From Chinese martial arts being practised 4,000 years ago,
to amateur boxing first getting introduced into the Olympics
in 1904, combat sports have been practised
all around the world.
In Senegal, a former wrestling known as Laam, or La Lutte,
is rapidly taking over the country.
What was once a leisure activity
for fisherman and farmers
has now become the most sought-after profession
here in Senegal.
Let's find out how their passion
for this ancient art form
drives them to realise their dreams of being
the next champion.
(OLYMPIC OUTPOSTS. PRESENTED BY BRIDGESTONE)
My name is Cain Velasquez.
I'm a two-time MMA world champion,
and I have fought for over 10 years.
I have practised and perfected
almost every combat sport out there.
But I have yet to be introduced to Laam.
Now that I've come to Senegal, I want
to learn more about the beliefs and customs associated
with Laam, and how it's become an integral part
of the Senegalese culture.
Dakar is known for the beautiful beaches.
And a lot of the up-and-coming wrestlers actually train here.
So we're here to check out a practice.
What's the first thing that you're
looking for when you're out there competing?
If I grab my opponent's cloth first,
I will prevent him to grab mine and take him down.
Now if we both grab then the moves begin and make a move.
This is what Senegalese wrestling is about.
How is it training on sand, and also competing on sand?
When you wrestle on the hard soil,
you got bruises and wounds all over your body.
If your head hits the hard ground,
you may end up with trauma.
Whereas here on the sand, you incur no risk.
Wrestling is in our blood.
We were born and raised like that.
Our fathers and forefathers used to do it.
We just cannot live without it.
We are wrestling so we can support our families back
home, our mums and dads.
Fame does not come overnight.
You start with small combats such as small communes
and rural areas.
But once you win a major competition,
winning becomes easier.
Just like he said, we just want to be champions.
That's why we are here on the sand practising.
They're going to show me some Senegal wrestling moves.
It's always good to learn from different techniques,
different fighting style.
Got the overhook here on this side.
Tricep on that side, then him throwing that leg in there,
that hip,
throw his opponent down.
We do that a lot as well.
Yeah, wizard, it's a good technique.
Good technique.
Nice.
Called a new tap.
Underhook to a new tap. OK.
They're using Russian tie-ups.
They're using front head and arms.
They're using duck-unders, single legs.
Whether it's Senegal wrestling, folkstyle wrestling,
all different sports, same technique.
In my sport, it's always evolving.
So when you can ever go out and learn from a different sport
and taking little bits from that sport
and put it into your game, that's how people elevate,
that's how people get better, and that's
how people become champions.
Senegalese wrestling is as much spiritual as it is physical.
We've come here to Tivaouane Peul
to view one of those rituals between a Senegalese wrestler
and his marabout, or in other words, his spiritual advisor.
This is the marabout here.
He's cut down this branch, and he's
going to use it for the first step of this ceremony.
You split it open and you jump over it four times and any hex
they put on you just stops.
There are lots of mystical things going with wrestling
so people cannot get you but if they do,
you could remove the juju people put on you.
Are all the ceremonies the same with each fighter?
A wrestler has a lot of stuff so he needs to be surrounded
with people who will help out.
He has advisers, he has shamans.
People who will tell him how to properly do
things and those people come from different backgrounds
and have various practices but each of them brings something.
Each one of them plays a part.
Do you want to show me the rest of the ritual
that you guys perform before a competition?
Once he is done he has to shower himself with sour milk.
Then he will be ready to wrestle.
So you just finished the ceremony.
How do you feel right now?
Right now, whoever I am fighting with I am sure
I can win because of the practice.
I trained a lot and there is something
that gives me the strength. I have the strength of a lion.
I am here at Ima Mar Diop Stadium in Senegal.
And the energy here is crazy.
The music is non-stop.
The wrestlers are actually their own hype men,
getting the fans on their side.
The fans are screaming, and they're
dancing with the wrestlers.
Make some noise for the champs please!
Make some noise for these two champions!
The combat so far has been great.
The wrestling technique has been awesome.
I've seen a little bit of punches here and there thrown.
These guys know how to wrestle, and they know how to punch.
- Baboye, pleasure to meet you. - Meet you.
You've been in this sport for so long.
You've been a great champion.
What have you learned over the years?
I defeated all the great champions here in all arenas.
That's why they call me mbarodi, which means the lion.
I behave like a lion in wrestling.
I am fast and strong.
What has this sport brought you?
How has this sport changed your life?
Wrestling changed my life.
It gave everything that I have today.
It gave me buildings, fields, etc.
I am going the world over.
Each President has received me.
I supported all of my family - my mother, my siblings, etc.
I took them to Mecca, I accomplished everything
with wrestling.
Now that you've been in this sport for so long,
in the future, how big do you see this sport growing?
The way I see wrestling now, well,
I started from about one dollar and a pile of carrots
to $200,000-$210,000 so wrestling has truly expanded.
You know I was the first wrestler
to fight abroad in France?
We thank you so much.
This means a lot to us.
Thanks again!
This is the last match of the night.
You have the majority of the people...
I would say their favourite is the wrestler
in the black trunks.
His name is General.
He looks to be the favourite by his body size,
but that doesn't matter here.
Anything can happen here.
They're doing a little bit of hand fighting to start.
They feel the distance of each guy...each opponent.
Some extensions being thrown.
Some punches being thrown.
These guys looking for their exact shot.
Exact punch.
They're in the clinch.
They're doing some dirty boxing. Oh!
A good combination by General takes him down.
It wasn't a knockout, but he got him down with the punches.
Look at this place.
They're rushing the sand!
My experience here in Senegal has been so amazing.
As a professional MMA athlete and a long time wrestler,
it is key to learn from other people's sports.
The similarities of this sport versus what I know of wrestling
is the technique.
The techniques are similar all across the board,
when it comes to the takedowns and the strikes.
The differences I would say in this sport
is much more spiritual,
from what these guys do before they even
come out of the arena.
And then once they're here in the arena they're still going.
They're still putting on the potions, hyping up the crowd.
That's something different than what I'm used to.
After spending some time here in Dakar,
I've know now that Senegalese wrestling isn't just a sport.
It's a way of life.