7 African Martial Arts You Probably Didn’t Know Existed

mus_4

Musangwe

Musangwe is a South African form of bare fist fighting and boxing. The Venda people, which includes various cultural groups, have been practicing this martial art for centuries. The fights have taken place in the Chifude Valley since its inception.

 

nuba-real1

Nuba Wrestling

The popular style of wrestling comes from south Sudan. The Nuba people have been wrestling for centuries and like other forms of wrestling, the objective is to get your opponent on their back. Historically, wrestlers would fight naked but now it is more common to fight in shorts and t-shirts. The younger wrestlers are trained by former champions, creating a system of community and sharing of talents. Most of the tournaments occur during planting and harvesting festivals.

 

Neferhotep_Tahtib

Tahtib

This stick-fighting martial art originates in north Africa and dates back to the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt or Kemet. The reliefs from the archaeological site of Abusir shows the stick dance in detail. The fighters used a four-foot stick called an Asa, Asaya, Assaya, or Nabboot while they performed to music. This fighting style was instrumental in the training of the Egyptian soldiers, along with archery and wrestling. “Far south of the Nile is Ethiopia, home to the aggressive stick fighting art of the Suri people,” reports Vice. This style of fighting can be seen in a variety of geographic areas.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top