Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

The first Hopological Expedition in over 30 years was recently concluded by a team from the Immersion Labs Foundation (ILF). The expedition, which took place in Barbados, was the first ever of its kind which focused on the Arts of the New World.

Co-founder of the Bois Academy of T&T, Rondel Benjamin, said the five arts explored were Barbadian stick licking, Trinidadian Kalinda, Trinidadian Rope Jab, Venezuelan Garrote, Colombian Grima and Trinidadian Gilpin. Stick licking, Kalinda and Garrote involve the use of sticks, while Grima and Gilpin use machetes and sticks.
ILF was founded by martial artist Mahipal Lunia to revive Hoplology, the study of combat and elite performance. Benjamin said, “ILF has so far studied the blade arts of the world, and is now embarking on studying the stick arts of the world. Mahipal, being a consummate martial artist is looking to find the common roots of our pursuit of combat, man’s inherent ability to deal with violence and using these combat arts to find something far greater than himself/herself.”
Benjamin said over 45 hours of recordings and 2,500 pictures were captured during the expedition. “These will form the basis of studying these unique forms of combat and how each of the arts click specifically. The information was collected systematically after months of preparation and over eight 16-hour days, with a combination of: long conversations before, during and after the expedition; systemic display of the training and methods; teach backs, i.e., teaching people who didn’t know this system so they can ask questions that we as experts can be blind to; and, peer assessment with two professors at hand who looked with an eagles eye to capture things that perhaps elude words, helping us make connections that require years of in-depth knowledge to see.”
Benjamin said there were quite a few connections between the martial traditions. “The biggest thing we found is that motion is motion. All humans have two hands and two legs and when they have a stick they move similarly. What makes one different from the other is the specific arrangement of tactics. We found that the five arts have some common roots and environment, cultural contact or isolation, genetic memory and geography have deeply impacted their specific expression. We will release more of our studies based on empirical facts as time goes on.”
Benjamin said the group will be releasing a series of docu-instructional videos during 2019 to teach people about the martial traditions. In addition, he called on people to come to the academies and experience and learn the traditions first-hand from the members of the expedition. He said this was the first step and “ILF and Bois Academy will continue working together to find new ways to uncover more of this rich Caribbean tradition so all can benefit. Our hope is to raise awareness of our national martial arts forms, expand on their importance, history and power and discuss their survival. Additionally, we wish to appeal to the public to put us in contact with additional informants, encourage research and share our amazing experience with the wider public.”
He said he hoped people would react to the information by waking up to the fact that “violence is ever present and there are people who have codified how one can deal with it. We come from a rich tradition of resistance and self-development, retention and recovery. In many ways, these arts are critical pathways to the recovery of a deep sense of self-reliance & self-identity. We are the remnants of the unbroken, the unyielding, the faithful, we are the children of those that dared to never forget. Being free comes at a price of being able to deal with those who seek to control you.
These arts enable you to remain free and develop as a human being at the same time.”
For more information on the Bois Academy of T&T and the expedition, call Benjamin at 498-2609 and email r.benjamin@defencelab.com.