| Evala Wrestling | | | | knock down their opponent, known as "killing." Usually |
| Most commonly practiced by the Kabye people in | | | | the left hand, referred to as the "shield," is used to |
| Togo, Evala is a traditional wrestling art from west | | | | parry or block. Roundhouse-style kicks are also |
| Africa. For young men in the area, it is considered the | | | | sometimes employed. A mate is won when a fighter |
| penultimate element in a rite of passage into adulthood, | | | | forces his opponent to touch the ground. |
| which includes climbing three mountains, intensive | | | | Fights usually occur during harvest time, when |
| mental and physical training, and circumcision. Those | | | | competitors-often farmers or butchers-come together |
| who fail the training are not initiated into adulthood. | | | | and fight, wearing traditional loincloths. There is a |
| Fights take place on a yearly basis at the Evala | | | | spiritual element to the art and practitioners wear |
| festival. | | | | amulets, which they believe give them supernatural |
| | | | protection. |
| Dambe | | | | Dambe is starting to gain commercial interest and is |
| Also known as "Hausa boxing," Dambe is practiced by | | | | often used to advertise products. With money now on |
| the Hausa people, who reside mainly in Nigeria, but are | | | | offer for some bouts, fighters travel from far and wide |
| also prevalent in large groups across Chad, Ghana, | | | | to compete. |
| Sudan, and Cameroon. | | | | Nuba Fighting |
| Predominantly a brutal fist-fighting art, in the past it | | | | Nuba fighting includes both wrestling and stick-fighting |
| included a wrestling component-known as | | | | elements, and is practiced by the Nuba people, who |
| "Kokawa"-but many of the original wrestling moves | | | | live in the Kurdufan hill country of central Sudan. |
| have now been lost. Accompanied by percussive | | | | Contests are regularly organized between male |
| music, contests consist of three rounds and take place | | | | members of neighboring communities, who aim to bring |
| on a flat, mud-baked surface; the fighters create | | | | honor to their village, rather than to achieve personal |
| plumes of dust as they brawl. | | | | success. When wrestling, a fighter wins the match by |
| Traditionally, participants wrap their dominant leg in a | | | | throwing his opponent to the ground; pinning is not |
| metal chain and bind their fighting fist, called the "spear," | | | | allowed and there are no submissions. |
| in rough twine. Fighters are taught to adopt a wide | | | | Tournaments are usually held after the harvest to |
| stance, with their guard raised high above their heads. | | | | offer thanks to the spirit world for a plentiful crop, and |
| They aim to use a single strike with the spear to | | | | are accompanied by feasting. |