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Title [North America] Tire machet

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  • Date
    22-12-2020
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Name Tire machèt
Alternative Names Haitian machete fencing
Origin Haiti
Main Techniques Weapon-based
Weapons Swords
Purpose of Practice Warrior Arts
Type of Origination Transmitted
Degree of Sportification
Yes (Year: )      No
General Information Tire machèt is a Haitian martial art. Just like the Colombian grima this fencing style uses a machete, students usually practice with wooden sticks or wooden swords.
History/Development European and African elements were merged into a unique fencing style used for combat. There are noticeable similarities with European sabre fencing as well as African stick-fighting and capoeira (The Haitian Machete Fencing Project, s.d.).In the years before the historic revolution of 1791-1804 stick-fighting was banned in Haiti as it was on other French-Caribbean islands. But since the sticks are so easily replaced after confiscation they could keep practicing (Desch-Obi 2008: 148; Tucker 2017).In the revolution the slaves of Haiti defeated Napoleon’s armies. One of their weapons was the machete (Desch-Obi 2008: 147-148). The most common use of the machete in Haiti however, is as a farmer’s tool, that is also used for personal defense.Colombia and Cuba also saw a development of machete fighting. Especially the Colombian art of grima shares a lot of its techniques with Haitian tire machèt, there is undoubtedly a relation between the two (Desch-Obi 2009: 153).
Transmission
(Policies/institutions)
The art is passed on from master to pupil. Most masters keep their practice hidden and surrounded by secrecy. Professor Alfred Avril teaches the art openly to a few students as seen in the beautiful short film “Papa Machete” (2014). The Haitian Machete Fencing Project organizes and supports training programs in Haitian fencing. The project is dedicated to promoting and teaching the system worldwide. In Munich, Germany, multiple fencing classes have been held.
Relevant Organisations - The Haitian Machete Fencing Project https://www.haitianfencing.org/
Additional Materials - An award-winning documentary short film by Jonathan David Kane titled “Papa Machete” (2014): http://www.papamachete.com/watch
References - Desch-Obi, T.J. (2008). Fighting for Honor: The History of African Martial Art Traditions in the Atlantic World, South Carolina: The University of South Carolina Press.
- Desch-Obi, T. J. (2009). Peinillas and Popular Participation: Machete fighting in Haiti, Cuba, and Colombia. http://rcientificas.uninorte.edu.co/index.php/memorias/article/viewFile/517/278
- Tucker, A. (2017). “The Deadly Martial Art of the Machete”, Martial Arts Lab. https://martialartslab.com/the-deadly-martial-art-of-the-machete/
- Papa Machete (2014) http://www.papamachete.com/
- The Haitian Machete Fencing Project https://www.haitianfencing.org/

*see also grima