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| General Information |
Gidigbo is a traditional wrestling form of the Yoruba people in West-Africa. The Yoruba people inhabit Nigeria as well as other surrounding areas in west central Africa. The details of the rules vary from town to town.The contest ends when a participant’s back or knees touch the ground. The wrestlers are male. Matches are accompanied by drums. Medicines and magic are not always condoned publicly anymore, but still widely used (White 2010: 10). |
| History/Development |
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Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
Traditionally passing on the skills starts within the family circle. The skills are tested at festivals and informal contests (White 2010: 12). Most Nigerian Olympic wrestlers started with the traditional style (My-Wrestling-Guide.com, s.d.).Wrestling continues to be practiced, but the amount of people with an overall knowledge keeps declining. At state level wrestling receives financial support from organisations like Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) (White 2010: 13). |
| Relevant Organisations |
- Nigerian Wrestling Federation (NWF) |
| Additional Materials |
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| References |
- White, E. (2010). “Gidigbo”. In Green, T. A. and Svinth J. R. (eds). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
- My-Wrestling-Guide.com. (s.d.). “Nigeria”, My-Wrestling-Guide.com. http://www.my-wrestling-guide.com/eng/Nigeria-eng.html | | |
