Danmyé
Martial art
- Type
- martial arts
The Danmyé or Ladja (also known as Ladjia, Kokoyé, Wonpwen) is a martial art from Martinique that is similar to Brazilian capoeira and to other arts in various Caribbean islands (Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica).
Ladjia is based on the prominent use of kicks and head butts, as well as hand blows. While punches became more common in the late 20th century, earlier periods featured kicks, sweeps and acrobatic defenses.
Danmyé represents martial practice where two players engage in combat within a circle (won) formed by supporters (atlaj) and spectators, regulated by an orchestra (mizik-la). The orchestra typically consists of a drum (tambou), played by two people, accompanied by chants, sometimes improvised, and rhythmic hand claps. This music is directly connected to the Kalenda-Bèlè dances.
One of the characteristics of Danmyé is the use of cunning to deceive the opponent.
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q16546068 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.