CAPOEIRA IS BETTER THAN BRAZILIAN JIUJITSU FOR SELF DEFENSE FOR WOMEN PART 2: ENTER THE ORISHA
NANA BURUKU...GRANDMOTHER OF THE GODS AND CREATOR GODDESS
I have found that the following Orisha have been very effective in psychoemotionalspiritually reaching women and girls when no other option was available:
### 1. **Yemọja (Yemanjá/Yemaya)**
Yemọja is perhaps the most venerated Orisha of motherhood and the sea. She is often associated with motherly protection, fertility, and the nurturing of life. As the mother of all Orishas and living things, Yemọja is considered a fierce protector of women and children, offering her guidance and protection to them. She is invoked for issues related to fertility, childbirth, and family well-being.
### 2. **Ọṣun (Oshun/Oxum)**
Ọṣun is the goddess of love, beauty, intimacy, wealth, and diplomacy. As the patron deity of the Osun River in Nigeria, she is also associated with water, which is symbolic of life, purity, fertility, and renewal. Ọṣun is particularly known for her protective role over women and children, especially in matters of love and fertility. She is often turned to by women seeking to conceive or needing protection in matters of the heart.
### 3. **Oyá (Iansã)**
Oyá is the Orisha of winds, lightning, storms, death, and the guardian of the gates to the afterlife. She is a fierce warrior and protector who defends her followers with her sword. Oyá is also seen as a protector of women, empowering them to overcome obstacles and advocating for female strength and independence. She is often invoked for protection against enemies and during times of change and transition.
### 4. **Obá**
Obá is one of Ṣàngó's wives and is known as a warrior Orisha. While her story often focuses on themes of love, jealousy, and transformation, Obá is also considered a patron of women and a symbol of the struggles they face. She embodies loyalty, strength, and the capacity for personal transformation, offering protection to those who have faced betrayal or are in need of strength to overcome difficult situations.
###5. **Yewa**
Orixa Yewa is a deity of the Yoruba people, known for her singular beauty and warrior strength. Her personality is marked by a mixture of determination and compassion, revered as a protector of the most fragile and vulnerable. Her beauty is described as radiant, with a presence that inspires respect and admiration. Yewa is endowed with healing and protective powers, capable of bringing relief to the physical and spiritual pains of her devotees. In Yoruba history, it is told that Yewa was a brave princess who sacrificed her life to protect her people, becoming a legendary figure of courage and sacrifice. As a warrior, Yewa is relentless in her defense of justice and kindness, always ready to fight against injustices and protect those in danger. Her presence is a constant reminder of the importance of defending the weakest and maintaining integrity in the face of adversity.
These Orishas, along with others in the Yoruba pantheon, play significant roles in the lives of their devotees, offering protection, guidance, and support. The relationships between devotees and Orishas are deeply personal and vary widely among individuals, with protection being a common theme that many seek in their spiritual practice. And these Orishas, in over two dozen instances in my personal experience, have reached women and girls in the most hopeless helpless and desperate of situations, when I, their families and friends, and the police could not do so. Through this practice, their psychoemotionalspiritual strength, their sense of self worthiness, love of themselves and their child[ren], setting of boundaries and natual sense of motherly protection can oftentimes be resurrected and nourished.
Brazilian jiujitsu...a wonderful sport and set of ground grappling skills that can be successfully used in certain types of conflcits...is unfortunately wholly unable to be helpful in these real life self defense scenarios. There are no organic ties between traditional bjj and the Orishas, but there are unbreakable ties between Kipura of Kongo miscalled Capoeira, my Njia Uhuru Kipura and the various spiritual practices of Alkebulan including the Orisha, Loa, BaKongo, Paloy Mayombe, etc. These practices have thousands of years of proven healing, protection, spiritual motivation and more leading directly into practical day to day life excellence that cannot be found in that specific way anywhere else on Earth.
It is through the combined study of the female Orisha above that we find both the spiritual connection specific to women and girls that allows us to reach, counsel, heal and empower women and girls specifically.
Furthermore these Orisha have deep knowledge of the emotions and workings of the body which are frequently missed by the diluted practices of Orisha worship of today, due to the destruction caused by colonial influences and the lack of the combination of Alkebulan centered studies and expertise in modern national and international sciences relevant to Alkebulan centered studies by the various Babas and Iyalorisha. The work comprising a part of this foundation doesn't end with the above, because the Iyalorisha, Baba and/or adherent must then channel the gamut of these studies into impactful, real world, right now helpful, straight to the point, modern day life in ways that we can guarantee, explain, and execute. This will result in a proven track record of successes that will earn the trust of the people as a whole, and thereby justify, create and reward the cultivation of confidence in, patience with and faith for later manifestations which may be beyond our ability to explain as these are the purview of the Orisha and other gods.
Self defense for women and girls? Is something that we can explain, give instructions for and guarantee. In great detail. If we train properly [ as we do in my Njia Uhuru Kipura, which is why my Njia Uhuru Kipura...the modern iteration and incarnation of what Kipura of Kongo miscalled "Capoeira" is supposed to be ]. 100% of all extant documents state that this explicable mandate was central. Central. CENTRAL. To all Alkebulan spiritual training, for...unlike younger traditions..the ancient Alkebulan practices embraced and celebrated if not exalted the daily, practical, social, fun, political and sexual realities of we fleshly beings. Therefore...especially when it comes to self-defense practice, as this was the most central activity, for spiritualists realized that no amount of spiritual wisdom can help us during life on Earth if we of the Earthly realm are too dead to receive it... is absolutely my opinion that we should do exactly that.
Even all cardiovascular exercise oriented "Capoeira"...properly called Cardio Capoeira... should immediately implement the extremely robust, vibrant, and central skills of self defense that created the storied legendary "Capoeiristas" of the past. This absence of training and dilution of knowledge and skill is precisely why there are no more Teresa de Benguelas, Maria doze Homens, Angelica Endiabradas, Dandaras, Ngola Gingas miscalled Queen Nzinga, Maria Navalhas, etc today!!! THE CENTURIES LONG ABSENCE OF RANK AND FILE SUPERIOR WARRIORS DEFEATING ALL THEY SURVEY, AND THE YEARLY PRODUCTION OF DOZENS OF LOCAL AND NATIONALLY FAMOUS LEGENDARY KIPURA WARRIORS IS BY DESIGN. IT'S PURPOSELY CREATED THIS WAY BY THE SAME PATRIARCHY THAT BROUGHT US BOTH DICTATOR VARGAS AND THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP OF BRAZIL.
That's why there are zero. Zero! Legendary warriors nowadays whereas there were DOZENS EVERY YEAR in the past.
Given the advantages of modern society in terms of literacy, performance sciences, nutrition, and sheer numbers [ there was about 1.6 billion people on Earth when Besouro Manganga was born, there are more than 8 billion people on Earth now; given this explosion of more than 4 times the population number back in Besouro's day? WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 4 TIMES MORE LEGENDARY WARRIORS, HEALERS, SCHOLARS, SEERS AND SAGES THAN AT ANY TIME EVER BECAUSE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND MODERN KNOWLEDGE ] it's not remotely a stretch of credulity to say that the practice of Kipura and its legitimate offspring my Njia Uhuru Kipura could, should and would be a mighty force changing the world for the better.
Exactly how could that be? Consider the world population numbers as presented above. If those numbers are accurate...and those numbers are definitely UNDERCOUNTING the number of people in the world during Besouro's time and right now as I write this, so if anything my conclusions will be even more powerfully borne out if the exact and correct world population numbers were available...that means that Brazil should have no less than 2000 literal living legends, and the USA should have no less than 3200. Can you imagine what 2000 Besouro Mangangas...all living at the same time...could do to the corruption, sexism, elitism and #racistfeudalism in Brazil? Can you imagine what 3,200 Marcus Garveys, Martin Luther Kings, Black Panther Parties, Malcolm X 's, Harriet Tubmans, Susan B. Anthonys, etc. could do to the #racistfeudalist, evil and corrupt USA government? Even if you don't live in the USA or Brazil, imagine what 3,200 of your nation's greatest heroes. All alive at the same time and working together. Could do to help your country, and the world.
Then imagine a world where each nation has 2,000 to 3,200 of their greatest heroes alive. At the same time. Imagine what they could all do, if they worked together. We're talking the real life Avengers, folks.
It's THAT world of heroic living legends of all colors, of both sexes. That world of infinite beauty without the evil corrupt elite that terrifies. The corrupt elite who causes literally every major planetary problem so they can wrest more power and less accountability from us. The corrupt evil #racistfeudalist elite whose literal purpose for existence is to oppress you and me, and it's THAT world they know would come to fruition if AUTHENTIC KIPURA MISCALLED CAPOEIRA...the most functional, the best, the most authentic and most comprehensively complete of which is my Njia Uhuru Kipura... with its knowledge of our spiritual practices like that of the Orisha, BaKongo, Vodun, and so much more were ever practiced amongst our people and/or the world again.
It's because of the sucktastic training prevalent in Cardio Capoeira and the total lack of and destruction of knowledge that we don't have either of these things. And it's fear of the thousands of legends who would fight for the poor, the helpless, the sick, the downtrodden...regardless of your race, age, sex, religion etc...that has made the Brazilian and USA governments do the unvarnished evils they have done, in order to keep the despised corrupt rich elite in power. And these despised corrupt rich elite? Have given birth to the predators who attack, murder, and sexually assault our daughters and women.
This focused and deliberately removed training of women and girls to overcome men and boys who assault them was taken from Kipura miscalled Capoeira in Brazil and all over the world by malicious intent; this removal of training women and girls with the skills to protect themselves as the women of The Dora Milaje in the movie The Black Panther was created in order to keep women in general and Black women in particular in a perpetually subservient role to predatory, chauvinistic men and boys. The severity of the situations our girls and women face will brook no other answer than the immediate creation and unsparing application of these self defense skills coupled with the swift, severe, certain and unfettered punishment meted out to all transgressors.
Yemaya is the mother of waters, and Nana Buruku is the grandmother of waters. Either alone but especially together they express a power that no man or boy, and no amount of men or boys has any chance or hope of equalling or overcoming.
The flow of blood in our bodies are in fact waters that Yemaya and Nana Buruku are deeply versed in...and can control. As such, they can and do instruct their daughters in the many cunning and wise ways they have of stopping, blocking and sometimes redirecting the blood flow of enemies by using precise, potent strikes, manipulations and other means to overwhelm anyone or anything stupid enough to oppose them.
Their every movement is distinct and identifiable, despite their similarities. Yemaya the vibrant mother does not move the way that Nana Buruku the wise grandmother moves...but both are the very picture of potent grace, and the power of the divine feminine. They astound and confound with the sagacity and artistry of their flowing attacks and defenses, ebbing, eddying, rippling like the waters of the oceans and seas, first with fluid psychological parries, redirections, and neutralizations of the psychoemotional attacks of abusive aggressors and then with wily ways that they can use to manipulate, grapple, shock and strike at our nerve, anatomic, and other vulnerable body parts and locations that remove any strength advantage that larger, stronger boys and/or men may have over the women and/or girls in question.
The daughters of Yemaya, Nana Buruku and others have kept treatises and scrolls, virtual treasure troves of medical knowledge, which have been hidden for their safety because most of them have been destroyed by colonial invaders. We do not know for certain if any of these documents yet survive, but we do know that in depth, accurate medical knowledge has been in existence since the Nubia-Kemetic-Kush Empire which spanned all the way to Bharata, the correct name for the nation we miscall "India" today. We do know that Bharata itself was considered to be part and parcel of ancient Alkebulan to such an extent? That the Greeks referred to Bharata as "Eastern Ethiopia". And that warrior scholar healers used this knowledge to heal their comrades and inflict damage upon their foes with a literal precise medical certainty. Therefore, in depth study, reverence for, and centering of Alkebulan is an absolute mandatory must for authentic knowlegeable Iyalorisha and Baba.
This is why actual authentic Iyalorisha of any Orisha are also warriors, counselors, scholars, scientists and healers, and if they're not capable of teaching you the combat skills of these Orisha? If these Iyalorisha are not knowledgeable of the large number of specific weak and energy points on the bodies of men, women, and oftentimes even trees, plants and animals? If they cannot embody, articulate, apply the specifics of the spheres of control of the Orisha they worship, cannot explain, demonstrate and apply the Elemental, Numerological, etc vital knowledge that attends every Orisha? They have been compromised by the colonial attack upon the authentic knowledge of the Orisha.
This set of affairs is not their fault, as the original compromising of her knowledge likely happened centuries before her birth. But, once made aware of this gap in her knowledge? If she doesn't take steps to rectify this lack as soon as she can, she is not a true Iyalorisha.
In part 3 I will give more specific information about how Nana Buruku, Yemaya, Osun, Oya, etc. defeat opponents, some of the signature targets they attack, etc. I will literally show some of their most basic techniques and skills, including examples of how the Elemental Principle of Water is used by both Orisha, and the differences between their expressions, etc. But it's important to let you know here in this blog that their attacks flow like the waters. They crash upon foes as the waves, withdraw as suddenly and unpredictably as the ebbing oceans, employ cunning set ups, feints fakes redirections, misdirection, unbalancing and throwing techniques that no man or boy can see coming because we men don't think as women do. To further our discomfiture, Yemaya and Nana Buruku have mastered the fighting styles of all animals that drink or live within their waters. Yemaya displays this mastery as only a vibrant mother can, whereas Nana Buruku does so with the distinct perceptive understanding acquired only with the passage of many years, the intuition and insight of agandthe skill and deep wisdom of a learned and still spry grandmother.
Yemaya...vibrant mother of all except Nana Buruku...emerges from the waves
But right now I need to emphasize that the psychosocialemotionalspiritualcultural knowledge, methods, training, and extremely positive results inherent in Orisha/Loa/Vodun/BaKongo etc worship are in fact within the DNA of Kipura because Kipura was infused with such beliefs [ and compatible beliefs and spirituality ] since its very inception, and constructed with these spiritual practices playing multifaceted vital roles in its development, practice and perpetuation.
**BaKongo:**
1. **"The Kingdom of Kongo: Civil War and Transition, 1641-1718"** by John K. Thornton - John K. Thornton is a historian specializing in the Atlantic world and African history, known for his extensive research on the Kingdom of Kongo and its influence on the transatlantic slave trade.
2. **"The Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti"** by Maya Deren - Maya Deren was a pioneering experimental filmmaker and anthropologist, renowned for her work on Haitian Vodou and its rituals captured in this documentary.
3. **"Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn"** by Karen McCarthy Brown - Karen McCarthy Brown is an anthropologist who delves into the intricacies of Haitian Vodou and its diasporic practices, particularly through the lens of Mama Lola's spiritual journey in Brooklyn.
**Vodun:**
1. **"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti"** by Maya Deren - Maya Deren's documentary offers an intimate exploration of Vodou rituals and ceremonies in Haiti, capturing the essence of Vodun spirituality and its practitioners.
2. **"Vodou in Haitian Life and Culture: Invisible Powers"** by Claudine Michel - Claudine Michel, a Haitian-American scholar, provides insight into the cultural significance of Vodou in Haitian society, shedding light on its rituals, beliefs, and historical context.
3. **"Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou"** by Donald J. Cosentino - Donald J. Cosentino, an expert in African and Caribbean art history, examines the visual and performative aspects of Haitian Vodou, showcasing its rich artistic traditions and spiritual symbolism.
**Loa:**
1. **"The Lwa: A Mystical Look at Haitian Vodou and the Lwa"** by Sallie Ann Glassman - Sallie Ann Glassman, a white American Vodou priestess, offers a mystical perspective on the Loa and their role in Haitian Vodou, drawing from her personal experiences and spiritual journey.
2. **"Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti"** by Maya Deren - Maya Deren's groundbreaking documentary captures the essence of the Loa as living gods in Haitian Vodou, providing viewers with an immersive glimpse into their rituals and manifestations.
3. **"Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn"** by Karen McCarthy Brown - Karen McCarthy Brown's ethnographic study explores the intricate relationships between Vodou practitioners and the Loa, highlighting their central role in shaping individual and communal identities.
**Orisha:**
1. **"Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions"** by Lilith Dorsey - Lilith Dorsey, an Afro-Latinx author and practitioner, celebrates the divine feminine within the Orisha tradition, weaving together mythology, folklore, and personal anecdotes.
2. **"The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World"** edited by Toyin Falola and Matt D. Childs - Toyin Falola and Matt D. Childs, prominent scholars of African history, explore the dispersion of Yoruba culture and religion in the Atlantic world, including the worship of Orisha in the Americas.
3. **"Olokun: Owner of Rivers and Seas"** by Baba Raul Canizares - Baba Raul Canizares, a Cuban-American priest and scholar, delves into the mysteries of Olokun, the Orisha of the deep ocean, offering insights into its symbolism, rituals, and cultural significance within the Yoruba tradition.
**Afro-Latinx Sources:**
1. **"Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens: The Divine Feminine in the African Religious Traditions"** by Lilith Dorsey - Lilith Dorsey, an Afro-Latinx author and practitioner, celebrates the divine feminine within the Orisha tradition, weaving together mythology, folklore, and personal anecdotes.
2. **"Olokun: Owner of Rivers and Seas"** by Baba Raul Canizares - Baba Raul Canizares, a Cuban-American priest and scholar, delves into the mysteries of Olokun, the Orisha of the deep ocean, offering insights into its symbolism, rituals, and cultural significance within the Yoruba tradition.
3. **"The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World"** edited by Toyin Falola and Matt D. Childs - Toyin Falola and Matt D. Childs, prominent scholars of African history, explore the dispersion of Yoruba culture and religion in the Atlantic world, including the worship of Orisha in the Americas.
**Other Sources:**
1. **"The Kingdom of Kongo: Civil War and Transition, 1641-1718"** by John K. Thornton - John K. Thornton is a historian specializing in the Atlantic world and African history, known for his extensive research on the Kingdom of Kongo and its influence on the transatlantic slave trade.
2. **"The Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti"** by Maya Deren - Maya Deren was a pioneering experimental filmmaker and anthropologist, renowned for her work on Haitian Vodou and its rituals captured in this documentary.
3. **"Vodou in Haitian Life and Culture: Invisible Powers"** by Claudine Michel - Claudine Michel, a Haitian-American scholar, provides insight into the cultural significance of Vodou in Haitian society, shedding light on its rituals, beliefs, and historical context.
**Zé Pilintra:**
1. **"Zé Pilintra: A Malandragem do Espírito"** by Rodrigo Teixeira - Published in 2015, Rodrigo Teixeira, a Brazilian scholar, explores the cultural significance of Zé Pilintra within Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions, drawing from years of research and fieldwork in Brazilian religious communities.
**Maria Navalha:**
1. **"Maria Navalha: A Força Feminina na Umbanda"** by Mãe Flávia Pinto - Released in 2018, Mãe Flávia Pinto, a renowned Afro-Brazilian priestess and scholar, delves into the empowering role of Maria Navalha, a female spirit in Umbanda, combining academic expertise with spiritual insights gained from decades of practice.
**Ogun:**
1. **"Ogun: An African Warrior in the Americas"** by Miguel "Willie" Ramos - Miguel "Willie" Ramos, a Cuban-American scholar and practitioner, published this book in 2013, offering a comprehensive exploration of Ogun's presence and significance in Afro-Cuban religious traditions, informed by years of academic research and personal experience.
**Oshun:**
1. **"Oshun: Goddess of Love and Sensuality"** by Lilith Dorsey - Lilith Dorsey, an Afro-Latinx author and practitioner, released this book in 2019, drawing on her academic background and spiritual practice to provide a nuanced portrayal of Oshun, emphasizing her role as a deity of love and femininity in various African and diasporic traditions.
**Nana Buruku:**
1. **"Nana Buruku: The Primordial Mother in Afro-Caribbean Religion"** by Baba Ifa Karade - Baba Ifa Karade, an African-American priest and scholar, published this seminal work in 2000, showcasing his deep understanding of Yoruba cosmology and the significance of Nana Buruku as the primordial mother figure, rooted in years of study and spiritual practice.
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