Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva rumbles in the jungle, doing the huka-huka with the Kamayura, who live on the Upper Xingu River in the Amazon.
In this Amazoo Açaí-sponsored trip, the respectful Silva lost the first two contests under huka-huka rules, but fared better using BJJ.
Huka-huka is a Brazilian folk wrestling style of the indigenous people of Xingu, in the state of Mato Grosso. It is performed as a ritual fight during the ceremony of Kuarup.
Huka-huka starts with the athletes on their knees. It begins when the owner of the fight, a male chief, walks to the center of the arena and calls his opponents by name.
The fighters kneel rotating clockwise in a circle facing the opponent, until they look at each other and cling, trying to lift the opponent and knock him to the ground. The fight is performed by either men and women.
Huka huka is being introduced, experimentally, in the formation of São Paulo State Military Police. The fight is also being studied by mixed martial arts practitioners.
We get two and a half years in seclusion, preparing to be a fighter, just scraping the skin and applying the root, explained one of the natives, stating that the tribes males begin their training at 13 years old.
After being painted by the natives in the manner of a jaguar, Anderson went into combat. In the duels under huka-huka rules, Silva got left behind, defeated twice in less than a minute. But for the third match, Silva asked to change rules.
Showing why he’s considered the best fighter in the world, the Sao Paulo native taught the Kamayura jiu-jitsu techniques, but without using his deadly muay Thai.
Just after falling to the tribe champion, Anderson Silva paraphrased a Sir James Dewar quote, People’s minds are like parachutes—they only function when they are open, Silva lectured.
They have a different way of fighting, a different type of technique. They are very strong, and I really enjoyed the experience.
The Dewar phrase, in fact, is one of the favorites of Rickson Gracie, who along with Rolls and Carlinhos Gracie would often test themselves in sambo and other styles of hand-to-hand combat.
