Dambe boxing: Nigeria’s brutal martial art - BBC Africa

Dambe is an ancient Hausa martial art, practiced in northern Nigeria for centuries. It's popularity is growing and online videos of the fights have gathered millions of views worldwide.
Produced and edited by Marco Oriunto and Marco Oriunto
Filmed by Ifiokabasi Ettang and Joshua Akinyemi
#dambeboxing #nigerianewtoday #mmanews
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[@jdtrading4465]

This is a way out of poverty for many of these young men. May the most high bless them all with prosperity 🙏🏾

[@africanwarriors]

Amen! inshallah 🙏🏾 We keep using our platform as the largest Dambe community to keep growing and pinning the sport globally

[@ringgame]

Allah ya baku sa'a ​@@africanwarriors

[@Craftedbywaltz]

I love how nigeria embraces African culture and modernises it, really inspiring.

[@nhvlogs638]

Corona's mother looks younger than him

[@africanwarriors]

Young, beautiful and agile like his son!

[@dizdimples]

My exact thoughts she looks more like his younger sister

[@al.rafael]

Early marriage

[@nhvlogs638]

@@al.rafael oooh ok

[@joses2712]

Definitely early marriage. Best believe, she may not be more than 13 years older.

[@bethanyb9742]

His mother is beautiful ❤

[@jessypet216]

And looks young

[@franklinstyle4059]

Damn how is that coronas mother😂😂 she definitely looks like his little sister

[@itsnevertoolatetodotherigh3271]

My thoughts exactly

[@UnusualOscar]

Prolly got married at 10

[@blackpalacemusic]

Tuning in from the 6th region. Africa needs hold a big fight sport event that has Dambe, Musangwe, Lamb, Zulu IMPI all under one roof. Introduce the audiences to these various arts. Its time to modernize these sports, formalize, codify and systematize.

[@sonnyr1899]

I really love and like how African child respect parents. You kneel down to your mother for getting blessings. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@user-jv2kh8sc5j]

This guy needs some Ufc links

[@yeeeeet3252]

He’d get annihilated

[@Speedofdark339]

Yeah these dambe fighters should compete in lower level mma organisations instead of just throwing themselves into the lions den (the UFC) ​@yeeeeet3252

[@ringgame]

It's a specialised sports like sumo and wrestling. Maybe they'd do well in boxing

[@Speedofdark339]

@@ringgame I doubt they'd do well in striking sports like boxing or kickboxing/muay thai I think the dambe style of striking with wrestling training and more footwork could transition into MMA better imo.

[@adeyinkaoladapo5863]

Please can someone correct me if I was wrong, I learnt there is a proposal submitted by the various sporting ministries in the north, mainly in kano, katsina, zamfara to the federal ministry of sport and youth development, to ensure the listing of "Dambe" as a participatory sport in the Olympics through the IOC. I wouldn't know, how far such proposal as gone. I can't wait to see ''Dambe" sport in the Olympics, it will surely gain prominence pass boxing, kickboxing and UFC. Much love from naija🇳🇬

[@africanwarriors]

As the largest Dambe community, we are dedicated to promoting and preserving the ancient cultural sport of #Dambe. Recently, we witnessed a historic event as the first British fighter, Luke Leyland, journeyed to Nigeria to challenge one of Dambe's fiercest warriors, Shagon Yellow. Experience the intensity of their clash and explore more exciting fights by visiting our social media pages. Join us as we continue to champion Dambe and showcase its rich heritage to the world! 🥊🔥

[@MisterHeroman]

What a name!

[@MwelwaOnCos]

I hope and pray the organizers do not pocket more money than they should while the fighters remain in poverty

[@vivijuno6146]

That's good, #Dambe will help a lot of families for living.

[@mbenembene2841]

God loves fighting.

[@nbb6609]

These are my people!

[@aponirayn9099]

Handsome young man.

[@kogiman]

Do a special on boxing and ufc And use the caption BRUTAL

[@user-dy8fj4nw2y]

This is a nice documentary video

[@kogiman]

We have to grow this

[@The_Modern_Gladiator]

I'm from Senegal, maybe one day i step in 🛡️⚔️

[@Dan_Tano]

Why tagged it "BRUTAL "?

[@kopee35]

exactly. It isn't more brutal than boxing

[@Dan_Tano]

@@kopee35 to them everything africa is negative...

[@oriont6944]

@@kopee35 boxing uses gloves, these fighters use what ancient fighters used to use when they'd fight and it hurts way more.

[@projectrain2254]

​@@oriont6944Do you say that about Muay Thai when they use the traditional chords..?

[@AbdouIbrahim-]

Masha allah

[@tuneryclassic8749]

This is great, like to see it visit one day

[@masterlightjames950]

No, thanks. We've had enough foreign problems already. We don't want any extra. Stay in your country.

[@africanwarriors]

Sure you can. Watch our social pages for the upcoming Dambe experience.

[@god6384]

North of Nigeria is not so safe as tourists. I wouldn't dare to come there as a white european but I've been to Lagos on Victoria Island

[@Speedofdark339]

Some dambe fights happen further south ​@@god6384

[@africanwarriors]

This shows that you missed the big event of Dambe, which was organized by us. We had the first British wrestler come to Katsina, Nigeria, to engage with the people, learn their culture, and enjoy their food. Google 'Luke Leyland Dambe' to see the amazing results of what we have achieved with Dambe and how we are strengthening the community even further ✊🏿@@god6384

[@Chid098]

I can see Capcom using this, the damage output would be crazy in street fighter

[@uchegbudivine6885]

I love how BBC Africa is covering Nigeria

[@blackpalacemusic]

Really? They cover African with a lot of negativity

[@dadafgf9360]

That’s the only thing the cover nowadays , it’s nonsense

[@uchegbudivine6885]

@@blackpalacemusic To you Truth = Negative 😂

[@africanwarriors]

Thank you BBC for delving into the deep culture of Dambe. Feel the pounding rhythm of the drums as warriors clad in tradition unleash strikes, showcasing their mastery of this unique discipline. ❤👊🏾👊🏾

[@abdulrahmanabubakar9825]

Thank you so much to you too for making effort to promote Dambe. It's just a matter of time for you guys to be competing with the likes of UFC. Thanks

[@chizzyibe7401]

The dambe of old used broken glass sewn in or glued unto the throwing fist. Its less bloody now

[@JacquesNjoya]

You watched too much kickboxer movies

[@ahmedismail2501]

That's a fact

[@africanwarriors]

@@JacquesNjoya He is correct. With our implementation and guidelines - Dambe now have rules making it brutal, fun and less damaging to the fighters

[@emmanuelcalpymbella657]

It looks brutal. The padding on the gloves look thin

[@ican6401]

I think UFC is more brutal than this, but same context.

[@preciousj6931]

Omg He looks like his mothers senior brother

[@user-kx8no1wh4u]

Please say "Northern Nigeria"

[@sympa_is_misanthropic]

Nigeria’s UFC, high diff 💯☝🏾

[@raheedmuhammad-alikhan3593]

Great story

[@mrfreak7106]

We can't believe this news channel again ,you watch with the other eye closed ,is true or false again

[@Delzing2.0]

Why? Because they exposed the truth about your false prophet??

[@wisdomkz8111]

Spartans in real life 😅

[@isaacdoku5128]

At least it’s better than stealing and committing crimes around…

[@bob-manuel]

At least it's better than school shootings, stfu.

[@MohammedAwutah]

BLACK AND WHITE FAMILY TOGETHER WE ARE AND TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT LET US WELCOME THE FUTURE AND SAY NO TO THE THIRD WORLD WAR AND CHOSE FREEDOM TO THE PROMISE LAND A NEW WORLD TO COME 🎉😂🤣😍🤩🇬🇧🇬🇭

[@oluwatobiadegoke13]

For the love of violence, some people fight.

[@leocardiamaruta4208]

His mom is hot and looks young

[@jonescharly2544]

dambee dambee

[@danielchukwu4212]

Useless sport. How many national and world boxing champions has this sport produced over the decades?

[@olaniyiare101]

Put some respect on them, they're doing what they can to survive. No need for all these hateful words 😒

[@Speedofdark339]

Lmao, mate, dambe has nothing to do with qeeunsbury boxing 😂

[@KabeerBasheer]

Full of negativity

[@Speedofdark339]

@KabeerBasheer the funny thing about op is that he's probably oblivious to the fact that a lot of (probably amateur) boxers would gey ef'd up by elite level dambe fighters under full dambe rules

[@Tomi-yy3fv]

Corona's mother looks younger than him, maybe Dambe fights are the real fountain of youth! 😂🥊