We’ve seen the popularity of the Sea Lots boxing matches, and highlighted newsreels of competitors in different martial arts, but do Trinbagonians practice martial arts?
How Many Trained Martial Artists are there in Trinidad?
There are over 100 Martial arts schools across Trinidad and Tobago in 13 disciplines. Each school boasts at least 10 students. Each student would train an average of 4 years. Over the last 50 years we would have trained over 150,000 people. Ten percent of our population knows some form of self-defense, and people still out here playing mad!
Most Popular Martial Arts in Trinidad and Tobago?
Of all the people trained, what style of fighting do they employ? Popularity of a style was assessed on; the availability of the school of learning, the structure of the training, and the opportunities to compete. We scored each art on a scale of 1 to 5, by the following criteria.
Availability depends on the number and locations of a school. Schools that are easy to access from public transport, and have parking areas nearby, would attract and keep more students. Many schools circumvent this by being a part of gyms or public schools, so that prospective students are already accessible. Also, the spread of the schools, throughout the island, so that all citizens can partake.
The Structure of training is important, as students can get bored or demotivated without perceived progress. That’s the reason the ‘Belt’ system is employed, as a format to show the students’ dedication and skill. However, there may be discrepancies in this system so that all belts won’t represent the same level of skill. Martial Arts disciplines with National Associations try to circumvent this, by having Masters of all schools agree to a specific global level of assessment.
National Competitions in the respective martial arts disciplines usually occur once per year or as mandated by an association. However, some disciplines can fight more often than others. Specifically, the Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Boxing, MMA disciplines must factor in recovery from injury after each competition, so professional fighters can/should only have scheduled matches twice a year. Once there are possibilities for athletes to compete in competitions with little barriers, this leads to higher ranking and development.
Using these metrics, I’ve come up with the top eight most popular types of Martial arts practiced in Trinidad and Tobago.
Top 8 types of Martial Arts Practiced in Trinidad and Tobago
- Karate
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There are about 33 Karate schools(dojos) across Trinidad and Tobago and a National Union of Karate Schools recognized by the Ministry of Sport. Made popular by Prof Don Jacob and his Purple Dragon school, which boasts over 20 branches throughout Trinidad and Tobago and is a household name. Karate was made popular by 80’s movies and a wave of businesses sprung up to cater to this growing demand. More than that, it is seen as a way to curtail irritable behavior in young people, by instilling discipline while they learn a skill. Each school provides their own grading system, the Union chooses a national team to represent the country in tournaments abroad, and there are competitions throughout the year.
2. Taekwondo
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There are about 10 Taekwondo schools(dojangs) across Trinidad and Tobago and a Taekwondo Association recognized by the Ministry of Sport. Being an Olympic sport, it boasts the structure that many other disciplines lack. Many people get into Taekwondo for the sporting aspects because it is a fighting sport and not necessarily a way to fight. Although most successful MMA fighters have some taekwondo background, and elements of the sport can be seen throughout martial arts. There are two ‘Gradings’ every year, where students can rise in the ranks, and one national competition. However, several regional and international opportunities exist for those able to travel and compete.
3. Boxing
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There are about 30 Boxing schools(gyms) across Trinidad and Tobago and a National Boxing Association recognized by the Ministry of Sport. It is an Olympic sport and has structure, but it is based on winnings and not the achievement of certain skills set. There is also a longer recovery time needed after each fight. The physical toll the sport takes discourages many from pursuing the sport professionally, but we have a vibrant amateur culture locally and regionally.
4. Kickboxing and Muay Thai
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There are 35 Places that provide kick boxing training. Honestly, I don’t know how many of these know the difference between kickboxing and Muay Thai! Odds are, you’ll get kickboxing training until you become proficient enough to ask about Muay Thai, which includes some extra twists and strikes. World Association of Kickboxing (WAKO) has a branch in Trinidad, and there is an annual national competition. There is also an unrecognized National Muay Thai association, but it has not organized any annual competitions that I know of. Most people undertake kickboxing as a fitness regime, so understanding athletes in the sport requires further investigation.
5. Stick Fighting
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Hard to determine the number of training providers, as it grew out of our heritage and has tribal origins. Tribal as in, communities used stick fights as a way to settle differences without death. The spiritual origin of the Bois(the stick), chanting and dance accompanying the fights adds to the complications. However, there is a stick fighting association, recognized by the ministry of culture, not sport unfortunately. It is included here as it has all the necessary elements of a martial art and availability, structure and competitions. Not to mention the popularity of the national competition every year.
6. Jujitsu Judo & Grappling
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These are as complicated as kickboxing and Muay Thai. Jujitsu and Judo are both grappling based martial arts. Anyone teaching grappling will provide elements of both, if they explicitly state grappling it would mean there is no belt structure, just techniques similar to boxing. There are about 8 Dojos offering this training in Trinidad. Judo is an Olympic sport, mainly ground based. Jujitsu will be an Olympic sport in 2024, it’s mainly ‘take down’ based. There are National Judo competitions and a Judo Association recognized by the Ministry of Sport.
7. MMA
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By the definition of mixed martial arts, it is difficult to find schools that would teach or train in this sport. However, as international athletes do, you train in at least two of your favorite sports and combine the efforts within the rules of an MMA fight and there you have it. Many local gyms and martial arts schools offer more than one style, and by that count there are about 10 schools that offer MMA training. The sport suffers the same recovery setbacks as boxing, and there are no scheduled National Competitions or recognized National organizations. Like boxing, the entertainment value for this sport is insanely high, so there are several official and unofficial fights happening that we’ll be investigating to bring you more information!
8. Capoeira
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There are about 3 Capoeira schools in Trinidad and Tobago. Like stick fighting, it requires music and chants as a part of the artform. This familiarity coupled with a belt structure is the reason it has made the list. There is a national association but no consistent National Tournament. Athletes must fund their own way to regional tournaments.
This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are Kung-Fu, Kendo and Krav Maga athletes in Trinidad and Tobago. We at Unveil aim to find all these athletes and bring their amazing talent to light! Comment below to let us know, what you think we got right or wrong and subscribe for more articles and analysis.