Danmyete. It is most amazing that the origins of the Polka, Savate, or any other non-African cultural practice is rarely challenged

02-16-2006, 05:41 PM

It is most amazing that the origins of the Polka, Savate, or any other non-African cultural practice is rarely challenged. However, anything African is automatically questioned because the unspoken idea, subconsciously or not, is that Africans are not "intelligent enough" to have invented it, thus, it must have been developed by non-Africans or via cultural diffusion from non-African sources.

What is called "breakdancing" here is part of ritual warriors celebratory dances as seen among the Peuhl of Guinea, with their men's acrobatic dances (see Kariamu Welsh-Asante's African dance for a brief description of Peuhl "Bridges," back and shoulder spins-they also do the arm into elbow/hand-base spin) and non-chalant freezes which makes up the play aspects of African combative rituals; among the Akamba of Kenya, et al. Elements of the Ongolo tradition, for example, are even found among the Kung! of S.A. as demonstrated in their "Ostrich" Ongolo type combat game (for which see the Smithsonian African series archival video footage).

Breakdancing, as WE HAVE PRESENTLY COME TO KNOW IT, has all the characteristics of an African artform, including the fact that it comes out of the African-American community in the States. Likewise, there is footage of early African-American dance which shows the same type of uprocking, spinning repetoire now associated with this genre of African derived dance.

Mickey

02-17-2006, 09:50 PM

Greetings,

danmyete, thank you for the history lessons. Keep it coming!

I have heard of Haitian martial arts at two points in my life:

1- In 1978 a classmate describes the fighting art of Haiti without mentioning the name. It focused on punching, kicking, elbowing, stomping, biting and gouging. Very in close and thorough.

2- In 2004, one of my clients from the Dominican Republic shared that the moves of capoeria (namely, the acrobatics, the kicks, and the musical component) are also practiced by the Haitians and those who live near the Dominican Republic/Haiti area..

This has strengthened my belief that Savate may have originally been a West African martial art to begin with since it was often associated with the French "underclass." Haitians pretty much constituted that underclass.

I forgot to add one more thing:

Catherine Dunham, dance choreographer and High Priestess, has preserved aspects of the Haitian fighting methods in a dance choreography. Interestingly, Capoeria is taught at her school; some may call that a spiritual linkage.

mickey

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