A Machete Martial Arts Master Shares His Secrets | Short Film Showcase

In Haiti, the machete is both a weapon and a farmer’s key to survival. This dichotomy is especially true for Alfred Avril, a master machete fencer and subsistence farmer. The traditional art of machete fencing can be traced back to the Haitian Revolution. With fewer guns than the soldiers they were battling, many slaves fought with the machetes they had used to toil the sugarcane fields. In this short film from Third Horizon, Avril shares his mysterious craft as well as the practical and spiritual value of the machete throughout Haitian history.

National Geographic