Dambe
Encyclopedia
Dambe, also known as Kokawa is a form of boxing
associated with the Hausa people
of West Africa
. Historically, Dambe included a wrestling component, known as Kokawa, but today it is essentially a striking art. The tradition is dominated by Hausa butcher caste groups, and over the last century evolved from clans of butchers traveling to farm villages at harvest time, integrating a fighting challenge by the outsiders into local harvest festival entertainment. It was also traditionally practised as a way for men to get ready for war, and many of the techniques and terminology allude to warfare. Today, companies of boxers travel, performing outdoor matches accompanied by ceremony and drumming, throughout the traditional Hausa homelands of northern Nigeria
, southern Niger
and southwestern Chad
. The name "Dambe" derives from the Hausa
word for "boxing", and appears in languages like Bole
as Dembe. Boxers are called by the Hausa word "daæmaænga"
Matches last three rounds. There is no time-limit to these rounds. Instead, they end when: 1) there is no activity, 2) one of the participants or an official calls a halt, or 3) a participant's hand, knee, or body touches the ground. Knocking the opponent down is called killing the opponent.
The primary weapon is the strong-side fist. The strong-side fist, known as the spear, is wrapped in a piece of cloth covered by tightly knotted cord. Some boxers dip their spear in sticky resin mixed with bits of broken glass. The lead hand, called the shield, is held with the open palm facing toward the opponent. The lead hand can be used to grab or hold as required.
The lead leg is often wrapped in a chain, and the chain-wrapped leg is then used for both offense and defense. The unwrapped back leg can also be used to kick. Because wrestling used to be allowed, and the goal of the game is to cause the opponent to fall down, kicks are more common than they used to be.
Today, participants are as often urban youths who train in gyms or backyards, competing year-round. While no longer the preserve of the Hausa butcher caste, the cofraternity aspect remains, as youths who join the professional ranks join a professional community which travels to perform bouts in carnival like appearances, complete with amplified sound systems and elaborate pre-match ritual. Side betting for spectators and prize purses for competitors remain an important part of the event.
During village bouts, contests take place in a cleared area called the battlefield, with spectators forming the boundaries of the ring. In modern urban bouts, local competitions take place in temporary rings, often setup outside meatpacking plants as members of traditional butcher castes still predominate. In these urban matches, participants wear shorts rather than loincloths. Sand filled West African Lutte Traditionnelle
arenas, common in large towns, are used for larger bouts, and are often combined with traditional wrestling championships.
Whether traditional or modern, percussive music and chants precede the bouts. The music and chants are associated with both groups and individuals, and serve to call boxers to the ring, taunt opponents, and encourage audience participation.
In traditional bouts, amulets are often used as forms of supernatural protection. Amulets are seen in modern urban bouts, too, but officials generally discourage the use of magical protection on the grounds of fairness. It is still common that amulets are placed in the feather filled pillows which fighters place in their wrapped fists, and fighters often scar their striking arm, rubbing salves and resins into the healing wounds which are meant to provide strength or defence. Some modern traveling boxing companies engage in ritual smoking of Hemp
or Marijuana before bouts.
, than they do today.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
associated with the Hausa people
Hausa people
The Hausa are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. They are a Sahelian people chiefly located in northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger, but having significant numbers living in regions of Cameroon, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Chad and Sudan...
of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. Historically, Dambe included a wrestling component, known as Kokawa, but today it is essentially a striking art. The tradition is dominated by Hausa butcher caste groups, and over the last century evolved from clans of butchers traveling to farm villages at harvest time, integrating a fighting challenge by the outsiders into local harvest festival entertainment. It was also traditionally practised as a way for men to get ready for war, and many of the techniques and terminology allude to warfare. Today, companies of boxers travel, performing outdoor matches accompanied by ceremony and drumming, throughout the traditional Hausa homelands of northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, southern Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
and southwestern Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. The name "Dambe" derives from the Hausa
Hausa language
Hausa is the Chadic language with the largest number of speakers, spoken as a first language by about 25 million people, and as a second language by about 18 million more, an approximate total of 43 million people...
word for "boxing", and appears in languages like Bole
Bole
-Geographical locations:* Bole District, Ghana* Bole, Ghana, town* Bole, Nottinghamshire, England* Bole International Airport * Bole, Xinjiang, China-Other:* Bole2Harlem, an Ethiopian hip hop fusion band* Bole , a unit of momentum...
as Dembe. Boxers are called by the Hausa word "daæmaænga"
Techniques
Although there are no formal weight classes, usually competitors in Dambe matches are fairly matched in size.Matches last three rounds. There is no time-limit to these rounds. Instead, they end when: 1) there is no activity, 2) one of the participants or an official calls a halt, or 3) a participant's hand, knee, or body touches the ground. Knocking the opponent down is called killing the opponent.
The primary weapon is the strong-side fist. The strong-side fist, known as the spear, is wrapped in a piece of cloth covered by tightly knotted cord. Some boxers dip their spear in sticky resin mixed with bits of broken glass. The lead hand, called the shield, is held with the open palm facing toward the opponent. The lead hand can be used to grab or hold as required.
The lead leg is often wrapped in a chain, and the chain-wrapped leg is then used for both offense and defense. The unwrapped back leg can also be used to kick. Because wrestling used to be allowed, and the goal of the game is to cause the opponent to fall down, kicks are more common than they used to be.
Tournaments
Traditionally, contests took place between men of butchers’ guilds who would also challenge men from their village audiences. Drawn from a specific lower caste of Hausa society who were the only ones who could ritually slaughter animals and handle meat, traveling butchers formed boxing teams from their ranks called "armies". Their bouts took place at festivals marking the end of the harvest season, as clans of butchers would travel to slaughter animals for farm communities. Harvest also marked a time when rural communities were flush with money, so gambling on feats of strength became closely associated with these celebrations.Today, participants are as often urban youths who train in gyms or backyards, competing year-round. While no longer the preserve of the Hausa butcher caste, the cofraternity aspect remains, as youths who join the professional ranks join a professional community which travels to perform bouts in carnival like appearances, complete with amplified sound systems and elaborate pre-match ritual. Side betting for spectators and prize purses for competitors remain an important part of the event.
During village bouts, contests take place in a cleared area called the battlefield, with spectators forming the boundaries of the ring. In modern urban bouts, local competitions take place in temporary rings, often setup outside meatpacking plants as members of traditional butcher castes still predominate. In these urban matches, participants wear shorts rather than loincloths. Sand filled West African Lutte Traditionnelle
Lutte Traditionnelle
Lutte Traditionnelle is the name used to describe related styles of West African Folk wrestling, known as Laamb in Senegal, Boreh in The Gambia, Evala in Togo, and KoKowa / Kokawa in Hausa areas of Nigeria and Niger, or simply Lutte Traditionnelle, in Niger and Burkina Faso...
arenas, common in large towns, are used for larger bouts, and are often combined with traditional wrestling championships.
Whether traditional or modern, percussive music and chants precede the bouts. The music and chants are associated with both groups and individuals, and serve to call boxers to the ring, taunt opponents, and encourage audience participation.
In traditional bouts, amulets are often used as forms of supernatural protection. Amulets are seen in modern urban bouts, too, but officials generally discourage the use of magical protection on the grounds of fairness. It is still common that amulets are placed in the feather filled pillows which fighters place in their wrapped fists, and fighters often scar their striking arm, rubbing salves and resins into the healing wounds which are meant to provide strength or defence. Some modern traveling boxing companies engage in ritual smoking of Hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
or Marijuana before bouts.
Origin theories
The stances and single wrapped fist of Hausa boxers bear visual resemblance to illustrations of Ancient Egyptian and Hellenistic boxers. This has caused speculation that Hausa boxing is directly related to Ancient Egyptian boxing (Powe, 1994). Precedence and who influenced whom is always a contentious topic, but the argument is supported by theories that the Hausa people used to live farther east, toward SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, than they do today.
See also
- Lutte TraditionnelleLutte TraditionnelleLutte Traditionnelle is the name used to describe related styles of West African Folk wrestling, known as Laamb in Senegal, Boreh in The Gambia, Evala in Togo, and KoKowa / Kokawa in Hausa areas of Nigeria and Niger, or simply Lutte Traditionnelle, in Niger and Burkina Faso...
: a form of traditional pan-West African wrestling, often performed in conjunction with Dambe.
Additional reading
- "African Martial Arts" (2006). http://ejmas.com/jalt/2006jalt/jcsart_Svinth_0106.html
- Green, Thomas A. (2003). "Africa and African America." In Thomas A. Green, ed. Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia, pp. 1-12. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- Powe, Edward. (1994). Black Martial Arts Volume I: Combat Games of Northern Nigeria. Madison: Dan Aiki Publications. An extract appears at http://www.blacfoundation.org
- Nakasissa, Michael. (February 14, 2006). "Traditional African Sports and Games: Dambe (Boxing)." http://www.blackathlete.net/artman/publish/article_01546.shtml
- "Traditional Butchers' Boxing Is Reborn." (April 25, 2002) Pakistani Daily Times, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_25-4-2002_pg2_7