YoBè
Af-Ra-Kan Spirituality & Kembat Martial Science
What's Yobè?
Inspired by the life of Kamerunian Freedom Fighter, Ruben Um Nyobè, Yobè is Afrikan Spirituality and Martial Arts, a comprehensive lifestyle designed for people of African descent to heal from racial trauma and historical suffering through learning African-centered spiritual systems and self defense. As such, Yobè is an African (Alkebulan) Martial Art (Montu) purposed for the liberation and restoration of our Black cultural and spiritual identity before slavery and colonialism. It is a sacred science and a way of life for people of African descent.Through our online rites of passage program, get access to numerous detailed video lessons released each week, live online workshops, rank testing, and much more!
What are African Martial Arts?
Through the centuries, our ancestors have always centered Afrikan warrior arts into the culture and spirituality of the people from the music within the drum circle to the charms carried by Dambe fighters.
The word Martial Arts comes from the Roman god of war, Mars. The Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) NTR of War, Montu, is often used to describe the Afrikan Martial Arts. The Kemetic tomb of Baqet III shows various combative positions that appear to be wrestling or grappling (see photo).
Throughout the continent of Afrika, wrestling is often considered to be our martial art or Montu. Which literally means to get your opponent on their back, belly, or side. Such an opponent has been successfully “wrestled.” These forms of wrestling include the Laamb of Senegal, Ijakadi or Gidigbo of the Yoruba, and many others.
Yobè Af-Ra-Kan Warrior Collective
We are moving more and more off social media with less information about Yobè available publicly. Membership in the collective is selective as the warrior collective is designed to help men of Afrikan descent heal and train together. This includes our Rites of Passage Program which consisting of weekly live Zoom classes every Wednesday Night from 9pm-10pm EST. Participation in our Warrior Classes and the Collective are by invite only. Contact Mwalimu Brother Rob at Afara@AfricanMartialArts.com for more information and to enroll.
Spirit of Afraka
These are some of the words, terms, and definitions we use in Afrikan spirituality and martial arts.
Alkebulan- Ancient name for the continent commonly miscalled Africa.
Afraka (Afrakan): “Af” means flesh as in our black and brown skin. “Ra” means the Ultimate Light which illuminates all things. “Ka” is the Living Spirit within all things. To call our Motherland Afraka and ourselves Afrakan is to connect our physical to our spiritual Afrakan Self.
To be Afrakan is not just about skin color and goes beyond race.
Nu Afrakans- Those individuals of African descent who are conscious and connected to their Afrikan ancestry, acknowledge their Creator through actions towards Afrikan unity, and live to pass on their knowledge to the next generations forever.
Moyo- Spiritual Energy Yoruba: Ija- Fight
Ijakadi- Wrestling, Combat, Fighting
Gidigbo- Wrestling
Ogun- Orisha of Warriorhood & Metalwork
Ori- Head
Ese- Punch
Onapasi- Kick
Egika- Close Quarters Combat Nille- Ground Fighting
Kemetic:
NTR- The All, the Father and Mother of all existence, infinite Consciousness
Ntru- Cosmic forces or Spiritual expressions of the NTR.
Ma’at-Kemetic Principles of Truth, Justice, Harmony, Balance, Order, Propriety, and Reciprocity
Montu- Kemetic NTR of War used to describe Afrikan Combatives, Wrestling & Fighting
Smai Tawi- Kemetic practice of energy movement and postures similar to Yoga
African Martial Art Styles
Some Afrikan forms of martial (montu) arts include:
Borey - Practiced by the Mandinka people of Senegal and Gambia consisting of knees, headbutts, kicks, and devastating locks/breaks
Calinda (kalinda or kalenda) - An African folk martial art which uses sticks and was developed in the Caribbean
Cocobalé (or Kokobalé) - An Afro-Puerto Rican martial art utilizing music, dance,rituals involving sticks or machetes. This art is accompanied with the Bomba musical tradition
Capoeira - Inverted Kicking, sweeps, upperbody stiking, and acrobatic dodging system
Danmye - From Martinique in the Carribean. Danmye uses kicks, head butts and hand blows and is similar in form and movement to capoeira with sweeps and acrobatic defenses
Engolo - Predecessor to Capoeira & practiced by Queen Nzinga of Angola
Knocking & Kicking - Believed to be descended from Engolo to the Americas
Mgba - Grappling system based on leg wrapping
Ijakadi/Gidigbo - Yoruba striking & grappling art
Dambe - Hausa Boxing from Nigeria
Musangwe - Venda People South Africa Bare Knuckle Boxing
Laamb or Lutte - Senegalese Wrestling
Tahtib - Kemetic Stick
Zulu Stick Fighting - Art practiced by Zulu people of South Africa
Khandeka - Slap Boxing & Stick
Istunka - Somali stick fighting
Haitian Machete - From nation of Haiti
El Juego de Mani - Game of War from Afro-Cubans
Reisy - East Afrikan form of combatives emphasizing head butting
52 Blocks - System founded by Africans in the United States, Afro-Americans
Moraingy (Morengy) - Bare Knuckle style from Madagascar
Ruben Um Nyobè
Although Ruben Um Nyobè is not well known, he was a major figure in the African independence movement in the mid-20th century. He was born in 1913 in Song Mpeck, Kamerun which was a German colony at the time, but like much of Africa, was divided up by France and Great Britain after World War I. Although educated in Christianity and baptized, Um Nyobè denounced the Catholic Church due to its role in the proliferation of slavery and colonialism.
Um Nyobè was the first African leader to claim the independence of his nation in front of the United Nations General Assembly. During the assembly, he continuously railed against French colonial rule in Cameroon and called for the immediate and unconditional reunification of the divided French and British Cameroon.
The French responded by persecuting Um Nyobè's Cameroon People's Union (UPC), murdering many of its members, arresting others, and exiling the rest. Ruben Um Nyobè himself was murdered by the French government on September 13, 1958. If that wasn't enough, the French administration burned all of his writings and prohibited Cameroonians from even speaking his name. This prohibition remained in effect until the 1990s. Today, we remember Ruben Um Nyobè, his name, his life, his legacy.
Afraka, I never knew You
Africa
I never knew you in my innocence
Kind of naïve in a sense
Like a tender child torn
From his mother when born
So too, we were ripped apart
The memory of you, my lost ark
Of a covenant now broken
All because they turned
My MOTHER into a token
Afraka, I never knew you
You were sold to the highest of bidder
And yes, your beauty was to consider
Sweet to the touch, and easy on the eye
Countless the number of tears you cried
As he RAPED you in chains undignified
(till his lust was satisfied)
And sold your children around the globe
Who today wear your pain in a brown robe
Yellow, tan, brown, and all tainted skin
Lost and disconnected from their darker kin
Afraka, I never knew you
The dark continent they call you
Yet what can be darker than nothing?
No language, culture, or history
In the colored only memory
Erased by the white out called slavery
Still, I see you... Afraka
Beaming and shining in my sight
If you appear dark,
It's 'cus they're blinded by your light