Ancient Bloody Martial Art Gets Second Life As Dance Routine
- 7 years ago
An ancient, bloody Egyptian martial art has been given second life as a dance routine.
Ancient tahteeb fighters used papyrus sticks strong enough to kill. But "modern tahteeb" emerged in 2012, transforming the fights into dance routines. Performers whirl around each other and "sword fight," but never cause any real damage.
Sabry Mohamed founded a center for tahteeb, and hopes to organize a world championship. He wants to share the Egyptian tradition with a global audience.
Ancient tahteeb fighters used papyrus sticks strong enough to kill. But "modern tahteeb" emerged in 2012, transforming the fights into dance routines. Performers whirl around each other and "sword fight," but never cause any real damage.
Sabry Mohamed founded a center for tahteeb, and hopes to organize a world championship. He wants to share the Egyptian tradition with a global audience.