What's Ijakadi African Martial Arts?
Rooted in our culture, history, and values, Ijakadi African Martial Arts is a comprehensive program designed for people of African descent to heal from racial trauma and historical suffering through learning African-centered self defense. Get access to numerous detailed video lessons released each week, live online workshops, rank testing, and much more!
Modern & Traditional African Martial Arts
Different from, but inspired by the traditional Yoruba martial art, Ijakadi simply means "fighting" and is an African Martial Art purposed for the liberation and restoration of our Black cultural identity before slavery and colonialism. It is a combat science and a way of life for people of African descent. A total system, Ijakadi African Martial Arts includes everything from footwork, kicking, punching, knees and elbows to headbutts, grappling, ground fighting, and weapons.
Online Learning & Certification
Learn African Martial Arts Online!
Yes, it is possible to learn martial arts online! In fact, online learning makes it easier to review material, take notes, and practice on your own! In in-person classes, it's impossible to rewind or go back and recall everything the instructor said in class. As you advance, however, you'll want to grab a friend or partner to help! If you don't have anyone, we can help with that as well!
Multiple Styles and Instructors
We are looking for community-minded individuals who want to make a difference! Even if you're not an instructor, we still want you to teach what you do know and share the art online and in your area. It does our community no good for your to have a belt, but not share your knowledge. We need everyone on the ground building and strengthening our communities. Join us!
Become an Instructor!
We're looking for individuals committed to promoting African-centered culture, values, and of course, African Martial Arts. Our mission is to spread African martial arts across the United States and globally so our people (kids & adults) have a safe haven to learn study, and grow as individuals, families, and communities. To do this, we need qualified and passionate instructors.
African Martial Arts (Montu Arts)
The word Ijakadi is a Yoruba word meaning war, struggle, or fight. While there is a Historical or Traditional Yoruba Ijakadi martial art style, our method is called Ijakadi - the Art of Knocking & Kicking and is different from Yoruba Ijakadi. Our Ijakadi is a Modern African -centered Martial Art reconstructed & rooted in creativity, science, mathematics, our history, and cultural values for our liberation.
We Are Still African
Whether your ancestors were colonized in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, South America, or the United States, they were still African. Regardless of whether you call yourself African American, African European, Haitian, Jamaican, or Nigerian, we believe we all are African still. Pan-African in our approach, African Martial Arts goes beyond kicking and punching, but is a vehicle for self development and healing from our collective trauma.
Pan-Africanism (African Unity)
Pan-African in our approach, African Martial Arts goes beyond kicking and punching, but is a vehicle for self development and healing from our collective trauma. Our program include lessons on spiritual, mental, and financial development, yes, financial development because the battle is not always fought with our fists.
What You'll Have Access To
Beginner to Advanced Techniques in Multiple African Fighting Arts
Historically, as African people, we have always been connected to the land. We build and plant from the ground. Likewise, our martial art builds you from the ground up with an insane focus on footwork & kicking before advancing you to punching and advanced striking. Each lesson is progressive and gives an extreme amount of detail, essential for online learning.
A Growing Online Network, Family, & Community
Learning martial arts is about community and connecting with like-minded individuals on the same mission and path as you are. Ijakadi African Martial Arts has a growing online community where you can connect with others and share ideas about the martial arts, African studies, financial literacy, business development, and more!
The Art of War - Become a student of your History and Culture
Being a student of Ijakadi African Martial Arts means that you must also study our own history and culture. Our greatest battle as African people is to recover what was lost through colonialism and slavery meaning our culture and history. Today, many of us think Black history began with slavery; we don't know our original language, names, religion, genealogy, or customs.
What You'll Learn
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How to Teach the Youth
Our future is in the next generation. Learn how to instill confidence in them and pride in their rich cultural heritage.
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Afro-centered Spirituality
Regardless of your religion, you'll learn how to center your spiritual practice on the needs of your community and yourself as a person of African descent.
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How to Fight Standing and Grounded
While most fights start standing, they rarely end that way! Ijakadi African Martial Arts emphasizes learning how to fight standing and on the ground.
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How to Develop Devastating Power
As African people, we root in the earth, the ground. Regardless of your size, you'll learn how to generate power from the ground using your body weight.
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Slick Defense - Stick & Move
From historical martial arts such as N'golo which emphasized dodging to 52 Blocks and our modern boxers, African Martial Arts is known for defense!
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How to Read & Set Up Your Opponent
It's called the Art of Knocking & Kicking for a reason. You'll learn how to tell when your opponent will attack or move and how to set him up when he does!
Why African-Centered Martial Arts?
Every culture transmits their cultural values through the warrior arts be it Taekwondo from Korea, Kung Fu from China, Muay Thai from Thailand, Brazilian Jiujitsu from Brazil, or Karate from Japan. Africa and African People have a rich martial legacy that is little known but which we seek to bring to light in a modern form to firstly restore our sense of African pride. While what we do may look like other martial arts, it is starkly different in application, concept, and detail.
How Does It Work?
Training Solo
All lessons are designed for you to be able to train without a partner! Solo training can be best at the beginning until you learn the basics. There is a lot that can be accomplished without a training partner! Ideally, you want to keep your training sessions to 30 minutes to 1 hour three times a week. This is a good rhythm. Between training, feel free to watch the lesson and take notes. Taking notes is highly recommended!
Partner Training
If you find a partner or friend to train with, keep in mind that you don't have to train together all the time. Training solo is best and essential to learning martial arts, do partner training as often as you like, but you should train solo at least twice as much as with a partner.
We Need More Teachers!
Students should be teaching at all levels! That's right! We want you to start teaching and sharing what you've already learned and can apply. This is much different than what you will hear in other martial arts that want to control knowledge. We want you to share your knowledge with the community. Teaching Ijakadi is more than kicking and punching, however. It also means teaching our history, culture, and values! Start there if you can. That is the foundation. There is no monthly association fee to pay like some programs. Teachers are free and independent to teach, open a school, or do nothing at all. We are not responsible for our Teachers and do not employ them. Taking on the role of teacher reflects a level of mastery in character, martial arts, and the African spirit.
FAQs
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Of course, the term "Ijakadi" comes from the Yoruba people and is inspired by the traditional Yoruba martial art. However, just as our people are scattered all over the globe, there is no central location from which our Ijakadi comes from. Much of our history & culture has been scattered or lost through colonialism and slavery. We use the term Ijakadi to refer to ALL EXPRESSIONS of African-centered martial arts based on our understanding of historical & traditional African martial arts. It is all encompassing as an art, science, and philosophy. The Science of Ijakadi is based in nature, concepts found in physics and mathematics. The Art of Ijakadi comes from African people in both the Diaspora and the continent of Africa. For example, Ijakadi uses movements from Capoeira (Afro-Brazilian) and Engolo (Central Africa) as well as 52 Blocks (Black American). The Philosophy of Ijakadi comes from Kemet (ancient Egypt) and is Pan-African (Unity of All African people).
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All martial arts are similar in form. For example, there is a roundhouse kick in Karate, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Kung Fu, and many other arts. There is a jab in boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and other martial art styles. Likewise, while the techniques in Ijakadi may look similar to other martial art styles such as our Ginga (Sway Movement & Footwork) for example, it is not the same in function or application as what you may find in Capoeira.
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Yes, it absolutely is possible especially with this program! The reason why is simply due to the extreme level of detail covered in each lesson. Because you're learning online, even the most insignificant detail of a technique is highlighted and emphasized. We want to be sure you don't miss anything! Even if you do, you can go back rewind and take notes on each lesson which we highly encourage! Eventually, you will want to work with a partner or friend as you get better and more advanced to ensure you can apply what you learn. Sparring is essential and you will need to practice with other martial artists even from different styles. As long as you can make your techniques work in sparring, then that is the goal. Regardless, our program is extremely detailed! Honestly, we probably go into too much detail!
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We want you to start teaching Ijakadi, our culture, and our history as soon as possible. Start by studying your history as a person of African descent and begin teaching that, as well as your African culture. Sign up for our membership program designed specifically for the healing of African and African diaspora people through African martial arts. It's only $22/month. Depending on your training and prior experience, it takes up to a year to be certified to teach. As always, teach what you know. Teaching also will help you to learn. When you're ready, just let us know. Our program is not a "black belt factory" where we pump out an instructor certification for an outrageous fee. Certification must be earned.
"A People Without Knowledge of Their Past History, Origin, and Culture is Like a Tree Without Roots"
— Honorable Marcus Garvey, Father of Modern Pan-Africanism
In Partnership with Mukhanda International
What is Mukhanda International?
Mukhanda International is an organization that researches and practices real indigenous African forms of traditional combat both weapons and empty hands. Their work of connecting with various cultures across the African continent and the diaspora is ongoing. They are laying the foundation, for the preservation/dissemination of indigenous African ancestral knowledge, an ongoing process, that will greatly be carried on by future generations.
If you're serious about learning African Martial Arts, then you'll consider supporting our collective work and investing in the Quarterly Magazine, Revealing Knowledge.
Revealing Knowledge issues are now available below to purchase. Revealing Knowledge is a series of magazines about indigenous African cultures martial arts and related disciplines. https://www.woseinternationalfilms.com/shop
To Alkebu-lan (Afrika)
We Never Knew You
Africa, we never knew you
We never knew you in our innocence
Kind of naïve in a sense
Like a tender child torn
From his mother when born
So too, we were ripped apart
The memory of you, our lost ark
Of a covenant now broken
All because they turned
Our MOTHER into a token
Africa, we never knew you
You were sold to the highest of bidder
And yes, your beauty was to consider
Sweet to the touch, and easy on the eye
Countless the number of tears you cried
As he RAPED you in chains undignified
(till his lust was satisfied)
And sold your children around the globe
Who today wear your pain in a brown robe
Yellow, tan, brown, and all tainted skin
Lost and disconnected from their darker kin
Africa, we never knew you
The dark continent they call you
Yet what can be darker than nothing?
No language, culture, or history
In the colored only memory
Erased by the white out called slavery
Still, we see you... Africa
Beaming and shining in our sight
If you appear dark,
It's 'cus we're blinded by your light
