African martial arts

[JusticeZero]

I mentioned that Capoeira has similarities to other African arts during the chat.. I mentioned Dambe specifically, since that was the one I remembered. lo and behold there is actually a little bit of information on it online..

As you can see, it too uses a musical accompaniment, and there are some other cultural similarities. Not all; Dambe is from some distance away from where Capoeira probably hails from.

This isn't that surprising; it is not a particularly American idea to take a bunch of techniques and build them into a ritual pattern, maybe with things like the footwork spelling out a letter; practitioners of Asian arts do forms and kata all the time, though. In Africa, things tend to be incorporated into musical accompaniment and the like.

It is my belief that after MMA has crystallized a bit more, that the next exotic martial art to burst onto the scene as trendy might very well come out of Africa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/picture_gallery/08/africa_traditional_boxing_in_nigeria/html/1.stm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUp1D81kLW8

[Wolfman08]

It also looks a bit like old school Western boxing. Big guard, little footwork, focus on power shots over wearing the opponent down.

[JusticeZero]

Mmhm. Still, the core structure isn't the same as boxing, most likely because of the fence/wrapped asymmetry. Boxers may be bladed at an angle in a similar way, but their hands do double duty, rather than being divided into roles like that. There's also the fact that they fight to a knockDOWN instead of a knockOUT to change their game up.

[MasterPain]

Step 1. turn fist into magically protected blunt instrument

Step 2. Beat someone with it and win a tv

Step 3. Herbal medicine

Bring this sport to central Illinois!!!!!

[Jeffrey]

Step 1. turn fist into magically protected blunt instrument

Step 2. Beat someone with it and win a tv

Step 3. Herbal medicine

Bring this sport to central Illinois!!!!!

That just made me laugh! Of course once you are through with Illinois I hear Canada can be fun.

Would love to hear more about this art.

[Ashley]

Interesting. I think that this kind of martial art is very rare because I haven't met it anywhere in Europe or USA...

[JusticeZero]

It's not rare in Africa. It just hasn't left Africa yet..

[sensei8]

Very, very interesting art. I did notice that there was no clinching as we see in Boxing, just two fighters trying to find that one opening.

Thanks for sharing Dembe with us.

[JusticeZero]

It used to have a wrestling component, but the wrestling component has separated out into a pure wrestling art, apparently. I presume there were what amounts to rules changes that spurred that development.

[bushido_man96]

Does Capoeira have roots in Africa? Could it be that it comes from some root of this Dambe? Just throwing an idea out there to toy with.

Thanks for sharing this with us. I'll make sure to check the vids when I have more time.