A study of the Martial Arts of Latin America
By Maestro Richard Garcia
Table of Contents:
1) Introduction (overview of the Latin American martial arts)
2) Baile de Mani (history, overview)…………………………...
3) Cocobale stick fighting (history, overview)………………….
4) Caribbean Machete fighting………………………………
5) Taino Macana fighting…………………………….
6) Aztec fighting arts…………………………………………..
Introduction to the Latin American martial arts
The Latin American and Caribbean Islands have endured much suffering, during the time of their discovery in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. Most of their original inhabitants the Taino Indians were wiped out through violent military forces, harsh labor, and disease in a span of less than 200 years. The main reason for this suffering was due to all the wondrous rich resources found on the Islands. From Cuba to Martinique, billions of dollars were extracted from the creation of liquor, sugar, coffee, gold and other rich resources. Shortly after its discovery European nations including Spain, Portugal, France, England and Italy began to conquer the various islands.
History shows that whenever people are repressed and abused revolts and uprising eventually will take place. Most of the Latin American eventually won its independence through guerilla warfare and the creation of new fighting techniques and strategies. Slaves on plantations in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Martinique, as well as slaves in nearby, Venezuela and Brazil began to create new fighting arts. These secret fighting techniques were hidden in ritual dance movements to avoid suppression by slave owners.
Within 100
years several of these fighting arts emerged and flourished. What’s amazing is
how similar the different arts were to each other in its use of dance, drumming,
and hidden deadliness. For example dance fighting is most notably known in the
martial art of capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form that dates to colonial
Brazil. The way the fighters moved, the use of a circle area of combat, the use
of drumming, and its kicking dominance, is also seen similarly in Martinique’s,
Damnye, and in Cuba’s Bale de Mani. There are differences in these arts but the
similarities are striking. In fact, all 3 styles use the same kicking
techniques.
One theory as to why these arts are so similar is the fact that perhaps they share a common mother system. All three arts were created by slaves of the Kongo/Angolan areas of Africa. It’s safe to assume that there was a similar fighting art in this region that helped shape these art into what would later become the Caribbean dance martial arts. Another theory is that the arts were created in the Latin America and the Caribbean due to the circumstances of slavery and abuse. While they were conceived by African slaves it was a new invention in the New World not of an ancestor African mother art.
The basis of this theory is the fact that there are no surviving similar martial arts in Africa and no real evidence to support this fact that one ever existed. A parallel would be the invention of low rider cars in California. While Mexican American youth created this art form, it is not seen in Mexico. It is the expression of being of Mexican heritage here in America that spawned the low rider culture. It is my belief that both theories hold some merit. I believe that there was something in Africa that influenced the fighting arts of the Latin America. Whether it was a war dance, or an actual fighting system, it is my understanding that there had to have been something that the Angolan people based Capoeira, and Mani. I also believe that it was the expression of being a slave in the New World that created these arts as they were and that this makes them uniquely Latin Caribbean.
For the most part, the marital arts of Latin America unfortunately have been lost, watered down, and forgotten. One popular theory is that they simply fell in obsolescence due to modern weapons, and the fact that they were no longer needed as a tool for revolt and insurrection.
Being one the hugest melting pots in the world has made Latin America an amazing mixture of many cultures. Influences from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India as well as Asia have created an interesting concoction of lifestyles that is not seen anywhere else in the world. The fighting arts of Latin America however, have been influenced mainly by the weapons of Europe particularly Portugal and Spain as well as the rhythmic body movements of Africa. Most of the weapon arts coming from Latin America were borrowed from the bladed arts of Europe. Everything from the military broadsword to the fighting knives of Europe, have influenced the fighting strategies of Latin warriors. A good example of this is the Cuban freedom fighters during the Spanish American War.
While the guerilla war tactics were unique and non European, the actual way that the Cuban forces fought (using Spanish Machete) were taken from Spanish military sword tactics. The African body movements also influenced heavily the martial arts coming from Latin America. This is easily understood in that most of the dances from Latin America derive from Africa. From Rumba, to Salsa, to Bachata, these dances were variations of ones brought by slaves and modified with Spanish music to create a new Latin identity. In most of the Caribbean martial arts you can clearly see a heavy African dance infusion that makes these martial arts both beautiful and deadly.
Here are the most widely used Latin American martial arts used between the periods of before the European influx to about the early 20th century.
Mani (Cuba): Dance fighting martial art consisting of kicks, punches, head butts, and wrestling tactics.
Cocobale (Puerto Rico): A variation of bomba, consisting of stick fighting tactics borrowed from Canary Islanders fused with the dance movements of the Kongo-Angolan slaves.
Caribbean Machete: The machete fighting tactics of the Caribbean used with great success by the Cuban resistance fighters during the Spanish American War.
Taino Macana (War Club): The Taino Indians or original inhabitants of what is present day Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic were fierce warriors who were well versed with the war club.
Aztec Fighting arts: The mighty Aztecs were feared warriors. They had many martial arts styles, including the Macana, Hatchets, knives, and bow and arrow.
Latin Knife fighting: These are all descendants of the Spanish Baratero knife fighting arts. Using advanced footwork and cutting patterns at one point, violent knife fighting became one of the most widely used martial arts. In Argentina the art was called Esgrima Criolla and in Mexico the famous Vaqueros used knife fighting tactics as well.
There is the high possibly that more arts were prevalent in the Caribbean and Latin America. However these are the only documented arts in the periods of the 18th to 20th Century. Some of the arts might have also found its way to the United States. For example there is evidence to support the fact that Kalinda was used in Louisiana and a dance fighting martial art known as “Kicking and knocking” existed in the south by slaves. Today martial arts are still being introduced to Latin America from Japan, China, and Korea. Tae Kwon Do is currently one of the most widely practiced martial arts in Latin America, followed closely by Karate-do.
(The Cuban Dance Martial art)
It is not known exactly when the Cuban dance fighting art of Mani was created but it believed by most that it was probably first seen in the late 18th to the early 19th centuries. Mani was created by the slaves of Angola who were brought to Cuba to harness sugar on plantations. The work was very harsh and many slaves were ill treated and abused. During this grueling era of work slaves found salvation and escape in ritual singing and dance they were allowed to sometimes indulge in.
These sessions were extremely religious in nature, and not only served as a way to practice spirituality but also to let off some much needed steam. Another aspect of these sessions was a final break from work and way to train for revolt. The slaves took this opportunity to create and honor warrior skills that would be needed if such a revolt were to take place. Of course it would be difficult to train in hand to hand combat without immediate suppression so the slaves had to hide the techniques and imbed them in dance. To the casual observer they appeared to be dancing to a rhythmic drum sequence in actuality they were sparring.
It has been described by some historians as pugilistic in nature. The whole body was used to fight, from the head to the feet and at times slaves were seriously hurt in its practice. Like Capoeira drummers created a circle and the two fighters faced each other in what appeared to be a dance step. In Mani the irregular dance step pattern was used to fake an opponent and fire a technique that would knock the opponent out. The feet were constantly moving back and forth and from side to side, in a sometimes mocking manner. Once an opening was created due to the footwork a head butt, hand strike, or kick was delivered with maximum power and speed. The goal was to end the fight as quickly as possible. Mani fighters were often performed by the strongest of any given plantation and each plantation had a local champion.
Some slave owners eventually found out about the practice and instead of stopping it, took part in the placement of betting in regards to it. Harpers Weekly which is an old magazine that appeared in the United States in this period, shows a drawing in the area with two fighters in either Venezuela or Cuba, practicing what appeared to be Mani with a few slave owners watching the fight for enjoyment. By the mid 19th Century Cuba was vowing for independence and many of the Spaniards began to shut down any talk of revolt. It makes utter sense that Mani would be outlawed in this time period with most likely deadly consequences to those that would oppose it. By the late 19th century the Spanish American war had begun and eventually the Cuban’s won its independence. The Mani fighters most likely took part in the war of independence and the art died with most of these warriors. Although at the time the actual art was lost by the 20th Century the spirit of the Mani fighters were kept alive in the remembrance of the Mambi fighters of the war for independence.
Shows a modern day African dance fight in the streets of Martinique
Above picture show’s an 1872 drawing that appeared in Harpers Weekly of a slave martial art dance somewhere in Latin America. The background shows Spanish slave owners watching in amusement.
If one were to take a trip deep into the Caribbean Islands one would see that the Machete is more that a mere tool to cut through large bushes. In fact the Machete is viewed as many things to people in the Caribbean as well as Latin America. The Machete is seen as
- A tool for work
- A weapon
- A symbol of pride
- A symbol of freedom
The history of the Caribbean Islands and Machete probably came about during the days of slave plantations, where slaves were forced to use machetes to cut down sugar cane for profit. Sugar and tobacco became huge money makers after Columbus and his heir’s failure to produce gold from the Caribbean. Slaves having used the machete’s for work began to see another use for such a device. Developing a combination of both techniques used by the Spanish swords and simple techniques picked up from actual work, Caribbean slaves began to develop fighting methods of the Machete. The Machete in fact was so readily available and known to so many that it was one of the primary tools used in the Spanish American War. In fact the Cubans developed techniques called the “Machete Charge” in which they would blitz the opponent on horse back with slashing machete strikes.
In other parts of the Caribbean such as Jamaica and Haiti the machete began to be used by the criminal class. Common techniques began to be developed such as the world “planass” which means to hit with the machete. In Trinidad “showing sparks” became a common word meaning, striking the machete so that the sparks of the metal hitting the stones on the ground would strike fear to a person nearby.
In Puerto Rico the Machete was also a symbol of revolt and freedom. So much that a radical group called Los Macheteros began to use the machete’s intimidating image to strike fear to those who oppose.
The Macana (War Club)
The war club of the Taino Indians was a simple design. A club made of wood similar to a baseball bat was the primary weapon. This weapon in the hands of a skilled warrior could be quite deadly. The Macana was used primarily for self-defense, although it’s quite possible that it was used at times to settle disputes. The macana was used by almost all North American, and South American Indians including the Seminoles, Aztecs, Mayas, and Taino’s.
Modern day Macana
2 Statues depicting Taino with macana
Jaguar Elite Aztec Warrior
The Aztecs were feared by warriors. They had elite warrior groups, rankings, and military skills that were advanced. The Aztecs prided hand to hand combat as a necessary skill and in fact had formalized schools where the daily martial arts were practiced. The skills were often used in large scale battles were military strategy coupled with hand to hand combat skills that were necessary for survival. The weapons were bladed Macana, Knife, shield, and bow and arrow. The Aztec preferred weapon of battle much like the Taino’s were the bladed macana, which was said to have the cutting force that can behead a horse. The blades were made of obsidian and were razor sharp. The Aztecs had a very unique fighting method of not killing an opponent in battle. What they did instead was aim for the legs to disable an opponent long enough to drag the body to get sacrificed in the temples. This was considered an honorable death for an Aztec warrior.
Sans the stereotypes of Latin’s having a tendency towards blades, the actual truth stems from Spain and the martial arts of the Baratero. In 1849 a how to martial art book called “El Manual de Baratero” depicts interesting techniques of original Spanish knife fighting that is advanced even by today’s standards. Many of these Baratero’s and Sailor’s came to the new world and brought with them the martial arts of Spain. The art became prevalent in Argentina and Mexico in both the gaucho and vaquero knife fighting arts. A famous Puerto Rican fencer named Ramon Ramirez talked about the art showing up in Puerto Rico and being taught to family members for street self-defense. Ramon Ramirez mentioned that it even traveled to the Bronx and New York when the Puerto Rican waves of immigrants first arrived. I was taught similar knife fighting techniques by my uncle a known knife fighter and member of the famous Latin gang the “seven immortals” who picked up the techniques from his father.
Spanish fighting knife early to mid 19th century
Spanish knife fight