
In South Africa
Nguni and Zulu stick-fighting involve the use of sticks
the same stick-fighting technique can also be found in
Egypt but there it is called Tahti
T&T
Two forms of African martial arts which have been retained and are practised here are capoeira and stickfighting
Capoeira can trace its roots to
Angola
Capoeira was developed and is still widely practised in
Brazil and has a growing number of practitioners in TT
During the period of enslavement in Brazil,
maroon communities called quilombos became safe havens for Africans to practise and pass on their culture and it is out of these communities capoeira emerged
Capoeira is best described as
dance like movements between two opponents engaging in combat in a roda or a circle of capoeiristas (practitioners)
Capoeira includes
graceful acrobatic movements such as somersaults, swinging the legs high, hand stands and back flips
In capoeira’s very early forms
it also involved weapons such as blades or knives strapped to the ankle or held between the toes
What plays an integral part in the practice of capoeira
Music
An ensemble consisting of what are typical of capoeira combats
-1 to 3 berimbaus (stringed musical bows)
-1 or 2 atabaques (single-headed, standing conical drums)
-a pandeiro (Tamborine)
-an agogô (double bell)
-sometimes a reco-reco (Scraped bamboo tube)
-accompanied by call and response chants
According to who, how many types of capoeira are there
According to the Capoeira Association of Trinidad and Tobago, there are 3 types of capoeira
what are the 3 types
Angola (original)
Regional (restructuring the martial side)
Contemporânea, the most common in TT
What does contemporânea do
mixes styles from both regional and Angola and is notably more acrobatic
when and who returned to Trinidad and what did he decide to teach
In 1997, Sekhet Neb Amunwah, one of the leading exponents of capoeira in TT… and decided to teach Capoeira, the martial art and its culture
Amunwah acknowledges that
Mr Brian Jara was initially involved in introducing capoeira to TT when he held small workshops and practised the Angola tradition, the very ritualistic form of Capoeira
In addition to teaching, Amunwah has
performed at numerous events and martial art tournaments where he repeatedly proved the validity of the martial arts concepts of capoeira in academy and self-defence situations
What did Amunwah do in 1998
he opened and registered the first Capoeira Academy in TT
Amunwah was also responsible for
introducing capoeira demonstrations on the Brian Lara Promenade on Emancipation Day, August 1st
These demonstrations would be viewd by
hundreds of persons who would have gathered to participate in the Emancipation Day Kambule (Street Procession)
In order to continue the tradition and share it among our young people, Amunwah
conducts capoeira workshops for young persons as part of the annual Youth Day activities at LidjYau Omowale Emancipation Village
What is a popular form of African martial arts in TT
stick fighting/ Calinda/ Kalinda- it is also a mainstay event in the annual Carnival celebrations
Calinda’s origins can be traced back to
the period of enslavement where enslaved Africans would practise traditional fighting methods in their pass time and as a means of defence
Historians have linked stick fighting to
communities in Central and West Africa and the Oromo people of Ethiopia
The kalinda is the word used to refer to
the stick-fight, the dance, the songs and other elements associated with the African martial art
In Kalinda, opponents use
sticks called a bois made from the yellow poui tree
the bois are typically
about three and a half to four feet long and one inch in diameter
Combatants aka
Boismen
Boismen engage in
dance like motions with a bois held in hand in a ring called a gayelle
Kalinda fights are accompanied by
drumming and chantuelles often singing patois
In Kalinda, before the commencement of a fight, the
gayelle is spiritually ‘sealed’ with camphor and white rum, typically puncheon
step 2, a Boisman would
through his bois into the gayelle to signal his willingness to engage in combat and dance the carray
step 3 (calinda), an opponent would
enter the gayelle waving his bois to indicate his acceptance of the challenge
What was also part of the calinda fight
Engaging in mockery and picong, and it was well enjoyed by the spectators
Historically a boisman’s costume typically consisted of
coloured satin, decorated with beads, swansdown (duck feathers) and tiny mirrors, heart-shaped mirrors or decorations on the chest and back, a head tie with two long ends hanging on either side, stockings and alpargatas (sandals)
The heart shaped mirror worn on the chest is called the
fol
the knee length pants (calinda) is called the
kandal and according to Maureen Warner-Lewis, originated from the African word kandalala meaning death shroud
In preparation for a fight, boismen will
engage in prayer, self-isolation, meditation, spiritual baths and abstinence from carnal pleasures
special rituals are also done for the preparation of the bois
Each village has its own
chantuelle and drummers to support their boismen in fights
(calinda) one example of a chant is
“Mooma Mooma, yuh son in the grave already,/ Take a towel, ban yuh belly”
Some famous boismen include
Acid/King David; Kali; king Tony; King Stokely; Mother Marva; Congo Bara
In what year during the Camboulay Riots, stick fighters played
In 1881… a crucial role in defending Africans from the colonial authorities and they continue to hold a special place in the African community today
