Wednesday, September 19, 2018

The Cockfight Sabung Ayam

beatsolo2014 - One bout had just finished when I approached the group of men who were intently concentrated on the task available. Several roosters were brought under the small wall-less shelter where the gathering was occurring. They were inspected carefully, their muscles felt, their wings took out and the general liveliness of the birds assessed, encouraging them to have a couple of pecks at each other. Finally suitable pairs were found and the preparations for the next fight began.

There‘re two kinds of bets in Sabung Ayam : the central bet contributed by the owners of both birds at even money, and the side bets from spectators, never at even money. The owner of the victorious bird takes home the entire central bet and the announcement of just how much has been staked is of considerable interest to the crowd as it shows the confidence the owners and handlers have in their own roosters.




Once the central bet has been established, it’s then on sideways bets with the first agenda to determine the favorite. This is usually done by the more experienced punters, ones who rarely miss a battle. They do so by calling out the color of the bird they think is likely to win. The Balinese have developed very specific vocabulary to describe the various color combinations of rooster feathers. When birds of the same color are fighting each other, they additionally call out a distinguishing feature such as its size or its position in the ring like “east” or “north”.

Most participants take the lead of the more experienced company but strict attention must be paid in the chaotic flurry of shouts as initial favorites may change based upon their collective input. Once the favorite has been established, the backers of the underdog start calling out the odds they want. The objective is for two opposing betters to find each other in the commotion – it‘s he or she they‘ll exchange money with directly at completion of the fight.  Sabung Ayam

The amount of money bank on cock fighting can be astonishing. Since arriving in Bali, I‘ve heard stories of people betting and losing whole farms, and just a couple of of weeks ago I heard from a buddy about someone losing two cars on this weekend afternoon pastime. Huge bets were certainly usual when cock fighting was legal in Bali with fights occurring on a grander scale in large stadiums, and while certainly not unheard these days, the regular village cock fight nowadays usually doesn’t lead to a life-changing outcome for those turning up second-rate. That’s not to say though that there‘s not a great deal money for the taking. Walking home with a couple of weeks’ wages or enough for the weekly food bill is still a considerable win, and a lot of these more experienced betters earn a living from rotating around the local cock fighting scene. Some locals I‘ve talked to about it say it‘s the gambling aspect that makes Sabung Ayam exciting, without it, it‘s not entertaining.

The ‘taji’ or the blade was being tied to the roosters’ legs. I was allowed to obtain a better look. I was taken aback at the size of the blade and the reality of what will happen began to sink in. The tying of the taji is done by someone with the special skills to do so and who doesn’t have a vested interest in the outcome of the fight, as the way the taji is tied and its angle can impact the outcome. The man took out a natural leather wallet full of various taji and chose the length best for the size of the bird. He used quick and precise hand movements to wrap a significant length of thin, red twine to the rooster’s leg, testing its rigidity by moving the blade with his fingers.

Indeed cock fighting can be a harmful “sport” for both handlers and onlookers, and critical injuries have been sustained when Sabung Ayam Online attempting to escape the fight fly off into the crowd. I stepped back to the outskirts of the gathering. The rain started precisely its usual cue in the late afternoon. I attempted to gain some shelter under the edges of the small pavilion and although among the men gestured for me to obtain closer to avoid getting wet, there was hardly any room to do so as the men jostled for a great position. This is most certainly a man's pastime and with the only woman usually present the one selling snacks on the side, your attendance won’t be of concern here as long as the proceedings are taking place. I appreciated his brief acknowledgement but it was clear he was anxious about the start of the fight and his eyes keep darting backward and forward from me to the ring, not wishing to miss a minute of the battle that besides the build-up may more than in an issue of seconds.

The crowd was suddenly animated and they surged backwards and forwards to accommodate the movements of the birds. I couldn’t see anything over the tightly-packed men before me but I could certainly hear the commotion of the fight. Then there was a huge wave of sound from the crowd, some calls of victory, some sighs of defeat. The crowd dispersed and there was again a surge of activity as money quickly changed hands. Equally as this was happening, gaps starting forming, giving me a clear line of vision to the ring. www.t855ku.com Among the roosters was resting on the ground with streaks of blood across its white feathers. I saw it take its last strained breaths before its head dropped to the ground. Within seconds the bird was covered with a basket and pushed sideways to clear the makeshift ring and they continued their words of elation and disappointment.

The men didn’t notice when I left, already making preparations for the next fight. I made a dash for it in the heavy rain, thanking the women once more as I underwent the compound and back out onto the street. It felt good to escape. I bet those roosters wish they could too.

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