Ekigwo: The old sport regains its lost round
WHAT is going on here?†asks a 12-year-old, as she joins a crowd at Nakivubo Stadium. The atmosphere is tense. People are drumming, singing and dancing. “It is ekigwo (wrestling),†a man replies. “But the men seem to be involved in a fierce fight,†says the girl. “No.†“It is a Kiga
By Elvis Basudde
WHAT is going on here?†asks a 12-year-old, as she joins a crowd at Nakivubo Stadium. The atmosphere is tense. People are drumming, singing and dancing. “It is ekigwo (wrestling),†a man replies. “But the men seem to be involved in a fierce fight,†says the girl. “No.†“It is a Kiganda wrestling match,†the man stresses:
Revellers elbow each other to catch a glimpse of two gigantic men walking towards each other like charged bulls. They move closer, each vowing to wrestle the opponent down.
More people gather around them, especially the young generation, who may have heard of ekigwo, but had never witnessed the action.
Sweating profusely, the two barefoot, mean-looking men with bloodshot eyes and tough muscles pounce on each other amid roars from onlookers.
Revellers sing the popular wrestling song Atamukute yagamba yaye, kwatiradala onyweeze, omegge (grip your opponent and wrestle him to the ground).
The tempo rises as they clap to the rhythm of the drums. Kakugube, one of the wrestlers, stretches out his right hand, bending it upwards.
Zaid Muganda, his opponent, does the same and they seize each other, twisting and wrestling.
Kagugube coils around Muganga’s legs tightly and wedging him against his body tightly, lifts him against his back and finally throws him on the back of his head, scoring a point. The crowd goes wild with deafening cheers.
Kagugube is declared the winner and is introduced to Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II who gives him a cow. Thanks to Royal Heritage Buganda Bureau and the Buganda Kingdom which organised the competition recently to revive the sport’s lost glory and rediscover Buganda’s heritage.
The Kiganda wrestling match is not common, especially in urban areas, but it is being revived slowly.
Many people are used to watching wrestling on TV. But the sport is one of the oldest weapon-less and antagonistic activities.
Wrestling existed in all early civilisations, although it was in ancient Greece that it developed into a sport and was included in the Olympic games in 704BC.
Sir Apollo Kaggwa in his book, The customs of Buganda, says there is a lot of evidence that in Buganda, ekigwo was the most popular sport among boys and men.
“The focal point of the Buganda young man’s social life was his membership in a wrestling club. Ekigwo also used to be the most significant game in our heritage,†the book reveals.
Regrettably, for over 40 years, ekigwo had ceased to be a popular sport, following the 1966 attack on Kabaka Edward Mutesa’s palace. The abolition of the monarchy undid the Buganda socio-cultural system.
Kitaka, an official of the Buganda Heritage Bureau says the colonial influence did havoc to Buganda’s heritage, making it almost extinct.
“During the colonial era, African communities were brainwashed against their cultural heritage and traditions and chose to adopt foreign cultures.â€
“Africa discarded its heritage and values, taking on foreign cultures.
The continent’s efforts to identify a developmental direction have since been futile,†says James Kitaka.
Frank Kitonto, a historian, says ekigwo started with the herdsmen. Boys engaged in the sport as they herded animals. Ekigwo was a sport patronised by the young kabakas.
They frequently took part in the game, though nobody was allowed to throw them down. Anybody who did was sentenced to death.
Traditionally, the Baganda were renowned for their wrestling skills.
Males of all ages indulged in ekigwo and boys did not go to school. They practised wrestling all day to become champions of Buganda.
Wrestling was accompanied by drinking beer, singing, drumming and dancing.
The hero of the day had to dance around until another champion was declared. They would walk around the field together and had to wrestle to determine the stronger of the two.
They would seize each other in a tight grip and had to maintain it throughout the struggle. Whoever threw the opponent down, with the back of the head touching the ground, scored a point and if both fell, it was a draw.
A fall at any time would terminate the action. Both contestants would kneel before the king to give thanks to him. Draws were common but if there was a dispute on determining the winner, the chiefs made the decision.
A wrestler whose moves were offensive was considered a coward and not a good fighter.
The king sometimes took part in the popular game, for instance Kabaka Mukabya was fond of wrestling and often wrestled with his brothers.
The techniques, manoeuvres and styles of ekigwo may differ from the TV sport, but in both, violence is not condoned.
In both, competitors make use of a variety of techniques that are best learned through the practice.
Wrestlers strive to throw each other down with a series of manoeuvres known as take-downs.
This involves lifting, throwing, twisting, tackling and tripping.
In the Westernised wrestling, if a participant goes down on the carpet without a touch-fall, the two grapple, seizing each other with various grips until one or both of them fall.
One is required to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the feet to declare he has won the match. Submission requires the opponent to signal defeat by speaking out.
Touch-fall wrestling requires an opponent to be held in a certain position for a measurable length of time.
But much as strength is an asset, it is not a prerequisite.
Renowned ekigwo champions include Musa Muwuba, Kizito Musoke, Haji Bazirengedde, Nsolobusolo, Joseph Tezikuba, Francis Zavuga, and the late Abdu Meremeenya.
WHAT is going on here?†asks a 12-year-old, as she joins a crowd at Nakivubo Stadium. The atmosphere is tense. People are drumming, singing and dancing. “It is ekigwo (wrestling),†a man replies. “But the men seem to be involved in a fierce fight,†says the girl. “No.†“It is a Kiganda wrestling match,†the man stresses:
Revellers elbow each other to catch a glimpse of two gigantic men walking towards each other like charged bulls. They move closer, each vowing to wrestle the opponent down.
More people gather around them, especially the young generation, who may have heard of ekigwo, but had never witnessed the action.
Sweating profusely, the two barefoot, mean-looking men with bloodshot eyes and tough muscles pounce on each other amid roars from onlookers.
Revellers sing the popular wrestling song Atamukute yagamba yaye, kwatiradala onyweeze, omegge (grip your opponent and wrestle him to the ground).
The tempo rises as they clap to the rhythm of the drums. Kakugube, one of the wrestlers, stretches out his right hand, bending it upwards.
Zaid Muganda, his opponent, does the same and they seize each other, twisting and wrestling.
Kagugube coils around Muganga’s legs tightly and wedging him against his body tightly, lifts him against his back and finally throws him on the back of his head, scoring a point. The crowd goes wild with deafening cheers.
Kagugube is declared the winner and is introduced to Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi II who gives him a cow. Thanks to Royal Heritage Buganda Bureau and the Buganda Kingdom which organised the competition recently to revive the sport’s lost glory and rediscover Buganda’s heritage.
The Kiganda wrestling match is not common, especially in urban areas, but it is being revived slowly.
Many people are used to watching wrestling on TV. But the sport is one of the oldest weapon-less and antagonistic activities.
Wrestling existed in all early civilisations, although it was in ancient Greece that it developed into a sport and was included in the Olympic games in 704BC.
Sir Apollo Kaggwa in his book, The customs of Buganda, says there is a lot of evidence that in Buganda, ekigwo was the most popular sport among boys and men.
“The focal point of the Buganda young man’s social life was his membership in a wrestling club. Ekigwo also used to be the most significant game in our heritage,†the book reveals.
Regrettably, for over 40 years, ekigwo had ceased to be a popular sport, following the 1966 attack on Kabaka Edward Mutesa’s palace. The abolition of the monarchy undid the Buganda socio-cultural system.
Kitaka, an official of the Buganda Heritage Bureau says the colonial influence did havoc to Buganda’s heritage, making it almost extinct.
“During the colonial era, African communities were brainwashed against their cultural heritage and traditions and chose to adopt foreign cultures.â€
“Africa discarded its heritage and values, taking on foreign cultures.
The continent’s efforts to identify a developmental direction have since been futile,†says James Kitaka.
Frank Kitonto, a historian, says ekigwo started with the herdsmen. Boys engaged in the sport as they herded animals. Ekigwo was a sport patronised by the young kabakas.
They frequently took part in the game, though nobody was allowed to throw them down. Anybody who did was sentenced to death.
Traditionally, the Baganda were renowned for their wrestling skills.
Males of all ages indulged in ekigwo and boys did not go to school. They practised wrestling all day to become champions of Buganda.
Wrestling was accompanied by drinking beer, singing, drumming and dancing.
The hero of the day had to dance around until another champion was declared. They would walk around the field together and had to wrestle to determine the stronger of the two.
They would seize each other in a tight grip and had to maintain it throughout the struggle. Whoever threw the opponent down, with the back of the head touching the ground, scored a point and if both fell, it was a draw.
A fall at any time would terminate the action. Both contestants would kneel before the king to give thanks to him. Draws were common but if there was a dispute on determining the winner, the chiefs made the decision.
A wrestler whose moves were offensive was considered a coward and not a good fighter.
The king sometimes took part in the popular game, for instance Kabaka Mukabya was fond of wrestling and often wrestled with his brothers.
The techniques, manoeuvres and styles of ekigwo may differ from the TV sport, but in both, violence is not condoned.
In both, competitors make use of a variety of techniques that are best learned through the practice.
Wrestlers strive to throw each other down with a series of manoeuvres known as take-downs.
This involves lifting, throwing, twisting, tackling and tripping.
In the Westernised wrestling, if a participant goes down on the carpet without a touch-fall, the two grapple, seizing each other with various grips until one or both of them fall.
One is required to touch the ground with any part of the body other than the feet to declare he has won the match. Submission requires the opponent to signal defeat by speaking out.
Touch-fall wrestling requires an opponent to be held in a certain position for a measurable length of time.
But much as strength is an asset, it is not a prerequisite.
Renowned ekigwo champions include Musa Muwuba, Kizito Musoke, Haji Bazirengedde, Nsolobusolo, Joseph Tezikuba, Francis Zavuga, and the late Abdu Meremeenya.