Today we have got you an ancient tradition followed in South Africa. Yeah! It’s the Nguni Stick Fighting.
GamePlan Today will discuss this sporting custom and how this practice has been done.
Have a Sneak Peek:
Here we are, to know one of the ancient sports practices that exist in South Africa. Walk with GamePlan Today to know more and deep.
South Africa – An Overview
On the outskirts of Cape Town lie many of South Africa’s townships. They were built to house black workers. Those people came to the cities looking for employment. They were with poorly constructed houses and informal shops. Clive Fontaine looks like any other Township. So many other townships in South Africa life here is tough.
What did we find?
It was on cry Fontaine’s dusty streets, a traditional South African sport was found. That was undergoing something of a renaissance known as the donga or Latin Dooku which means to play with sticks.
What is Nguni Stick Fighting?
Nguni Stick fighting is an ancient African martial art. It is one of the driving forces behind South African sport.
The very 1st Sports
Karla is one of the very 1st sports in Africa to be started by Africans. It was and still is very much about entertainment. It’s a highly enjoyable sport for everyone.
Nguni Stick Fighting is very much an African pastime. Stick-fighting competitions that rely solely on word of mouth were started last year by Vasily and his business partner Charles Mazen.
Sport Practice
Many people turn up at the events held all day. The competition is open to anyone willing to pay an entrance fee of 5 Rand to enter each of the fighters. It is then paid 30 Rand which is the equivalent of 4 US dollars for successfully finishing a fight.
The overall winner takes home the top prize of 1,000 Rand which is around 150 US dollars.
With unemployment in the townships running at 20% the competition offers many a chance to earn some much-needed cash.
How did it happen?
Each player will be armed with 2 long sticks one for defense and another for the attack. A blanket is used for protection. The sticks can vary in length. It can be 3-5 centimeters thick.
The Winning Strategy
A fighter can win by scoring more points than his opponent. Or he can make his opponent quit this by throwing his stick to the ground points. The winner will be awarded by two judges who follow their actions closely.
Scoring Process
The scoring is done according to which part of the body is struck. The head arms and legs are worth 6 points. The throat counts 5 while the abdomen is worth 4.
A shot to the hip area is one of the easier targets to hit. It holds 3 points. Other rules include the fight being stopped if one of the competitors loses his stick. Also if the stick breaks or if the action gets too close to the crowd, the game can be stopped.
Many rules were created to help the sport to get modernized. They try to make it as easy as possible to understand one thing. The fighter must not swing his stick in an upwards motion.
This is to prevent the fighter from hitting another person’s private parts. They don’t want anyone to have a serious injury.
Final Words
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