Does anyone know anything about this fighting art? It's supposed to consist ALMOST ENTIRELY OF HEADBUTTS! Sounds like a fun style to take up. Any info?
Sounds good! Very popular in Scotland I believe, go in any Glasgow pub and demand they show it you, I think you'll be surprised!
Y'know, I was in Eritrea once, and I wouldn't mess with 'em--but I didn't know they had their own fighting style. I know one of the guys that worked at the embassy there, I should ask him if he's heard of it.
Please do. If what I've heard about it is true, then - GOD, I want to learn this style! Edit: I found this article: http://stickgrappler.tripod.com/52/testa.html Seems to be related to Capoeira in some way. Maybe because they're both african fighting styles.
Testa is a north african art specifically found in Eritrea and Ethiopia, that as you mentioned, focuses on headbutting. A source I came across also mentions that strikes, some grappling, gouging and biting the windpipe (eesh) are all used to set up the coup d'grace, the head butt. We see it quite often in Capoeira. A Capoeira Mestre out here by the name of Dennis Newsome teaches it at his school, along with other African diaspora. Here's a link to his site and an article on Testa: http://www.malandros-touro.com/testa.html
See what quite often, Testa or headbutting? Headbutts are a common part of capoeira, but I've never seen anyone who professes to bo doing Testa in the roda. paz, dormindo
Testa Headbutting in the roda (Cabecada) was what I was referring to. However, the above link that I posted to Mestre Newsome's school gives a rundown of a variety of African-based martial arts that is integrated in his curriculum, not just Capoeira. Years back when I was training, I asked some people that trained in San Diego if they'd ever had an inter-school roda w/Newsome's students, and they said they were a bit bizarre in the roda, typically wanting to go straight into fighting rather than just playing a game. What they were doing was not purely Capoeira; they were synthesizing all of the African arts they were taught by Newsome and using them in the roda. After a while, they quit extending invites because they were getting tired of these guys showing up acting like valentoes (tough guys) and killing the Axe in the roda.
Thanks for the response. I've not had the chance to go out to San Diego (though I have met Mestre Newsome before). I'm familiar with the group in Dallas and some of our group members have played them without incident, though I've not had the pleasure yet myself. I'll eventually get up there--I play capoeiristas from Austin as often as I can and, of course, have played many of the capoeiristas here in Houston--angola and regional. And Rand and Frodo owe me games as well, , so I'm building up a list. paz, dormindo
Are these the guys in question? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0ji4NsYznE"]Os Malandros de Mestre Touro Los Angeles - YouTube[/ame] Because if so, I fail to see anything too far out of the ordinary compared to myriad other capoeira vids. :thinking:
is JHR for real? the guy is a big HR fan but if you scroll down theres a long scan in of a testa book. what do you think?