Batuque (Brazil)

Batuque was a Brazilian game played in Bahia in the early part of the twentieth century by African slaves which were brought to Brazil but now extinct. A similar game, pernada, was popular in Rio de Janeiro about the same time. Players stand in a circle; one player stands in the center in a defensive position, and another moves around him, suddenly attacking. The attacking player tries to throw the defending player to the ground with blows from his legs. Mestre Bimba's father was a champion of batuque, and research seems to indicate that Mestre Bimba incorporated some techniques into his Capoeira regional courses.

For further details, see Capoeira: Roots of the Dance-Fight-Game, by Nestor Capoeira, ISBN 1-55643-404-9.

Batuque in present

There are efforts to resurrect Batuque (and leg wrestling in general) as a modern sport.