Haitian Machete Fighting 01

[oishiasan]

keeping the blade sticked with the opponent's one reminds me the "tui shou" from Tai ji quan

[DRDPL]

Lmao. This video bring memories especially when the instructor swipes the machete in the floor, people use to do that in D.R before fighting. Even though most haitians and dominicans don't get along. i like haitian people their very strong. THX FOR SHARING. THIS BRINGS MEMORY OF MY YOUTH.

[tarnshadowhawk]

looks like the escrima I teach. Very nice.

[artconva]

very nice martial art !!!

[MrPotatoesLatkie]

This looks similar to the German Messer (big knife) fighting styles from the medieval era. Look up Langes Messer for an example. The big difference is that western martial arts people are trying to recreate an old system that died out, whereas the Haitians actually have a living system. The similarities are interesting.

[dafranx]

Damn, I wanna learn such form of martial arts.

[generalrelative]

@Funktageous N'ap boule toujou. Vin tcheke nou na Jacmel.

[MrFryguy001]

Is that you fighting that one haitian dude. I've got to learn this.

[generalrelative]

@MrFryguy001 That's me. Come check us in Haiti.

[striker1224]

Good stuff! Really liked this video.

[Axxex]

I have been in Canada for the past 15 yrs spent half of my teen years in Haiti I can tell you all for a fact that this is real. During vacation i used to to Grandma in the country side in the L'artibonite are we do it but when you train its mostly witch stick hence it wouldbe called "Tiré Baton" with its a with a mchete it would "Tiré manchet". Memories dont ever leave me"

[generalrelative]

@glinxz You're right in your second point. The style is based off of African stick fighting but also highly influenced by European saber/cutlass fencing. And definitely used to kick European ass during the revolution.

[generalrelative]

For reference, see "Fighting for Honor: the History of African Martial Traditions in the Atlantic World" by M. Thomas J. Desch-Obi. You can find an excerpt on the Haitian tradition by going to books.google.com and searching for "Haitian Machete Fighting". 

[copypacercopypacer]

@generalrelative reminds me of filipino machete fencing.....

[manti5h00k]

sooo COOL! xD

[eddiedaskull]

influnenced by european pirates no dought

Basically it is cutless fighting

[glinxz]

@eddiedaskull dude its a style in africa man. so no not influenced by euro's. If any European's influenced them to use to kick thier ass.

[TheCardiacShakespear]

How are these guys not getting their knuckles & wrists completely mangled and bloodied?

That's what happens whenever I try this stuff out ungloved like they are-- and even then, it still hurts like mad.

[generalrelative]

I have indeed gotten a lot of smashed knuckles, but that's the way you learn to keep your sword hand moving away from the opponent's blade. Better to use gloves if you're going 100%, but for modulated training, nothing beats a little pain to keep you on your toes.

[urboijojo]

personally me being a haitian have never seen dhis in haiti but it look pretty kewl and i would like 2 try it

[Unjesue]

There used to be something like this in Guatemala called "Pelea del Machete" my father taught me some when I was a kid... he told me that they don't do it in guatemala anymore... not many people know it nowadays... makes me a little sad really. Im glad that he is training in this; it keeps part of the culture alive so to speak. My hats off to you...

[elchippe]

here in dominican republic i pratice a similar art.

the machete was the best weapon for figth before the gun and pistol.

[hotpopcorncake]

i kno i seen this in back in DR ,and i see fights too

[mrsteel614]

@elchippe what is the name of the art you practice in the dominican republic? Is it cocobale?

[Garenny]

@elchippe . Yo soy de Rep. Dom... y soy arte marcialista, tengo experiencia con la katana, sies, nunchacos, bo staff, y cuchillos de guerra... me gustaria dominar mejor el machete. Donde practicas hermano mio?

[generalrelative]

@Garenny Mi profesor se encuentra en Jacmel. Si quieres visitarlo, enviarme un correo electrónico.

[jekylfoot]

This is awesome! I wanna go there right now...

[fatmanontherun]

wow never thought haiti would develope a fencing system...very impressed looks badass!

[derfilmmacher]

Interesting single-handed fencing. It looks like it developed from historical sabre (miltiary fencing). The prime and high octave parries are both sabre parries aka the roof parries and wing parries. Also, the footwork.

[0102106kls]

the have this art form in africa, it's really old.

[7Matahari7]

@derfilmmacher It is, although there are stick and sword systems in Africa and I'm sure some of those principles are mixed in there and of course it traveled to India and Europe from Africa at first anyway, this is definitely very much from the old European Sabre styles, which only makes sense given the history. Same is true for the Philippine systems.

[shango1963]

@7Matahari7

You need to know what's not in the African systems in oreder to make this claim. There's no proof that any of this is European influenced. First of all, how would such diffusion occur, why and when?

[7Matahari7]

@derfilmmacher in Africa there is an art called Muti and a few others that are very similar, but I do not know their histories.

[killAm0th]

This go hard!!!

[RocknRollOtaku]

Mix that with Capoeira and that will be just as badass.

[Enigmafly13]

yeah actually capo is mixed with it.

[adamalden]

cool

[pepshao]

I'm from Artibonite in Haiti and I know that there's a similar martial art but with sticks named "tire baton". Of what I've seen on that video, they got similar footwork. And The art of "Baton" it's not for pratice like in this case but the main weapon for their art.

[byyon]

Very nice.

[Skeeter66]

Thank you for this perpetuation of knowledge.

[BareseMaledetto]

really really interesting what do they call this style in haiti?

[generalrelative]

Hey, thanks. In my experience in Haiti, the most common way of referring to machete fencing was as "tire machet" (pulling machetes), and the practice with sticks as "tire bwa" (pulling wood), but I've also heard the more formal sounding "espadron militaire" (military sword).

[BareseMaledetto]

thanks for the time to reply, i had heard several names for the ma's of haiti, muti, lovace etc.

[shango1963]

@BareseMaledetto

Lutte Baton Et Machet as well.

[tianglade]

Tres Bien!

[real3rdlife]

good job guys i heard once about this haitian martial art but i didn`t knew it was that nice keep up the good work