The Afikpo wrestling tradition and its cultural benefits
Afikpo wrestling exercise, is a form of games in which men come out to test their physical strength.
In the olden days, they use wrestling to test ones braveness and his ability to withstand the enemies.
Traditionally, how brave you are determines the kind of woman you will marry, just as we consider your level of education and your financial capability in our present time as a criteria for marriage. Then it was how you are. And it is normally done in EKE and AFOR market days. The adaba ngba festival in Afikpo, is a major form of relaxation. It has a season and is greatly celebrated all through Afikpo. It gets the interest of everybody, men and women, young and old. It is one part of Afikpo culture that modern world has not taken away. People from all walks of life come together to watch it. People leave their businesses or close their shops to be at the wrestling arena or “OGO” (village square). Young women in large numbers dance excitedly to cheer the winners. Drummers add color to the event, dishing out martial (fight or war) and pulsating(high and low)beats. Old men are not left out of the show. Though wrestling is equally recreational for them, the old folks have a role to play in decision making. They have the final say as to when a wrestling match ends.
Wrestling contests are organized and staged at the peak of the rainy season, biannually. Rainy season, known as “udu mini,” is a time to rest as the farming season draws to a close and the new yam festival (harvest season) approaches in August. Farming is a major occupation in Afikpo. During the rainy season, farm work is light and most people stay at home to rest. The wrestling contests, therefore, complement the relaxation spirit of the period. In fact, it is at social event while the season lasts.
Young men engage in wrestling to showcase their physical prowess. Every young man before attaining a certain age grouping is eligible to participate in wrestling contests featuring members of his age grade (people born within a few years of each other are grouped into the same age grade).
Age grade system is an established time-honored practice in Afikpo, as it is in most Igbo communities. Wrestling contests are open to age grades from as little as age five (5) through about age forty five (45).
There are three major age grades that have been known to perform greatly in wrestling contests in Afikpo. They are “Ibuzo mgba,” “Isi ogu” and “Ikpo.” Ibuzo mgba group are children starters who set the stage for the next age grade. The second age grade is Isi ogu, the age set that is between Ibuzo mgba and Ikpo. They engage in wresting bouts before the main show involving the Ikpos. The star wrestlers from the outgoing age grade, Ikpo, are the major attraction. They wrestle last. After a wrestling season, the Ikpo age group members graduate to the next stage of seniority in age-grade ranking. They become umpires, known as “Atamaja.”
In the course of a wrestling bout, Atamajas perform their duty with the assistance of drummers. A certain drumbeat, kpo-ti-kpo, is interpreted as a signal to the Atamajas that two wrestling opponents must be separated, especially when neither can throw the other. Additionally, elders act as moderators and final arbiters. An onikara, elderly man of more than seventy years, throws up sand to put an end to a wrestling contest. He also does this to prevent disorderliness, which can arise from an ensuing controversy.
A wrestling match does not last long. A winner emerges when a wrestler throws his opponent on the ground and this can happen within two minutes of action! The celebration of that feat is more exciting than the bout itself. Spectators go haywire with jubilation. The winner is carried shoulder-high round the arena while people throw money at him. Girls dance for him. If he is married, his wife and other family members join the celebration. The drum beats become more vigorous, spirited and heart-pounding. The hero is dressed in a special way and dances round the OGO while the spraying continues. Post-winning celebration is a thing of delight to watch.
Traditional wrestling among men and boys is a common feature in Igbo land. But some people have created the impression that traditional wrestling among women and girls is strange to the entire Igbo culture, but it is not true. This form of wrestling is very much indigenous to Igbo culture and was widely practiced; that is until the western education diverted the interest of the women and girls away from this ancient sport.
Afikpo before the Nigerian civil war, had four different occasions in the year when female wrestling competitions took place. This exercise is known as Mgba Umunwanyi (female wrestling). The four different occasions when Afikpo women and girls organized wrestling contests were during:
- Mgba Akpukpa,
- Mgba Uzo Iyi,
- Igba Suba, and
- Ocho
Related Information:
- Ebonyi Business
- Ebonyi Culture
- Ebonyi Education
- Ebonyi Entertainment
- Ebonyi Health
- Ebonyi History
- Ebonyi Politics
Say Something about The Afikpo wrestling tradition and its cultural benefits