MALAY FIGHTING ARTS

Dambe: Kickboxing from Africa

2019-12-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Based on the ancient boxing traditions of Egypt, Dambe is a deadly striking art. Dambe is a centuries-old West African form of kick boxing originating from the butcher caste of the Hausa people. A fight lasts three rounds, ending in the knocking out of one of the opponents. Dambe fighters do not use boxing gloves but instead wrap their hitting arm in rope.

Dambe derived from the Hausa word for “boxe” and included a wrestling component, but now it is essentially a striking art. In Dambe, one hand is called a “spear” and is tightly wrapped in twine or covered with a boxing glove.

The other hand, called a “shield”, is left bare and is used for defense. Matches are divided into three rounds and kicking is allowed. The goal of Dambe is to score a “kill” by knocking the opponent to the ground, which can be difficult when there are limited to using only one hand.

Dambe: Kickboxing from Africa

Silek tuo

2019-10-10T02:04:00.003-07:00

The Minang Silek Tuo art from the surrounding villages of Padang is said to be one of theoldest silek systems and closely related in its appearance to Sterlak.

Silek tuo was the oldest silat and gave rise to new silat schools afterwards. Silek tuo is a traditional martial art of the Minangkabau community, which has the terms of motion based on the Al-Qur'an and Hadis which are projected to be static and dynamic.

Silek tuo is the oldest martial arts among other martial arts in West Sumatra. Silek tuo has a typical characteristic but is difficult to be attacked by an opponent.

Silek training is done primarily at night when the light is dim to further develop not only technical skills, but also to sharpen the practitioners’ intuition. A core tenet of silek philosophy is the emphasis on its defensive nature. Silek is intended to be used only to protect oneself and one’s family and friends from harm, and to instill self-discipline and respect in all practitioners.

Silek tuo

Pulut kuning

2019-10-01T01:54:00.001-07:00

Pulut kuning is glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric. This celebratory dish is usually served with curries during weddings and special occasions by the Malay community in Malaysia.

Yellow is the color of royalty in Malaysia, it is often use in Malay Magic as a symbol of the Sultan’s protection of his subjects.

Spirits fear the Sultan’s power since all Malay sultans are considered to be descendants of King Solomon who subjugated the genies. The color yellow also signifies good fortune, and wealth.

Pulut kuning is one of the items for preparation of the offerings for the spirits soon to be invoked during opening ceremony or buka gelanggang of silat. It is also use for other ceremonial occasions such weddings, circumcisions, a new bay’s naming ceremony, and melenggang perut.
Pulut kuning

Orang Laut warrior

2018-11-28T07:33:00.000-08:00

Orang laut, which literally means “sea people” in Malay, refers to the indigenous sea nomads and sea gypsies of Singapore. They were one of the earlier immigrants who settled along the coastlines of Singapore during pre-colonial days. Living off the coast of Johore, they were the forefront of the defense to protect Johore from being attack from the sea. In the old days, the Orang Laut community lived in boats that they built and conduct their day to day activities in the boats.

Due to the position of Orang Laut who knew the intricacies of the sea around the Straits of Malacca described in the History of the Malays to be among the busiest sea route, they played an important role in the reign of the Kingdom of Srivijaya, the Sultanate of Malacca and later to the Sultanate of Johore-Riau.

Their duty as warriors or police in the sea led to a close relationship between the Orang Laut and the three royal institutions that had been established since the early days of the reign of Srivijaya kingdom.

Orang Laut were also known as a very loyal group to the royal family of Srivijaya. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Orang Laut continued to play an important role in the kingdom of Johor, until the regicide of 1699, which ended the Melaka lineage. The Malay rulers utilized the Orang Laut as rowers, men-of-war, and royal messengers.
Orang Laut warrior

Silat Baringin Sakti

2018-10-16T01:40:00.001-07:00

Baringin Sakti was popular in military circles, students including Lieutenant General Tanoedjiwa and Major General Ismet Yuzairi. Silat Baringin Sakti originates from Padang, Sumatera Barat.

The name of Baringin Sakti chooses is based on the name of Baringin tree which grew for hundred years in the center of the city Padang.

The founder of Pencak silat Baringin Sakti was Hj. Abu Zahar. Pencak Silat Baringin Sakti is a combination of Kumango ~ (emphasis on breaking, smashing and locking), Pauh ~ (sweet mango) emphasis on softness dance with the hands, Lintao ~ ground / rolling, Seterelak ~ open hand attacks with palm strikes, Bayang ~ flying - jumping / attack & defend, and Sile' Tuo ~ the old Silat from Sumatra.

Baringin Sakti is currently being taught to security and special units of the Indonesian Army in Indonesia.
Silat Baringin Sakti

Paleolithic period

2018-08-27T22:59:00.001-07:00

Paleolithic mean comes from the English word paleo, meaning “of pre-historic times,” and the Greek word lithos, meaning “stone.”

During the Paleolithic period (pre-15000 BC), primitive men, such as those now identified as the Pithecanthropus erectus, were little more advanced than the anthropoid ape. Paleolithic Age is an “Old Stone Age”, period when humans lived in bands and were hunters and gatherers.

The earliest signs of human aggression, in the form of traumas, come from the Paleolithic, but they are few, scattered and often uncertain. The oldest recorded case suggestive of interpersonal violence is a skeleton from Israel, dated to the Upper Paleolithic, which has perimortem injuries probably inflicted by a spear. The earliest evidence of injuries possibly caused by warfare is from Jebel Sahaba in Sudan.

The manner of combat as such primitives must have largely depended on empty handed fighting tactics augmented by such natural objects as sticks and stones.

Most primitive societies used projectile weapons, such as spears or bows, in formal battles, while melee weapons were used only to dispatch a wounded or a fleeing enemy. Advanced tactics and manoeuvres require discipline, training and leaders, so a simple line was often the only formation used in primitive battles.

More highly developed Pleistocene men, too, have been found by archaeological efforts. All these settlers employed instruments, such as hand-axes, which were made of unpolished stone and slightly tapered at one end (by chipping) against another stones.
Paleolithic period

Suntukan martial arts of Philippines

2018-07-21T10:11:00.001-07:00

Suntukan or is the boxing and empty hands striking component of Filipino martial arts. In the central Philippine island region of Visayas, it is known as Pangamot or Pakamot. It is also known as Mano-mano and often referred to in Western martial arts circles of Inosanto lineage as Panantukan.

The word that means bare-hand fighting, which was used as a method of street fighting similar to today’s boxing, and was a form of martial arts used before Spanish colonization.During Spanish colonization Suntukan was prohibited, but despite its prohibition it was still practiced underground for almost 400 years.

Suntukan is not a sport, but rather a street-oriented ﬁghting system. The techniques have not been adapted for safety or conformance to a set of rules for competition, thus it has a reputation as “dirty street ﬁghting".

Suntukan calls for the full coordinated & rhythmic movements of the defender's hands, arms, body, shoulders, leg and feet mainly to bring about the opponent's defeat through disarms as well as throws. Common targets include the biceps, triceps, eyes, nose, jaws, temples, groin, ribs, spine, and the back of the neck.
Suntukan martial arts of Philippines

Knife for fighting

2018-06-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

The knife is probably the most common weapon in the world today, because it also serves as a tool for eating and work. It has been used by men from ancient times for defense and attack and still remains the favorite weapon of defense today.

The karate knife is a little different from a regular knife because of its construction. There should be a blade guard for protecting the hand of the user from the blade, as well as for gripping purposes, and a finger spot which the little finger wraps around when holding the knife for defense.

How many types of knife?
*Daggers
Daggers typically are double bladed and are designed primarily for stabbing. The purpose of the sharpened edges is more to make it difficult for an enemy to grasp than any thought of attacking by cutting.

*Utility Knives
Utility Knives are designed primarily to be useful tools for Soldiers daily life. They are typically single bladed and have a much wider blade to prevent breakage. They can be useful for stabbing, although somewhat less so than daggers, and allow some other types of attacks.

*Folding Knives
Folding Knives, from a fighter’s perspective, have the disadvantage of being more difficult to deploy. Not only must a fighter get the knife in his hand but he must also deploy the blade, both while engaged in a fight.
Knife for fighting

Luohan: The oldest style of Shaolin kung fu

2018-05-05T23:20:00.003-07:00

When Bodhidharma saw monks of Shaolin Temple sitting in no-action mediation for hours and hours every day, he realized that things were out of balance. They are exercising their minds, but their bodies were growing stiff and weak.

So with the help of former generals Hui Guang and Seng Chou, Bodhidharma introduced the monks to action mediation. He taught them the Eighteen Luohan Hands to strengthen them in all aspects physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually

Gradually the Eighteen Luohan Hands evolved into the Eighteen Luohan Fist. The Eighteen Lohan Hands were a set of chi kung exercises, whereas the Eighteen Luohan Fist was a set of kungfu techniques. The Eighteen Luohan Fist became the prototype of Shaolin Kungfu.

The Luohan's exercise is the inner exercise designed to improve the ability to see at night time. This kind of Kung Fu belongs to the Buddhist system of exercises designed to train the keenness of vision. This kind of training is quite difficult for an ordinary man, especially at the initial stage, but it results in the ability to see in pitch darkness.

The principal tactic of Luohan Fist is pressing attack. Even without internal force but with muscular strength and advantage of size, pressing attack can be very formidable to most people. Luohan:
The oldest style of Shaolin kung fu

Navy of Sri Vijaya Empire

2018-03-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

About 4th century AD the dynasty of Sri Vijaya founded its kingdom in Sumatra. The kingdom expanded in the following three centuries as a full fledged naval power supporting a vast commercial network.

The powerful Sri Vijayan Navy controlled the Sunda and Malacca Straits and thus shaped the dynamics of Near Eastern and Indonesian trade with China. Sri Vijaya kings extended their authority over Malay, Sumatra and Java and warred against Champa and Annam.

They maintained a powerful navy which swept the sea of pirates and corsairs. With the construction and improvement of more seaworthy ships and better navigational skills, and the establishment of unified control over access corridors to the South China and Java Seas by Sri Vijaya which assure safe passage, there was a marked increase in the seaborne trade.

There is some indication that Sri Vijaya had a large armed force of about 20,000 men who were sent on an expedition against Java. Sri Vijaya might use a naval force to deploy its armies to any point in its “empire”.

One of the strengths of the kingdom was the effectiveness of the Orang Laut. The Orang Laut or the sea warriors may have served as Sri Vijaya’s naval strike force. The Orang Laut patrolled the sea lanes to encourage traders to visit their ruler’s port city, while harassing or destroying the ships of Sri Vijaya’s competitors.
Navy of Sri Vijaya Empire

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

2018-02-22T07:10:00.001-08:00

Scholars of martial arts have traced the origins of Jiu-jitsu as far back as ancient Greece around 5000 years ago. It is thought to have been passé on the Buddhist monks by Alexander the Great and his soldiers during their attempted conquest of Asia.

Regardless of its origin, the Japanese embraced the ancient techniques, Japanese soldiers learned jiu-jitsu to prepare for unarmed combat against armed foes. By the late 1800s, jiu-jitsu transformed into a popular combat sport.

The Gracie family molded its own style of martial arts from judo and jiu-jitsu, The Gracies got their first taste of these martial arts in 1914. This is when Japanese judo and jiu-jitsu expert Esai Maeda came to Brazil to teach martial arts.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu focuses more on what to do once the battle is on the ground. It emphasizes submission moves, such as joint locks and chokes.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu

Ancient Malay

2018-01-10T18:05:00.003-08:00

The inhabitants of the Peninsular whom the early Indian traders and voyagers encountered had originally entered the area from Yunnan and between 2500 an 1500 BC, force their way southward through the Peninsular and on the islands beyond.

Malay or Kunlun sailors were known in China by the third century BC an there is evidence that they were settling along the East Africa coast by the first century AD. By the time of the Roman empire, there permanent communities of Malayo-Polynesian, speaking peoples on the coast of Malagasy.

During the early centuries AD Indian contact with Peninsula was largely confined to trade but it soon became obviously that certain areas were suitable for limited trading settlements, one of which was Kedah. At that time Indians and Westerners called Southeast Asia the ‘Golden Khersonese’, the Land of Gold. The Indian traders brought with them the Hindu and Buddhist religions.

According to historians the Malay inhabitants become Hindu but not Indian. During the 3rd century until the 13th century, Lembah Bujang controlled the Asian trading routes between the eastern and western countries involving many Indian traders, Muslim traders from the Middle East and Chinese traders from the West.

Arabs and other Muslim merchants had been known in the area since the ninth century but the spread of Islam did not begin in earnest until after the fourteenth century.
Ancient Malay

Jujutsu of Japan

2017-12-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

Jujutsu is the martial art that employs holds, throws and paralyzing blows to subdue or disable and opponent.

The fundamental principle of jujutsu is ju, a word meaning “flexibility” or “pliancy”. The original reference is to Huan Shi Gong’s Three Strategies, which is one of the “Seven Military Classics” of ancient and medieval China.

It evolved among the samurai warrior class in Japan from about the 17th century. A ruthless form of fighting, its techniques included the use of hard or tough parts of the boy (e.g. knuckles, fists, elbows, and knees), against an enemy’s vulnerable points.

Because jujutsu techniques are potentially deadly or incapacitating, they are traditionally practice via kata rather than free sparing. Because early jujutsu was first and foremost a battlefield art, it was assume that both opponents would be wearing full Japanese armor. During the Muromachi period (1333-1573), each part of Japan has its own type of jujutsu.
Jujutsu of Japan

Punch in martial arts

2017-11-08T23:41:00.000-08:00

Most martial arts teach punches by practicing in the air. Once the basics have been mastered, the trainee can then move on to practicing against a punching bag.

When punching, ensure that the wrist is straight. The contact point should be the knuckles of index finger and middle finger.

As far as hitting someone with energy of course it can be very useful. What is really comes down to be where the person put this kind of energy.

A punch like this to a very strong and well-developed mid-section would by practically useless. In most martial arts, a returning karate style punch should be faster than outgoing portion of the punch.

The myth of the karate “one punch kill” came originally from Kenjutsu with the idea of a “one cut kill”. Can one punch or strike knock the person out or kill him. Yes, of the strike is aimed at a pressure point or another vulnerable part of the body like the throat, neck, sola plexus, bladder and even groin.

Many factors contribute to the effectiveness of a punch such as distance timing, speed, hot rotation, focus and power. They are many type of punch including: roundhouse punch, straight punch, vertical punch, close punch, and hook punch
Punch in martial arts

Bando: martial art from Burma

2017-10-16T23:24:00.001-07:00

Simply known as ‘bando’, this martial art is inspired by the bull, eagle, cobra, panther and monkey, with the characteristics of each animal reflected in its forms or set movements.

Bando refers to an unarmed martial art that emphasizes evasion and quick, up-close techniques. A bando stylist will initially withdraw from an attack and then execute a devastating counterattack.

Key aspects of training include strict discipline, self development, and self-defense. According to the legend Indian monks brought their martial arts to Southeast Asia; bando originated among martial arts’ disciples in Buddhist temples.

Bando first came to the attention of Westerners at the end of World War II when a tame version of the system was brought to the United States. The modern, sportive version of Bando is often compared to the striking art of Muay Thai, but traditional Bando is a complete self-defense system, with native competition allowing high-velocity throws, grappling and head-butts.
Bando: martial art from Burma

Dance of Silat

2017-10-16T18:49:00.002-07:00

Some people say a man is not really capable of defending himself against attacker unless he knows something about silat. It is Malay martial arts that dated back to the early 15th century and today is still popular.

The art enjoys such popularity that it can be practiced by anyone whether he’s eight or sixty years old.

When the art was first introduced to the Malacca court by a religious teacher from North Sumatra, Indonesia, it became a necessary part of young man’s education.

There have been considerable changes made in the original style and through the years it was practiced in secret with complicated rituals and customs.

Silat attract many young men to its evening classes. Particularly youth living in villages and suburban areas indulge in the art. They are taught the fine points of parrying or avoiding an attack by an opponent who may be armed with a kris or pedang or parang panjang.

Young folks nowadays take up silat as an artistic form of physical exercise and they often demonstrated the art at ceremonials.

Instructors emphasize its use as a form of self defense. Basically, silat exist in two forms, One, the Silat Pulut, is purely for exhibition at weddings and other ceremonials. The other is known as Silat Buah and is used for serious fighting.
Dance of Silat

Drums in martial art

2017-09-19T09:41:00.001-07:00

Stemming from silat or pencak silat, the Malay art of self-defense, some dancelike forms have evolved.

The ensembles that accompany the silat, whether in its competitive martial-arts style or as a dance, are the gendang silat in the northern states and the ‘caklempong’ in the southern states.

One of the instruments of gendang silat is gendang or drums. Types of silat drums include the gendang ibu or "mother drum" and the gendang anak or "child drum".

The drummers hit the small drumhead with hand and the large drumhead with an outcurve stick.

The larger gendang ibu is usually about sixty centimeters long and thirty-five centimeters in diameter, while the smaller gendang anak measure about forty-five centimeters in length and thirty centimeters in diameter.
Drums in martial art

Iban war dance

2017-07-24T19:39:00.001-07:00

Dance is an important means of expressing emotion and aesthetics in Eats Malaysia societies. Many different forms of dance abound among all the different ethnic groups in the East Malaysia states of Sarawak and Sabah.

In Sarawak the dance called ngajat or war dance, also referred to as the ngajat lasan among some groups, usually in danced by a solo male dancer among the Iban people or by male or female dancers among the Kenyah, Kayan and Kajang communities.

Ngajat dancers – performed in full warrior gear including the parang ilang (machete and terabai) (shield) – recall the days of yore when headhunting was glorified and warriors returned with decapitated heads.

Iban music and dance tells many stories of their past as virile combatants. In the ngajat lesong dance, the protagonist warrior displays his might by picking up a 20 kg block of wood with his mouth, then dance round with it posted on his chin.

The ngajat pahlawan is a dance to welcome the victorious warrior home after s successful week of headhunting. Indigenous percussion instruments and gongs provide the music for ngajat performances on the ruai (frontage) of the longhouse.
Iban war dance

Silat Tjinkrik

2017-06-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

In South-east Asia, silat is popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. Silat Tjinkrik is one of the most well known in Indonesia.

Silat Tjinkrik is a Javanese system of silat that uses an evasive style with fast, powerful open-hand action. The key to the acrobatic action required by this system is footwork.

This style of silat has lived for many years and hereditary inherited from one generation to the next.

One of its tactics is the ability to move from a standing position to a low “sitting” posture and then suddenly spring up to deliver an attack. Because many of the movements in this style emphasize jumping with one leg (jejingkrikan in Betawi language), the style is referred to as Tjingkrik.

Modern silat Cingkrik has been branched into several different styles, which have taken on the name of the individual teaching each particular system.
Silat Tjinkrik

Silat Tapak Suci Muhammadiyah

2017-06-17T10:56:00.002-07:00

In 1963, the Silat current called Tapak Suci was made an official part of the Muhammadiyah. The structure of the Silat masters and practitioners of Muhammadiyah has been notably influenced by the desire to oppose the increasing and threatening influence of the Indonesian Communist Party.

It was founded by two Pendekar brothers who had learned pencak silat from Pendekar K. H. Busyro from Banjarnegara Silat School. The two Pendekars, the elder brother A. Dimyati and his younger sibling, A. Wahib, then continued their indepth knowledge of pencak silat individually from various forms and styles of pencak silat in many regions in Indonesia.

Muhammadiyah was established by Kyai Haji Ahmad Dahlan in Yogyakarta in 1912. The long-term vision of Muhammadiyah is to uphold andup lift the teaching of Islam to establish the true Islamic society. Although Tapak Suci is an integral part of Muhammadiyah, it is managed autonomously.

Tapak Suci has its own characteristics when compared to other martial arts stream. Tapak Suci is the flow of pure traditional martial arts, because it brought together a variety of martial arts, and revealing these sciences.
Silat Tapak Suci Muhammadiyah

Fighting art in Suriname

2017-05-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Fighting arts such as susa in Suriname may already be extinct. Susa is an activity reported form Saramakan Maroon groups in Suriname (Dutch Guyana) by Dutch sources in the late seventeenth century.

The obviously martial activity was accompanied by percussive music (drumming and hand-clapping).

In Suriname, former Dutch Guyana, a Javanese minority has been present since the colonial period. Today Javanist organizations in Suriname are promoting the ancient Javanese language and script and traditional cultural forms, beliefs and practices.

The martial art pencak silat of Java is well known in Suriname. It was at first only practiced in secret, has become very popular in Suriname among people of all ethnicities.
Fighting art in Suriname

Ustaz Hanafi Haji Ahmad

2017-05-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ustaz Hanafi Haji Ahmad was born in Kampung Sungai Batu, Alor Kedah in 1923. He receidv his early education in Kampung Gunung, Alor Setar before continued his religious study.

During the younger days he selling pastries, traditional medicine and travelling throughout Malaysia searching for knowledge.

The process of searching for one silat that could truly be effective for self-defense him to travel, and finally he met Tuan Guru Yahya Said.

It was said that Yahya Said practiced Silat Cekak and for 40 years, had sought a replacement worthy of the art itself. At that time no body competed their study of Silat Cekak until the arrival fo Ustaz Hanafi.

Ustaz Hanafi set up his first class on 28th of December 1965 at his friend house Shafie Darus at Alor Setar, Kedah. Ustaz Hanafi Haji Ahmad passed away on the 13th of August 1986 at Kuala Lumpur at the age of 63.
Ustaz Hanafi Haji Ahmad

Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan

2017-03-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan or Malaysian National Silat Federation or Pesaka was established in 1983 in Malaysia by the four main schools of the country: Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia, Silat Cekak Malaysia, Silat Lincah Malaysia and Seni Gayung Fatani Malaysia.

Silat Seni Gayong was founded by the late Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman bin Uda Mohd Hashim while Silat Cekak has is roots in Kedah, and was developed by the late Ustaz Haji Hanafi bin Haji Ahmad.

Pesaka is a registered sports body under the Sports Commissioner's Office and it is subjected to the Sports Development Act 1997, as well as its own constitution that aims to execute and develop silat-related sporting events.

On March 2017, Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM-100 PLUS 2016) selected The National Silat Federation (PESAKA) as the recipient of the Dynamic Sports Association Award based on the success of its athletes in winning medals at every championship and for its credible leadership and determination in improving the quality of silat in the country.
Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan

Tahtib martial arts of Egypt

2017-02-25T06:14:00.004-08:00

The use of sticks in fighting developed into an Egyptian martial art called Tahtib. Egyptian tahtib (or wooden stick) lies in middle ground between dance and competitive play. Tahtib play is divided into three distinct sections. First is the processional of combatants and musicians.

The second is a rapidly paced dance involving the two combatants and others of the company. Third is actual performance.

The tahtib dance is the oldest form of Egyptian martial that has survived. This dance is usually performed at wedding, welcoming parties or harvest festivals. Not only was it practiced as an art form and recreational activity, but it was also a form of self defense.

This dance is thought to have survived from the times of the pharaohs. Paintings on walls of monuments, tombs, and temples showed this dance so that soldiers could learn it.
Tahtib martial arts of Egypt

Martial arts in Africa

2017-02-05T23:42:00.001-08:00

The African martial arts are not as regimented as the Japanese styles, but the same principle holds true. Contemporary African martial arts include wrestling, boxing, and stick fighting styles.

In southeast Africa, a tradition of wrestling from a kneeling (for adult men) or seated (for boys) position employing a single arm developed. As an adjunct to grappling, the Nilotic cultures just south of the Sahara wore bagussa during their ritual wrestling matches.

The Khoikhoi of southwest Africa, although fighting unarmed, engaged in a type of no-holds-barred wrestling, which came closer to the Greek pankration than to the catch-as-cats can amateur style.

Stick-fighting in ancient Egypt

In Canary Islands there are two traditional martial arts. These are stick play and Canary Islands wrestling,

Martial art styles can be ‘invented’, transformed and taken in new directions. Possibly the best example of its continuity in change is Egyptian stick fighting.

Using hieroglyphics, detailed descriptions in the Ramesseum Papyrus (1991 BC) of the techniques of the stick-fighting priests of showed all way through to modern ethnographies, while the religious and social contexts had changed radically the art of stick fighting was a constant in Egyptian culture.
Martial arts in Africa