Warrior Sciences University - African Warrior History # 7 ; WSU Pan Kau Rau Shen complete overview

The following below are excerpts from various articles and information on the ancient African / Kemetic warrior science of Pan Kau Rau Shen. We have taken all of the most pertinent information and complied it together for the essay into this combat system that is the ancient forerunner to Greek Pankration and also the forerunner to a myriad of other martial arts and combat disciplines since ancient times. Many systems that do not directly come from the Kushite Pan Kau Rau Shen system, come from systems that came from Pan Kau Rau Shen.The techniques, methodology and pertinent aspects are there, be they admitted and traced back or not. Throughout the essay, you may notice some pertinent facts repeated.

Montw (Montu) ; The ancient Kemetic God of war

The African warrior sciences from the first and oldest, to forms that came later in ancestry fall under the Montw arts, or what we will call Montw warrior sciences. In the spirit of the falcon headed (sometimes the bull as well) Egyptian God of war, Montw was a great warrior for the laws of Maat like truth, justice, righteousness and the cosmic order. The term “martial” as in “martial art” comes from the Roman God of war. The biggest distinction of the terms and energy behind them is that the Roman God was one of destruction and battle for the sake of battle. Montw on the other hand, was a spiritual warrior and force, hence the skills and abilities were used in concert with the laws of Maat and in defensive or righteous fashion. The spirit and purpose of the training of the ancient Africans / Kemetians was spiritually purposeful. That's why their skills are of Montw and their fighting sciences are of Montw.

Kyokushinkai Karate founder and grandmaster Mas Oyama known as the “Godhand” published his first book "What is Karate" where he spoke on the African origins of the martial arts and Ancient Africa being the birthplace of martial arts also. He was pictured in one of his fighting postures that is the same as a salutary and spiritual stance well known throughout the ancient Kemetic / African world.

The oldest and longest practiced martial arts on earth today are Nuba wrestling, Pan Kau Rau Shen, the Kushite forerunner to Greek Pankration, and Ku Ta or Hikuta the martial arts used to protect the Pharaohs of Nubia and later Egypt / Kemet. it literally means "protector of the Pharoah". Hikuta is a lightening fast martial arts that applies force on particular pressure points that lead to immobilization. It was a special skill set used in conjunction with Pan Kau Rau Shen by the Medjay who served as the royal guard. Nuba Wrestling is the ancient art found among today's Nuba (in Sudan) who still practice this art as a test of initiation into manhood. Various martial arts developed from the ancient Wrestling and hand to hand and feet combination martial arts (Pan Kau Rau Shen) that began in the Sahara and Nubia. These arts spread to Southern Africa, Congo-Angola, West Africa and Eastern Africa. African martial arts comes in various forms: Wrestling (Gidigbo Yoruba) Wrestling/boxing combination (Senegali,Laamb) Boxing/open hand - boxing/slapping (Dambe) Acrobatic feet fighting (Angola capoeira, ) combination hand and feet (Pinge, Danmye, Mani, kicking and knocking) Head butting with knees, elbows (Ja Rock) There are also a wide variety of sword fighting, stick fighting and other weapons forms including 'knockout' powders and such chemicals used by those who practice the voodoo and Dahomey/Benin martial arts.

Nubia of ancient Africa was called the land of the bow. The bow and arrow, archery in itself was originated by the people along the Nile Valley Region. That is also where the first martial sciences martial arts of the world came forth from. Nubia got its knickname because of the reputation of its deadly archers. During ancient times, armies of Greece, the Middle East and other places would hire Nubian mercenaries because they were so deadly.

In Nubian Egypt there were statues of Prince punt holding a boomerang . Another Kemetic system besides the Nubian wrestling documented on tomb walls was Ku-Ta which meant defender of the Pharoah, used by the royal bodyguards. It filtered to the Philippines and became known as Kuntao. Jirilbu is central / west African system and is where Judo and Jiujitsu style techniques came from. Jacadi is from central regions and utilizes empty hands, kicks and flows. Somo is central region and is like Capoeira. Ljala is a stickfighting system of the Yoruba of Nigeria/Benin. Ethiopian Pan Kau Rau Shen is identical to Pankration or Pangration , obvious connection being the similarity of namesakes, but of course extending far beyond surface similarities.

The ancient martial sciences of the Nubians / Kushites whom ruled ancient Egypt and perfected and mastered warfare, techniques respectively of Nubian wrestling Pankaurashen contained grappling using throws locks holds weapons like lance, shortsticks and others along with other different varied skills. All grappling, wrestling and submission fighting owe their roots to the source which are these systems. Pankration it’s self comes directly from the ancient Ethiopian (Kushite) martial art of Pan Kau Rau Shen or Pankaurashen which means “fighting with the power of Ra” which is not a reference to the Egyptian sun God Ra, but "rau" which is the spirit or life force, that emanates from within you like light from the sun (like Chi or Ki). In essence, to "fight with the power of the spirit" which is infinite power, and the warriors who utilized this system did amazing feats being able to control their bodies and their spiritual energies, and channel them in combat maneuvers.

The African Kushite Memnon : Great warrior - hero of the ancient world

(not to be confused with Greek Agamemnon)

Memnon came from a royal bloodline and lineage, though later, his legend would have him bespoke of as being a offspring of the Gods, or revered in a Godlike fashion by some. In the literature "Works and Days" Heisod recounted Memnon as being the son of Tithonos and his wife, the Goddess Eos. The Kushites / Ethiopians of Africa whom Memnon came from, were depicted as spiritually advanced and favored by the Gods. They also had reputation as formidable warriors. The ancient Greeks referred to them as " the blameless ones". As their King, Memnon was expected to be the greatest of a great people. The ancient Greeks looked at them this way with awe and admiration. When they saw a black skinned person, they thought of Memnon and the Ethiopians and expected such person to exhibit nobility, wisdom, and other virtues. When Memnon traveled to Troy to aid in the battle of Troy, the Greek poet Homer quoted himself saying "to Troy came no hero of nobler line".

Memnon trained in the warrior sciences in youth. He grew into mastering the Kushite method, Pan Kau Ra Shen which means fighting with the power of Ra or Rau (spiritual energy). Pan Kau Ra Shen in Greek hands later became Pankration. The Kushite form though, was total combat in all ranges of empty hand as well as weapons based fighting. Besides empty hand fighting, he mastered swordsmanship, and was known to have a dual wielding style (long sword in one hand, short sword in the other). He also mastered knife fighting and archery. Beyond this, he studied well and mastered strategy and tactics, which along with these skills are what made his legend on the battlefield.

Memnon bested Achilles in battle using Pan Kau Ra Shen (fighting with the power of the spirit) the Ethiopian or Kushite father of the Greek Pankration system. This unparalleled warriors story is recounted in The book series The Shades of Memnon. Memnon was a great warrior - hero of the ancient world, though not many at all even know his story or of his adventures. In movies and such in later times, Memnon was left out of the story because, mostly likely, the story when told centers around the Trojan Horse and Achilles. Moreso, it is probably because at the battle of Troy, Memnon not only played a pivotal role (arriving to defend Troy), he fought the two greatest Greek warriors at the time. Memnon battled the giant warrior Ajax who was only second to Achilles who was their most elite. Ajax could not defeat Memnon, and Achilles and Memnon fought toe to toe. It was stated that as great as Achilles was, even he could not defeat Memnon in a head to head, toe to toe battle. This proves not only how great a warrior Memnon was, but broke the the notion of Achilles being unbeatable (though definitely a force). This is probably why the whole story of Memnon was left out of the Trojan war tale, though it is a centerpiece.

From the writings and study of Memnon, his adventures, and his life, we ascertain the following facts of this little known, but great warrior - hero ;

- Memnon's greatness and nobility

- Memnon's black skin tome and handsome looks

- Memnon's attachment to thefamous colossi near Thebes in Egypt (Colossi of Memnon)

- Memnon was the epitome of strength, knobility and righteousness

- Memnon was a King as well as a warrior - hero traveling all over the ancient world and engaging in many battles undefeated, and he was loved and admired by the people of the ancient world

Nubian warriors; The Medjay and Kenyt – Nesu (Kings Braves)

The Medjay warriors began in origin, as an ethnic group that resided in Eastern areas of Sudan, and were relatives of the Nubians. They began as warrior- herders, cultivating livestock while also happening to be very adept fighters and trackers. Their culture was one of being in harmony with nature and this spirit and essence went into their warrior sciences. Many aspects of their fighting methods replicated the movements of the best combatants of the animal kingdom, as well as concepts coming from celestial bodies in their orbits. Among some of their methods besides being famed archers, was their kicking ability from their “foot fighting style” which some would compare to something the way a Taekwondo stylist kicks. Fast and with deadly precision and agility, they also were known to have a fondness of daggers, not just throwing knives used expertly, but also bladed bracelets worn from on wrists and ankles / feet, but bladed rings worn as well. Blades hidden within the sandal were used as a part of their specialized and dynamic kicking methods, cutting as they landed bone breaking kicks.

They did not separate the physical aspects of warriorism from the mental and spiritual parts, being holistic as typified in ancient African cultures. The chosen Medjay animal warrior spirit was the lion, with its key aspects or “mindset” of being the hunter, protector and the predator or dominant force, never being prey or a victim. They tapped into this and other animal spirits through the use of sacred songs and dancing and other rites. Over the course of time, their reputation as warriors began to grow and spread, and it became what they were foremost know for, and with good reason. Neighboring kingdoms such as the Kushites had a respectful fear of them due to their abilities as well as their military prowess of being able to take territory if they had the inclination to. This led to them becoming famed mercenaries in the ancient world and being hired by the Kushites, Egyptians and Romans to name a few. This led to them going from being a specific ethnic group, to becoming an organization over the course of time. They became the foremost mercenaries of Egypt, but observing how adept the Medjay were, the Ancient Egyptians saw them as invaluable, leading them to grow into an elite special police force and paramilitary group. The more their fighting and law enforcing skills grew, the more specialized their roles became and more respect they earned, creating their legend. Over time, the Medjay then grew from being an ethnic group, to their name denoting a warrior group, as others who were not ethnically Medjay joined their ranks

in later times in their history.

The Medjay were known to be swift, agile and powerful fighters as well as great archers and trackers. As fearsome as their reputation was, when they joined with the Ancient Egyptian Empire as their police and paramilitary force, Egyptian technology and resources advanced them even further. They used the skills of the fighting system of Pan Kau Rau Shen (the system that later became Greek Pankration). It holds similarities to what modern mixed martial arts looks like, but for them, if was not a sport, it was a battlefield system. In unique fashion were highly adept at kicking skills and foot fighting. Knowing the spiritual sciences of energy within the body, the Medjay tapped into this and used this energy (Ka in Egyptian, Ki in Japanese or Chi in Chinese) in Pan Kau Rau Shen, doing incredible feats in combat. They were known to be excellent archers as well and skilled in close quarter combat with the shield and axe as well as sword and spear fighting. They also had high skill with throwing knives and could wield them with deadly accuracy.

In police work, they had a Chief and those under him were deputies. Each region had a captain, and in the more remote areas, the Egyptian army would do the policing. For police work, besides general fighting abilities and skills, they were known to be armed with a staff, and used trained dogs and even trained monkeys. Some of their duties besides protecting people and property were making rounds with tax collectors to make sure people paid, delivering important or sensitive messages for governmental officers, and patrolling to prevent crimes, specially robbing of tombs and such. In Egypt many tombs were filled with riches and wealth, so they had to be monitored and protected.

The Kenyt Nesu or “Kings Braves” were the special forces units of the ancient Egyptian army, made up of Medjay warriors. Equal to the Army Rangers, they took on special missions or tasks in the same fashion as modern Special Forces units do. Specifically, they were used to overcome difficulty positions or take hard targets. Thutmose 3rd for example, once sent these units through breeches in the walls of Kadesh. The unit was made up of Medjay whom had distinguished themselves in battle. They all were hardened infantry veterans, and they became a part of this “elite of the most elite” by merit only. Egyptian light infantry mainly consisted of mobile archer units called Megau which meant “shooters”. Egyptian archers and charioteers carried the same type of bow, which was of Hyskos design, as they did retain some of their combat technology after expelling them from Egypt. It was a 1.3 meter long bow that was known to have very high impact power when shot from a full draw. Archers and spearmen both wore textile armor and bronze helmets. The elite infantry and charioteers wore armor of thin bronze plates that were sewn together on leather jerkin, in overlapping patterns.

Besides policing and special roles within the military, the Medjay had the honor and prestige of serving as the Pharaohs royal bodyguard. A special skill set / system of warrior science used by the royal guard was called Ku-Ta or Hikuta which means “defender of the Pharaoh”. It was a lightning fast system with emphasis on pressure point strikes. That system, in much later times is said to have filtered into the Philippines and became known as Kuntao. The Medjay served in a central role in the battles against the Hyksos under King Kamose, which was a large turning point in ancient Egyptian history. When bandits and other criminals of the ancient world would encounter a Medjay, they usually would know justice was about to be served on them, and hence attack immediately or flee….to their own demise and failure regardless of what choice they made.

Science of Maat in Kemetic / African warrior culture and the Medjay of Pan Kau Ra Shen

The Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) ancestors were the originators and first practitioners of spiritual development practices as well as other societal teachings (ethics, laws codes, tenets etc.) of truth, righteousness and justice. These teachings and disciplines were all contained within the science of Maat. Society at large engaged in the practice of the “science of Maat” or the “wisdom teachings of Maat”. Those that engaged in the advanced teachings were the royal or ruling class, the warrior class, and the skilled craftsman.

The wisdom teachings of Maat encompassed truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality and justice. Maat herself was the goddess that embodied and represented these teachings. The wisdom teachings of Maat predate any other warrior codes (like Japanese Bushido for instance, and others) and are the root of where yogic practices and sciences of India later came / originated from. The wisdom teachings of Maat “unifying the mind and heart to obtain balance” led to the ancient Kemetians having the most advanced society of ancient times, and being the source of intellectual as well as spiritual enlightenment. This was due to society as a whole being cultivated by the teachings of Maat, as well as the advanced study of these wisdom teachings by craftsman, priests, scribes, local leaders, the warrior class and kings.

At the advanced levels, the wisdom teachings of Maat, on a spiritual note, were about the illumination of Ka (spirit) and elevation of Ba (soul). The 42 Divine Principles of Maat were like the blueprint of practices to aid in physical discipline that led to development of spiritual elevation. For the warrior class, these teachings as a whole were followed by the ancient Kemetic warriors, the Medjay, much in the fashion of how a group like the Samurai of Japan followed Bushido “the way of the warrior”. The Medjay followed the wisdom teachings of Maat and lived by the 42 divine Principles. They cultivated themselves spiritually to unlock their Ka or spiritual energies and to elevate their Ba or soul. Much like the later descendant yogic practices of meditation and cultivation of the bodies energy centers (chakras). For the ancient Kemetic warrior or Medjay, their intellectual capacity and knowledge base as well as spiritual training and development combined with their advanced fighting abilities and undoubtedly bolstered them. This made the Medjay, elite in every sense of the word. Besides their mental and spiritual education from the wisdom teaching of Maat, they were the practitioners of the warrior science (martial art) of Pan Ka Ra Shen.

Pan Kau Ra Shen is an ancient Kushite fighting science and the direct forerunner to Greek Pankration. Pan Kau Ra Shen means “fighting with the power of Ra” or Fighting with the spirit of Ra” with Ra being the representing the “great power” and creative life force. It has been misunderstood as the “Sun God” or referenced as such due to the sun being used as his symbol by the Kamitians. Their relation and respect for the sun comes from their spiritual sciences holding the sun in reverence as a life giving force which we all know is scientific fact. Our spiritual energy also, emanates from the center of our being, the way the rays of the sun go outward from its source, hence another conceptual relation.. In the wisdom teachings of Maat, they speak on the teachings as a way to “unlock the light” metaphorically, so with that in mind, it makes sense that the sun being used as a symbol for Ra which is “ the great power and life giving force”. This also explains why Ra be an integral entity and source of power to draw from. Pan Kau Rau Shen was not a sport or entertainment activity. It was a practice that merged spiritual discipline with physical ones. It was total combat for the battlefield with a heavy spiritual base. Pan Kau Rau Shen consisted of fighting in all ranges using all manner of techniques. From long, mid and close range striking, to trapping, locks and holds, to standing grappling and ground fighting using techniques seen in many martial arts of current day. Weapons’ training was also integral, being it was a battlefield system. There are many later or more modern “martial arts” that descend from Pan Kau Rau Shen in some way, shape or form. Be it techniques, concepts or methodology. Pankration is a direct descendant from the ancient Greeks travels to the tombs of Egypt of Baquet the 3rd, Khety, and Amenemhat. That knowledge also influenced the whole of the Greco / Roman aspects of fighting and combat. To name a few, systems like Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Sombo, catch wrestling or “ catch as catch can wrestling” , Russian Sombo and many more have overt likeness and relations to Pan Kau Rau Shen.

Being a highly developed and cultured society, law was very important among such spiritual and ethical people. Even the Greeks referred to them as “the blameless ones”. Unlike modern day law in some (which directly borrows from the systems the ancients began) in ancient times, law’s foundation stemmed from the Kemetians spirituality or a spiritual base, and not merely the “man made” whims, opinions, preferences, or personal logic of those in power. The best of the Medjay warriors were the elite paramilitary police force. These elite of the Medjay were tasked with special duties and missions and also had more specialized training and skills and weaponry. Over time the Medjay became synonymous with policing and were used to protect valuable areas of the Pharaoh like capital cities, royal cemeteries and the borders of Egypt. To many, they would be well known for guarding royal palaces and tombs in Thebes and nearby territories. The Medjay presence and reputation permeated both upper and lower Egypt, with each regional unit having their own captains.

The power of the animals

In the ancient secret animal societies of Africa, they bought together the spirit of man (or the warrior to be precise) with nature to develop their clans animal fighting spirit. All the dancing, acting and other rites of passage were all used as ways of evoking the power and spirit of the animals. Besides the physical methods and actions, clothing and weapons were believed to empower were used too. This sacred clothing could be the pelt of their ritual animal worn a particular way about the body. Things like the teeth, talons or claws could become special necklaces or bracelets and so forth. Sacred clothing was also sometimes used with sacred weapons such as daggers, knives, claws and so forth. Between the weapons and the warrior channeling the powers / attributes of their chosen animal, when they attacked their enemies on secret missions (like the Ninjitsu methods) the victim would look as if they had been decimated by that particular animal. Everything from claw and teeth marks to bloody animal paw prints would mark the scene of the incident. In preparation for a mission or battle, ritual meetings with other members, as well as sacred animal communication, was performed.

The methodology and science behind the lion societies serves as the perfect example. This society is seen as being related to royal (king) power. The lion’s mane is seen as the outer edge of the sun, with its emanating rays going outward. The lion is also respected, as well as being mighty and powerful, it is civilized in that it lives in a society with others of its kind (pack) and they each have jobs. The male served as a protector. Only the strongest and most elite of warriors in African society that were proven in battle could dawn (wear) the lions skin or pelt. So why many may think of Kung Fu and the Shaolin Temple of China when they think of fighting in the style of the warriors of the animal kingdom,the ancient African warriors of Montw were the originators, doing this long before other empires even came into existence.

Some skills of Pan Kau Rau Shen in action from Warrior Sciences University

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_Z8xNPSEaRyNz7RGTZ_LVwg5k06PtQiz