AFRICA · EXTINCT

Galico

A striking wrestling of the western plateaus of Togo, practised by the Ewe people, combining delivered blows and wrestling techniques. An extinct practice.

ORIGINS & SOCIAL FUNCTIONS

A striking wrestling of the western plateaux of Togo, practised by the Ewé people, attested, then extinguished: one of the family's erased practices.

THE GAME

Launched blows combined with grappling techniques: a mixed grammar, percussion and wrestling in a single duel.

PLACE IN THE FAMILY

The galico documents the family's mixed pole, strike and grip held together, on the Ivorian-Togolese belt, beside the lamb and the gbe. Its extinction places it in the Atlas's geography of erasure: a complete fighting grammar of which only the record now remains.

SOURCES

Olivier Malo, La capoeira et les arts de combat noirs : histoire effacée, techniques invisibles, 1905–1984, doctoral thesis in History, Université des Antilles, 2020.

HOW TO CITE THIS ENTRY

MALO, Olivier. Galico. In: The Atlas of the Black Combat Arts [online]. Black Combat Arts Institute, 2026. Available from: https://www.blackcombatarts.com/atlas-en/galico [accessed date].

RELATED PRACTICES

→ Gbe, Striking wrestling, Ivorian-Togolese belt

→ Kandeka, Blows combined with wrestling

→ Essoda-lubié, Togolese wrestling