Some Egyptian are working on reviving an old martial art, as Menna Farouk reports in AL Monitor:
Players of an ancient Egyptian martial art are striving to revive it and turn it into a sport that aims to foster morals, respect and chivalry. Tahtib was once known as a martial art but has since changed into a stick game or dancing art. Its players now say that they want it to be an internationally recognized martial sport. …
Tahtib is usually performed before an audience and involves a brief, nonviolent interchange between two adversaries. While a clarinet and drums are played, the two players wield long sticks in a friendly joust. This performance mainly takes place on social occasions and in festivals in the villages and cities of Upper Egypt. Tahtib is also performed before tourists at the country’s attractions in Luxor and Aswan in order to give tourists an idea about ancient Egyptian heritage.
A national festival for tahtib is held every year in Luxor where folkloric troupes and tahtib players showcase artistic performances.
Here’s a video:
Seems to be more art than sport, at least in this video.
