Ancient Egyptian martial art enters modern world, opens to women
As the first Egyptian woman certified to teach and compete in the discipline of tahteeb, Rania Medhat is training others in the ancient Egyptian sport.
Both fate and her fondness for tahteeb, a stick-fighting type of martial arts, played a role in the life of Rania Medhat, the first Egyptian woman ever certified as an instructor in this art, which dates back to the days of the pharaohs.
"I am the first woman [in Egypt] ever to play and teach tahteeb," Medhat, 24, proudly told Al-Monitor. Medhat is a physical education teacher at a girls-only school in Nekheila village, in the Upper Egypt governorate of Assuit.
She has long adored tahteeb. "I have been fond of this art since my childhood. I've always watched the competitors' performances in the Egyptian cinema because in Upper Egypt, women are not allowed to attend among the spectators," she said.
The history of tahteeb dates back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt, also known as the Age of the Pyramids, which ran from roughly 2700 to 2150 B.C.
