NUBA STICK FIGHTING

Nuba Stick Fighting is a famous tradition in Nuba, but is rarely practiced today. One of the Nuba tribes that is most know for their stick fighting is the Moro. They use a stick and a shield and the sport is always carried out at the end of Autumn and the beginning of the harvest. Stick Fighting is a part of the ceremonies that follow the harvest and thank god for the food. the fights occur at these festivals, can be an invite from one tribe to another, and can also be a man, aged in the upper teens, can hold the hands of his rival’s fiancee for a couple of minutes or cut her bracelets. The would-be husband will immediately issue a challenge and the competitor will drop a hankerchief on his competitor’s hous during the night and the contest will start in the morning. Every fighter ties ribbons of thick cloths or torn blankets around their body to lessen the impact of the strike. Some fighters put hats of mud or seeds around their head for protection. If one of the fighers is badly hurt, he will be compensated with a symbolic reparation, such as a cow. Because of the dangerousness of stick fighting, the South Kordofan Advisory Council has restricted it in recent years. During celebrations there are demonstrations, but the old style is rarely seen today.

Source

The basis for most of my information can be found at www.nubasurvival.com/Nuba%20Culture/4.%20Nuba%20stick%20fighting.htm