Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art in the Atlantic World

Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World

by T.J. Desch-Obi

The presence of African influence and tradition in the Americas has long been recognized in art, music, language, agriculture, and religion. T. J. Desch-Obi explores another cultural continuity that is as old as eighteenth-century slave settlements in South America and as contemporary as hip-hop culture. In this thorough survey of the history of African martial arts techniques, Desch-Obi maps the translation of numerous physical combat techniques across three continents and several centuries to illustrate how these practices evolved over time and are still recognizable in American culture today. Some of these art traditions were part of African military training while others were for self-defense and spiritual discipline.

Grounded in historical and cultural anthropological methodologies, Desch-Obi's investigation traces the influence of well-delineated African traditions on long-observed but misunderstood African and African American cultural activities in North America, Brazil, and the Caribbean. He links the Brazilian martial art capoeira to reports of slave activities recorded in colonial and antebellum North America. Likewise Desch-Obi connects images of the kalenda African stick-fighting techniques to the Haitian Revolution. Throughout the study Desch-Obi examines the ties between physical mastery of these arts and changing perceptions of honor.

Including forty-five illustrations, this rich history of the arrival and dissemination of African martial arts in the Atlantic world offers a new vantage for furthering our understanding of the powerful influence of enslaved populations on our collective social history.

Genres: Africa, History, Martial Arts, Spirituality

368 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2008

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent emphasis on the African background of Brazilian Capoeira. Also Uses the Diasporic approach to culture in tracing Martial Arts in the New World to their counterparts in Atlantic Africa and how enslaved people employed them to restore their honor.

[Earchiel Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fighting for more than just honr

You can tell the author worked hard
on this book. The sources to verify information about the topic of African martial arts. This is a topic that needs more research and attention. I was surprised that the slap boxing I did as a child has roots back in Africa. This is a good read if your are interested in African American history or just martial art in general. I like how the author explains the social impact of martial art and the shift role it played as colonialism caused new material conditions in economic and social life.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on the early history of American martial arts. A must read for people who want to understand violence in America and its relationship to dance. I include it here because it defines what a martial art is in a way which sheds enormous light on the development of Chinese martial arts.

[Ameer R. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This booked bridged so many cultures and habits for. It also gave me further insight into my culture. #gullah

[Damjan Pavlica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revolutionary book!