Engolo

The tradition & historical record

N'golo (anglicized as Engolo) is a traditional Bantu martial art and game from Angola, that combines elements of combat and dance, performed in a circle accompanied by music and singing. It has been proposed by some researchers as a possible precursor or influence on the development of capoeira, although the extent of this relationship remains debated in the academic literature. Engolo is a traditional combat game associated with communities along the Cunene River in the Cunene Province of Angola. Contemporary descriptions of engolo highlight movements inspired by observations of nature, including the imitation of animal behaviors, such as a zebra's kicking motion or the swaying of trees. The practice includes physical combat elements, and accounts describe the possibility of serious injuries during its performance. The combat style of engolo encompasses a variety of techniques, including different types of kicks, dodges, and takedowns, with a particular emphasis on inverted positions. Some researchers have pointed out similarities between engolo techniques and movements found in capoeira, such as meia lua de compasso, scorpion kick, chapa, chapa de costas, rasteira, L-kick, and others, although the extent and nature of any direct historical connection between these techniques remain debated. ¹

The term ngolo derived from the Kikongo Bantu language and signifies concepts related to strength, power, and energy. Moreover, in the 15th century, ngola was a title held by African kings. The term ngolo originates from a Bantu root *-gol, meaning to bend or twist. Ngolo is also colloquially referred to as the Zebra dance. ¹

In West Central Africa, martial arts naturally take the form of dance. In Bantu culture, dance is an integral part of daily life. People danced while working, playing, praying, mourning, and celebrating. In Congo-Angola, dance is intricately linked to song, music, and ritual, and even incorporated into wartime preparations and battles. Engolo is typically performed within a circle, accompanied by percussion, with participants humming, singing, and clapping hands. The dance synchronizes with the rhythm of handclaps. In Jogo de corpo documentary, sometimes the musical bow was also played (with mouth). One of the traditional song in engolo is: “Who dies in engolo won’t be wept for”. There are also alternative translation from Kimbundu language: ¹

Another engolo song highlightes the all-important ability to dodge and escape: “Kauno tchivelo kwali tolondo”, meaning “You don’t have a door, maybe jump over”, emphasizing agility in evasions and cunning in finding creative solutions to challenges. ¹

Within the Bantu culture, the circle carries profound symbolism. Village dwellings are frequently arranged in circular formations, and communal meals are enjoyed while seated in a circle. Dancing in a circle holds significance, representing protection and strength, symbolizing the bond with the spirit world, life, and the divine. The practice of engolo, as documented in the 1950s, involves a circle of singing participants and potential combatants, and, similar to a capoeira roda, participants must remain within a defined area. Sometimes, this circle is overseen by a kimbanda, a ritual specialist. The game starts with clapping and call-and-response songs, some of them featuring humming instead of lyrics. A practitioner enters the circle, dancing and shouting, and when another participant joins, they engage in a dance-off, assessing each other's skills. This interaction incorporates kicks and sweeps, with defenders using dodges and blending techniques to counterattack smoothly. This cycle continues until one participant concedes defeat, feels the match is complete, or the kimbanda overseeing the match calls for its conclusion. In engolo games documented in the 2010s, players often initiate the engolo circle by challenging others. In such cases, they enthusiastically leap into the circle, showcasing agile movements and occasional shouts while awaiting someone to join and engage in the play. They can also select a specific individual to join them by using kicks or simulated kicks. ¹

There is no written record of engolo's origin. Engolo practitioners claim that "engolo comes from the ancestors" and that their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers played engolo. ¹

According to Desch-Obi, engolo was likely developed by Bantu shamans and warriors in ancient Angola, based on the inverted worldview of kongo religion. With this worldview, shamans put themselves upside down to gain power from the ancestral realm. Among the Pende shamans, the most used movement was the front crescent kick. Masked shaman kicked over sacred medicine to activate it and over the kneeling people to heal them. Moreover, engolo was a military training method to develop warriors' close combat skills. Neves e Sousa believes that the techniques of engolo derived from the way in which zebras fight among themselves. Desch-Obi finds that using the zebra as a combat role model in Angola makes sense because it symbolizes nimbleness and agile defense. The engolo also resembled the zebra's fighting style, particularly the zebra kicks executed with the palms touching the ground, which is a defining feature of engolo. Matthew Zylstra suggests that a dance performed by the Gwikwe Bushmen bears a striking resemblance to the Angolan art. He proposes a theory that the Bantu peoples in southern Angola, who interacted with San Bushmen groups in the region, may have known such dances and integrated them into their cultures. If this theory holds, it would imply that the origins of engolo could be thousands of years old. ¹

In precolonial Angola, mock combats were a major part of military training, and since hand-to-hand combat was essential to warfare, techniques to avoid blows and attacks were a key focus of martial exercises. Since the Portuguese invasion in the 16th century, European chroniclers noted the martial skills of the local people. Mock combats were a common feature of military reviews in Kongo/Angola, similar to drills in Europe. These movements could be applied in warfare, as Angolan warriors heavily relied on personal maneuvers in their fighting technique. Written sources from the 16th century describe martial arts similar to capoeira. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Engolo”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Engolo is Bantu martial art from Angola, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 1 external register, which can be verified through the citation. ²