Episode Two - Samo Wrestling in Burkina Faso
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
Watch our exclusive interview with Joey; where he gives us the low down on Burkina Faso and the bone-crunching sport of Samo wrestling.
Exclusive - Joey on Burkina Faso
Watch our exclusive interview with Joey; where he gives us the low down on Burkina Faso and the bone-crunching sport of Samo wrestling.
Exclusive - Video diary footage
Burkina Faso from the ground... Jarvis finds his roots and Wolé seems to have found himself an admirer.
Preview - The athletes arrive
Preview: The athletes arrive and meet the locals.
Preview - Local traditions
Preview: The athletes are introduced to some of the local customs.
Preview - The competition
Preview: The athletes witness the competition for the first time.
This week our athletes are in Nyon… deep into the heart of Burkina Faso and home to about 300 Samo.
It's harvest time and the lads are welcomed with some 'special water' that turns out to be a bit stronger than the stuff that comes out of the tap. In just six days the festival will climax with the biggest contest of the season, attracting wrestlers from all over the region.
This is the competition the boys will be taking part in and our athletes are on the team sheet for Nyon.
Samo Wrestling
Samo wrestling is highly physical and energy sapping, one wrong step swiftly results in smashing to the ground.
The rules are... you wrestle on your feet.
If you go down… on your front… your back… even your knees – you're out. It's that simple.
Nyon's trainer is former wrestling champion Francois. Wolé and Jarvis impress in the initial training bouts but Ed reveals that he has been injured and is forced to pull out rather than risk serious damage so we're down to five.
Harvest time means everything to the Samo. The crops will provide food for a year and while most of the athletes are put to work, Francois has special plans for Jarvis and Joey… an ancient Samo ritual involving some sacred crocodiles.
The Samo believe these crocodiles can bring luck, which Jarvis and Joey are keen to get so they offer up live chickens which are eagerly snapped up by the hungry reptiles... There's even a little time for some heavy petting before they head back to the camp.
Back to training, the boys are on the team sheet for a night fight against the nearby village of Sawa. It's been arranged to help both teams prepare for the big contest. During the competition Wolé yet again dispatches his victims with ease but the surprise package is Joey who beats one of the strongest fighters… the Chicago bad boy's finally shown what he's really capable of.
It's the big day and the wrestling arena is prepared for the thousands of spectators that will descend on Nyon. Safety first and Francois sacrifices a chicken to ward off evil spirits and we're on…
After two rounds Wolé and Joey hold the joint lead with a win and a draw each. Just behind are JJ and Murray, both with a single win.
It's the final round… Murray loses and JJ's patience seems to be getting in the way and he's out too. Team Nyon holds a lead in the overall contest but for the athletes, it's come down to just two…Wolé or Joey.
Wolé faces Ki Ika, one of the top wrestlers in Burkina Faso who has already beaten Jarvis and drawn with Joey… brute force gives way to technique and Wolé loses.
It's all down to Joey, all he needs is a win or a draw and he gets it… with a win. Joey is the Last Man Standing in Burkina Faso.
The next challenge - endurance running in Nepal
There are no upcoming episodes of this programme.
Six intrepid athletes travel the world to compete against the most remote tribes on earth at their own sports.
Production Co-ordinator Chris O'Donnell takes us behind the scenes in Burkina Faso.
It's located in West Africa, landlocked between Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast.
The tropical climate in Burkina has two distinct seasons... the wet season where up to 900mm of rain can fall, and the dry season which has an average of 27°C.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites
Very hard challenge.. props to Joey he deserved that one by far.. keep watching there alot more to come...
JJ - Series Two athlete
The journey for series two:
Ethiopia > Burkina Faso > Nepal > Brazil > Bhutan > Kamchatka > Philippines > Sumbawa > India > Papua New Guinea
Comments
You need to sign in to contribute to this page. If you haven't registered to leave comments, creating your membership is quick and easy.
Sorry everybody, it's seems there was a problem with this discussion but we've got it fixed and to get you going here's one JJ left on the Facebook group...
""very hard challenge.. props to joey he deserved that one by far.. keep watching there alot more to come.. JJ"
(You can find a link to the Facebook group this came from on the homepage).
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS