 Colombian Grima maestros (masters) | |
| Also known as | Colombian grima, Colombian esgrima, Colombian fencing, Colombian machete fencing |
|---|---|
| Focus | Machete |
| Country of origin |  Colombia |
| Olympic sport | No |
Colombian grima is a martial art that was developed by Afro-Colombian communities during the colonial era that utilizes the use of a machete in combat. [1]
Among contemporary masters of the art, there are a number of competing ideas as to the origins of grima. Although there are numerous variants on these, they fall into four groups. The first group views grima as having come from Africa along with enslaved Africans brought to work in the mines of Colombia and the second group traces grima directly to European sword-fighting experts who visited Colombia in colonial times. The third group see grima's "desgonses" as evidence that Colombian grima was formed by blacks developing their own styles inspired by the European sword-fighting they witnessed, while the fourth group traces grima to the Wars of Independence when it was taught by foreign soldiers to Colombian troops. In the near future comparative research on the fencing histories of the Atlantic world may provide clearer details on the historical relationship between Colombian grima styles and other fencing traditions in the wider Atlantic world. [2]
There are many different variations of Colombian Grima and they differ throughout the country. These different styles are called "juegos". Juegos differ in utilization and movements. [2]
Other examples include; Sombra Caucana, Cubano, Español, Venezolano, Costeño and many others. Each style slightly differs in stance, range, footwork, tactic, and choreographed sequence, but follow the same eight common core strikes and defenses. [3]
Dual wielding is the technique of using two weapons, one in each hand, for training or combat. It is not a common combat practice. Although historical records of dual wielding in war are limited, there are numerous weapon-based martial arts that involve the use of a pair of weapons. The use of a companion weapon is sometimes employed in European martial arts and fencing, such as a parrying dagger. Miyamoto Musashi, a Japanese swordsman and ronin, was said to have conceived of the idea of a particular style of swordsmanship involving the use of two swords.
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Juego de maní often simply called maní or mani, sometimes referred to as baile de maní or bambosa, is a stick-fighting martial art and dance that was developed in Cuba by African slaves. It is still kept alive today in Cuba by folkloric groups. Practitioners are referred to as maniseros.
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