Juego de maní

An even longer name recorded is juego de maní con grasa (loosely, 'maní greased game') because of its smooth and slippery qualities.

[4] In early colonial Cuba, maní involved a solo dancer who danced within a circle of opponents, who tried to strike blows as he executed various jumps and evasive steps.

[4] The original martial art form of juego de maní risked particular danger, because the dancer/fighter sometimes wore leather wrist covers, muñequeras, that were adorned with nails and other sorts of metal.

[2][3] A grandmaster of the art[9] who taught in Cuba was Juan de Dios Ramos Morejón, the founder-director of Cuban folkloric dance company Raices Profundas ('Deep Roots').

[9] He was an ambassador of Afro-Cuban music and martial arts for many years, having traveled to teach in places as diverse as Germany, Japan, the United States, and Mexico.

[9] His Puerto Rican, New Yorker protégé Miguel Quijano (a current mani teacher and instructional author) notes De Dios as also a santero, and a ceremonial singer "versed in Yoruba, Palo, Abakua, and Arara traditions, known throughout Cuba".

[9] According to Quijano, who has studied under several of them, the only living master maniseros are Juan de Dios, Carlos Aldama, and Rogelio Martinez Fure (he also counts Cuban journalist Alberto Pedro, but as a retired practitioner).

[5] These similarities support the view that African-derived combat games in Americas shared common features, regardless of their specific West or Central African origins.