Fighting for Honor - The History of African Martial Arts in the Atlantic World (Paperback)

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, 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, 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 Obi connects images of the kalenda African stick-fighting techniques to the Haitian Revolution. Throughout the study 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.

General

Imprint:	University of South Carolina Press
Country of origin:	United States
Series:	Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic World
Release date:	April 2021
Authors:	T. J. Desch Obi
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 32mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	368
ISBN-13:	978-1-64336-192-5
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > African history > General Books > Humanities > History > American history > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Ethnic studies > Black studies Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social institutions > Customs & folklore > Customs Books > History > African history > General Books > History > American history > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history
LSN:	1-64336-192-9
Barcode:	9781643361925

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!