African warriors

Images of a typical African sport

Nigeria, September, 2023
Dambe is an African combat sport which originated in Nigeria and is thought to date back centuries. The sport was historically practiced by Hausa (one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa) butchers around harvest or festival time and was considered a test of bravery.
Competitors in a typical match aim to subdue each other into total submission mostly within three rounds. The fighters bind the fist and wrist of one arm with rough rope, step into a makeshift ring and heave wild roundhouses and kicks at each other. Young boxers prepare for their match by tightly wrapping the “spear,” or striking arm, with cloth or rope.
Dambe boxers can strike anywhere on the body with the fist, head, or feet.