In 2016, the United Nations UNESCO included al-Tahtib on its list of intangible heritage, while schools spread to teach this popular sport in a number of Egyptian governorates, which received a great demand for learning, especially by women..
Sabry Al-Suhagy, one of the Egyptian tahtib trainers, considered that tahtib is “an ancient Egyptian sport that has a history of thousands of years, and is one of the first sports in the world to use the stick as a main tool.”
He pointed out that “it is practiced as a kind of folk art and as a show dance on occasions and weddings, and as a sport,” explaining that “the tahtib dance can be performed by one or more people, and the number of people performing it may reach 20, but as a sport it is practiced in a circle between two people and sometimes more than number about it.
He explained that “the goal of learning this sport is self-defense, and usefully venting energy among young people, as well as stimulating tourism in the folklore aspect, and it is an inexpensive sport.”.
The foundations and stages of tahteeb
Al-Suhagy considered that “the tahtib is a living heritage that has its qualifications to represent Egypt in international forums, and it also expresses the Egyptians with their different classes and customs.”
He continued, “Al-Tahtib is a full-fledged sport practiced in three stages. The first is called peace, which is the meeting of the stick with the stick of the other competitor in the form of a (V) or (X) “X”, and it is individual with one hand or paired with both hands.
As for the second stage, according to Al-Suhaji, it is called “the sprinkler”, and the name is taken from the spraying of water, which is passing the stick over the opponent’s stick with only one hand, and it is on the right and on the left. As for the third stage, it is called “forgiveness,” which is passing the stick over the opponent’s stick, and each of them caught his stick with both hands, right and left.
During these three stages, the doors or points that determine the skill level of each player and the extent of his superiority over his opponent come, either by pointing or just touching only, in order to preserve the safety of both players..
Recently, many lovers of tahteeb are making efforts to legalize it, improve this sport and reduce its risks. In the past, he used to practice with a kind of thick stick called the “shuma”, which could cause injuries, but this was changed and the stick was made of bamboo.
The movement of the stick has also been updated, so that it moves in a certain way and not randomly, and whoever wins must hit certain places. Achieving points is also calculated by pointing or light touch, and the audience, players and those interested in this field are aware of the winner through these light touches..
Al-Suhagy stressed that “tahteeb is its main environment in Upper Egypt, especially Sohag, Qena, Luxor and Aswan, and by virtue of the customs and traditions in these areas, women were indirectly involved in tahtib. Women did not go to fencing with men, but supported their children and encouraged them to learn this sport.”.
Iqbal of women
Al-Suhaji pointed out that “after the registration of tahtib at UNESCO in 2016, the demand for learning the game increased, especially by women,” explaining that he established a school for teaching tahtib, a voluntary, non-profit school that teaches those who wish to do so.
He added that “learning tools are cheap, and they are limited to buying the stick required by the trainee, after which he can learn for free.”
And he indicated that “the aim is to preserve the heritage and spread the origins and rules of this game, while working to form an international federation for this sport, which will have a positive impact on introducing the Egyptian heritage abroad, and expressing that inside and outside the country.”.
Al-Tahtib for Women..Strength and Fitness
For her part, the 24-year-old trainee, Asmaa Al-Khatib, expressed her happiness at learning this game, considering that it is a sport that “gave her strength, energy and fitness.”.
She indicated in a statement to “Sky News Arabia”, “At the beginning of her quest to learn this sport, she faced opposition from her parents, as this sport is limited to men, but her passion and love for her and her insistence on learning it was the reason for changing the parents’ position, especially as she feels safe in the place.” where you train.
She also noted that the tahtib “contributed to improving her health and psychological state, and gave her strength, energy and high physical fitness.” She concluded her speech by saying, “The high demand of women to learn this sport, even in Upper Egypt, encouraged me to engage in it more. It taught me self-defense and increased my body strength and my sense of safety.”
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