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Jogo do Pau

Jogo do Pau ("stick fencing" is a possible translation to English) is a Portuguese martial art which has developed in the Northern Portugal, in the regions of (Alto Minho and Trás-os-Montes) focusing on the use of the quarterstaff and its derivatives.The techniques employed can be traced to several origins, most notably to a dance in India. Its propousal was primarily self-defence helping to survive bad encounters with robbers, but in the agricultural areas of the North of Portugal, it was used not only in personal fights but also in fights between people from nearby villages.

The main reasons for its popularity and use as a weapon of self protection were the facts that a wooden stick was available to anyone, it always carried by many people as a support for the long daily walks, to help crossing the rivers and namely by the shepherds to protect the cattle from the wolves.The are references sayng that this martial art was used during the ocupation of Portugal against the troops of Napoleon in the guerrilla led by Zé do Telhado .

There is strong evidence that its technique has most probably derived from a dance in India, which would have been imported and adapted in the time of the Discoveries, a plausible reasoning since it was never practised in Galiza (the neighbouring region of North-West Spain, with close linguistic and cultural ties with the regions of Minho and Trás-os-Montes); although some say that its origins are medieval techniques of combat much similar technique in the medieval book "A ensinança de bem cavalgar em toda a sela" (The art of being a horseman on any saddle) whose author was D. Duarte, a Portuguese King (1391-1438 AD).W whatever proves to be true it has nothing to do with the dance known as the Pauliteiros de Miranda (related to Asturain folklore).

In the 20th century the pratide of jogo do pau had a quick decline due to the rise of fascism, in this time it was almost only practiced in organizations dedicated to preserve the folklore, but now jogo do pau' is being praticed not only in Portugal but also in other europeans countries.

Last updated: 09-02-2005 16:52:30