Grima: the machete fencing of Puerto Tejada ^{CEFR B1}

In Puerto Tejada, a mainly Afro‑descendant town in southern Cauca, a small group of masters keeps alive grima, often called machete fencing. The practice goes back to the colonial era when enslaved Africans adapted the machete into a weapon and a form of self‑defence.

Training takes place at the House of Cacao, home to the local academy. Grima combines African martial traditions with European swordplay techniques. Practitioners use a machete in one hand and a bordón, a defensive stick, in the other. For many, the art has a liberatory meaning because it connects to fights for independence and later civil wars.

Educators and activists say grima is linked to cuisine, medicine, music and oral tradition. Masters and campaigners are asking municipal, departmental and national authorities for formal recognition and support, while also warning about possible harms from some heritage listings.