The ATTIC Martial Arts and Fitness Center, What is African Martial Arts

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African Martial Arts
Taekwondo
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African Martial Arts / African Martial Systems (AMS)

It's very difficult to summarize what AMS is when you consider that the continents recorded history is over 6000 years old. In practice, we strive to take the best and most pertinent components of AMS and train in light of our vision at the ATTIC. However, our goal here is to give the reader some history of AMS; so the below information will suffice as an introduction to AMS. Also, you'll notice that in our comparison chart we note that the African Martial Artist will learn how to use the entire body as a weapon. The below information sheds some light as to why.

"The Martial Arts of Africa"

Shrouded in mystery for centuries, the most ancient arts in the world are finally surfacing.

The martial arts of Africa presented to the world one of the earliest forms of systematic combat. The uses of weapons such as the spear, mace, sword, and the bow and arrow all have their origins in Africa. The unarmed forms of combat exemplified the movements of certain animals held sacred by the ancient Africans. The martial beginnings started with mankind’s desire to preserve and organize combative principles in system that could be readily taught to subsequent generations.

On the African continent, the oldest remains, tools, and weapons of man are found. The oldest martial arts records in existence are in the form of hieroglyphics in what is today called Egypt. The ancient Egyptian priesthood taught systems of combat based upon history, legend, and myths about gods and goddesses.

The weapons of the pre-dynastic Egyptian soldier were:

a stout cudgel made of wood
a mace or club
a spear made of wood with a slice of flint fastened to one end
bow and arrows
a flint knife or dagger
a battle ax formed by tying a slab of stone or flint to the short, stout wooden handle
a curved stick.

These weapons were pre-dynastic (prior to the year c.4100 BCE, when King Narmer of upper Egypt, through warfare, united upper and lower Egypt, making the two countries one. Under the Middle Kingdom, the soldier defended himself with a shield of wood or wickerwork covered with hide and sometimes strengthened with a metal rim. The standard under which he fought had for its head the figure of the hawk of “the god Horus”.

The ancestors tell us that there were nine powers that enlivened man. They were as follows; Ka, Ba, Ab, Khat, Khaibit, Ku, Sahu, Sekhem, and Ren.

The Ka was defined as the double or energy body.
The Ba is the heart-soul, the receiver of feelings.
Ab is the mental, seat of highest intelligence.
Khat is the physical body, vehicle of expression on the physical plane.
Khaibit is the shadow, the essential essence of reflection.
Ku is the spiritual body, where rests man’s morality.
Sahu is the spiritual body, where the Ku soul lives.
Sekhem is the power, the spiritual personification of the physical forces.
Finally Ren, “the name”, is the attribute that brings all things into manifestation.

These nine powers stem form an inseparable unity where, if one element were missing, the others would cease to exist.

Any ancient martial art form leads us to weaponry. The people with the best-equipped army could utilize their weapons in combat and, therefore had the most proficient army. Practitioners of this art are taught the use of different types of weapons, including the classical weapons; the bow and arrow, the spear, sword, mace. and ax. We also utilize stick-fighting along with throwing weapons such as the boomerang and certain knives.

In this day and age, we use the weapons primarily to help build strength and awareness. This also teaches the student to be able to transfer strength not only to the end of the extremities, but beyond them. This makes the empty-hand art that much more effective because one learns to channel force pass the confines of the body.