Zebra wrestling is roughly speaking a collection of techniques that use your feet to hit opponent's head while you are standing on your hands. These techniques resemble the way zebras are kicking with their hind legs; hence I always called this type of kicks Zebra kicks. They were usually called Pantanas in capoeira.
But Zebra wrestling is more than just a collection of Zebra kicks: The kicks are tied together by a special on-guard stance I call Hopping guard (Horse+RubberLegs mechanics).
This stance allows you to fire all the Zebra kicks naturally and powerfully from it.
Which is not as trivial as you might think! Try finding a guard that allows you to launch all Zebra kicks quickly and naturally.
Together, the Zebra kicks and the hopping guard form a wrestling game; where two people stand(bounce) in front of each other and try to hit/takedown each other with the Zebra kicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnWMTI31_cs
This game has a strong African feel to it;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k03NDeyqY_4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzTyn3qxi8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MO9B2jLOgw
(The Africans use Eagle+RubberLegs for the jumps; but that is very close to Horse+RubberLegs of the Hopping guard).
and it is athletic enough to be challenging for young men.
(David might make the Zebra kicks look easy; but try doing all of them!)
Zebra wrestling's influence on capoeiragem
Why is it interesting?
Because it seems Zebra wrestling has been an influence on capoeiragem in its various forms.
No, it was not the 'ancestor of capoeira' - old capoeira(Proto-capoeira) looked differently from this, it was mostly cabecadas, and had no Zebra kicks (or kicks at all) (see my article).
But during history, various capoeiragem systems seem to have adapted some of the Zebra kicks into their repertoire - namely, those Zebra kicks that could be done from their type of ginga.
So Carioca adapted
-Pantana de frente (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jShp2qJ-BFg)
-Pantana de lado (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqLyzoYNH6k)
-Pantana tiririca (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU17VqhXI3A)
-Voo do morcego (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYLTm5ZL6gE)
-Flying 41 (which later spawned normal 41)
all these can be done from Peneiracao. (A version of Pantana de frente became known as 'Rabo de arraia' at certain time of Carioca history. And they even created Carioca-specific version of Pantana de frente, called Pantana de cocoras(Negaca-driven); besides giving Carioca-specific entries to the Pantanas).
Batuque adapted
-Pantana tiririca (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU17VqhXI3A)
as it can be done from Batuque footwork. (It was called 'Rabo de arraia' in Batuque; and I always wondered what the hell Pantana was doing in Batuque. But Batuque was like that).
Bahian capoeira adapted
-Single-leg pantana (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE-Zo191ejk)
as it can be done from Bahian physical-game ginga. (Again, they called it 'Rabo de arraia' in Bahia. This shows you that Pantanas were admired and feared in capoeiragem, as they were given this honoring name).
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So the iconic 'Zebra kicks' seen in various capoeiragem systems probably originated in Zebra wrestling.
It is not that capoeira itself ever was 'zebra wrestling'; but it had been side-influenced by the real Zebra wrestling - to the extent outlined above.
Especially in Carioca, the Zebra kicks that were originally used in playfighting became real street-fighting weapons. (Which is how they became immortalized; for example, in the legendary Carioca "Rabo de arraia", which is just Pantana de frente).
It makes sense - if you are already a proficient player of Zebra wrestling, it is very natural to try and use suitable Zebra kicks - which your body is trained to do - in real fighting.
Conclusion
But I find even the original Zebra wrestling game fascinating. It has a very interesting flavour to it; a certain cosmicness. What kind of human being stands on his hands to hit the other man's head with his feet?
And then the strange regular, mechanic hopping; and the way Pantanas roll at you like an express train (try to stand in front of a real Pantana sometimes) - very unique!
I would wish more people tried Zebra wrestling - it is a fun game; and a good way to hone your Pantanas for use in capoeiragem, even when done solo.
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Excursus - Pantana de costa:
In the case you are wondering - no, Pantana de costa is not the same technique as modern "Coice de mula"(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwY5iKxB3o0) kick of capoeira. The way energy is generated and transfered in Pantana de costa is completely different; and so is the effect.
"Coice de mula" is a purely physical kick; that does not do much in the terms of damage, it mostly pushes the opponent away by extending the legs (while pushing you in the opposite direction; which might make you fall or even break your wrists if the kick is for real).
Pantana de costa uses the specific Pantana-style way of generating power; and when it hits under opponent's chin (as it is supposed to do), it probably dislocates and/or breaks his jaw.
This also shows you that Zebra wrestling was not a 'game' in the sense we understand it in modern times, ie. something safe and relaxing. It was a game alright; but one where you could get seriously hurt if you lost. It was a combat game, a game for warriors.
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