radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Its almost a lost legacy, but thanks to the efforts of a few, stick fighting continues to thrive in the sleepy community of Moruga.
The dance-like spiritistic art form which features martial art moves was brought to the Caribbean by African slaves in the latter part of the 17th century. Back then, African slaves from the Congo and Angola used the gayelle or stick fighting arena to rid themselves of the trauma of slavery.
Today the special sticks known as bois are crafted from the heart of the poui tree and have been known to cause injuries.
During an interview with Guardian Media, founder of the St Mary’s gayelle Brent Hamilton said while stick fighting has continued to thrive in the Moruga district, much of the rituals associated with the art form have died.
“People used to say stickfighting was associated with obeah. Nowadays people don’t do that kind of thing. The old stickmen will know about that,” Hamilton said.
However, one of Moruga’s stick fighting Ring Master Elton De Leon said the stories of spirit bois continue to be part of Moruga’s stickfighting legends.
“I have heard that long ago people used to put their sticks in the cemetery so that it will be loaded with the spirit of the dead,” De Leon said.
He added that the rituals were many. Today, before any fight begins, the gayelle is sealed with camphor and puncheon rum to ward off any evil spirits.
“We light camphor on the four corners of the ring and then we throw the rum all around so the ring is sealed,” De Leon explained.
He agreed that the stickmen from yesteryear used to give power to their bois by communicating with the dead.
“Some used to get a living frog, open its mouth and put the stick in there. Other people used to put their stick in a running river. They said the running river will give you speed in the ring,” he added.
To have a spirit stick was the height of wickedness and if a villager was seen doing this, the fighter was feared and secretly shunned.
Stickfighting legend Harold Brown, now 86, of St Marys Village, Moruga, insisted that he never fought with a spirit stick.
“I never do them thing. They used to do things long time so that you will fear the stick,” he said. He noted that in the olden days, the fights took place outside the rum shops. Flickering flambeaus would circle the ring and under the cover of darkness, the loud crack of the bois could be heard.
The fighter will get inebriated with shots of puncheon and when he enters the ring, spectators will call for blood.
“Most times the fighter would spend months training for a fight. People back then didn’t do it for the money. They did it for the love,” Brown said.
If a fighter was injured by a spirit stick he would be whisked away to a medicine shaman called Drakes who would administer a dose of special herbs. It was not uncommon for people to visit Mother Cornhusk, now deceased, to get help from the ancestors or to get protection in a gayelle ring.
“If you fix a stick (using obeah) and playing bad in the gayelle and you hit a man, that could change him for life,” Brown added.
He said his days of stick fighting started when he was ten. His cousin Botry Brown would cut off poui sticks and together they would fight in the road.
Later on, their training skills improved and after several victories, they earned trophies and medals from the Oilfield Workers Trade Union.
“George Weekes gave me a trophy in Palms Club. Real men get blows from me. I fight from Moruga to Tobago. Big legends like Indian John, Stokely, Medal and Donnie. Those are the great fighters I remember,” he said.
Attempting to show off his stickfighting moves, Brown said, “I cannot lift up my leg but I have no injuries from all the years of stickfighting. No head injuries except for this one which I did not get in stickfighting,” he chuckled.
Another stickfighting legend Adarill Brown, now 88, of Gunness Trace said the days of stickfighting were good.
“We used to find a poui log and cut a slab from it. Then we will take a piece of a broken bottle and shave it good. We band it up with some electrical tape,” Adarill added.
He said even though some of the traditions of stick fighting are no longer practised, he was grateful that the art form was well preserved in the Moruga district. He commended Hamilton for keeping the tradition alive saying the gayelle has been set up for seven consecutive years.
“I believe the National Carnival Commission is committed to preserving the art form. Nowadays people throw money in the ring. I don’t think the fighters are underpaid because they agree to fight for the little money. If someone gets hurt, the winner will give him a $200 to cool out,” said.
What happens in a gayelle
Before a fight begins money gathered from the spectators is placed in a circle inside the gayelle. Hamilton said the fighters do the puncheon rum ritual and then light the camphor.
The players and spectators start singing the chantwell songs as the bongo drums begin to roll. This is said to bring out the fighter’s “warrior spirit.”
“Fighters choose their own opponents. They begin a dance in the ring known as ‘carray’ and when the jumbie takes them, they begin the fight,” Hamilton added.
The spectators cheer them on and as soon as the first blood is spilt, the winner claims the money.
A fighter can make between $2,000 to $3,000 once they emerge victoriously. There can be more than a dozen fights on any given night that the gayelle opens.
More on stickfighting
Two types of stickfighting tradition exist in T&T. These are called the Kalinda and gatka. The Kalinda is based on martial traditions that can be found in Central and West Africa and also among the Oromo people of Ethiopia. It is usually the style found in the National Stickfighting competition.
Gatka is a combat training style developed by Sikhs and brought to Trinidad by indentured labourers from Southern Asia including Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.
There are many variations of Kalinda and Gatka which are passed down from generation to generation. The chantwell songs also vary based on the community from which it originates. There is also a gayelle in Mayaro and it is not uncommon for stick fighters to share their techniques despite being fierce opponents in the ring.
