Luke Leyland

My name is Luke Leyland. I am a British documentary filmmaker renowned for immersing myself in diverse cultural experiences. Hailing from Merseyside, UK, I developed an early passion for martial arts, which led me to create documentaries exploring various combat sports. Notably, I traveled Nigeria, to participate in Dambe, a traditional martial art, becoming the first European to compete in this arena. I then partook in medieval combat and documented my journey throughout the training, and later on immersed myself in a competition. I continue to look for certain sports and martial arts to document my experiances and sharing that with the rest of the world.

Three men, one white and two coloured, stand next to each other hilding hands with the hands in the air. The white man and one of the coloured men have their right hand wrapped in cloth

Sport

How I was introduced to Dambe boxing, a traditional West African sport

by Luke Leyland

13 April 2025

I was the first white fighter to be allowed to compete in Dambe boxing in Nigeria, and though I lost...

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Luke Leyland

How I was introduced to Dambe boxing, a traditional West African sport

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