TOROS, TOREROS and bullfights

I have a very unorthodox way of writing commentaries about any matter.

It starts with a spark and before I fall sleep, the commentary must be COMPLETELY written in my mind, only then I put it on print. If it isn't , it's never written

That is an explanation as to my utter laziness when it comes to my contributions.

So... this one was a stream of conciousness that was done before the zzzzzzzzs.

This topic was something I never gave much thought. Bullfighting (tauromachy) to the scholars.

Although my four grandparents were Spaniards and I recall my dad talking about , muletas, estocadas , benderilleros etc. all of which sounded quite exciting when you’re seven years old, the topic lost luster when the country where I was born became hermetic (Cuba)

So yes, my being Cuban was a geographical accident. So much so that my surname is one in 5,300+ HIDALGOS, meaning. it has no precedent except for being Spaniard and are the only surnames recognized by the crown as "Royal". What does being a Hidalgo get me? Pretty much bragging rights and not much you can buy with that.

But, last weekend I saw the movie “El MATADOR” and a lot of my childhood indoctrination came to the surface. Famous matadores names, those who died in “el ruedo” during una “faena” . The great, the no so great , the ones with exceptional ability bordering in miraculous .

The mix of human / beast participating in an event of such extreme, reminded me of horse racing ( somehow, I see rodeo as an ALSO cruel show with glory for noone)

But in both Horse Racing and Bullfighting, a smallish person, controlling an over a ton animal (in horse racing close to two)

A big difference is that in horse racing, the animal needs to be trained to perform, since birth on very precarious assets . Four VERY fragil legs , in bullfighting the bull is born with an instictive sense to kill. In horse racing the horse is whiped insentlay as an incentive. Bullfighting represents 99.9% death for the bull, but after a fight even if the bull is pardoned and released for his extraordinary bravery (That is what they are called by the way "TOROS BRAVOS" bravery is a given trait) A bull's life is pretty miserable. He has lost the innocence of of just being a very pissed off animal from birth and becomes even more brutal. He doesnt even get to mate as horses do, The mating would result in death for the female. So, he really may as well be dead. Human "sports" based on brutality do have the full knowledge of combatants that death or permant injury is a possibility but the pay off is a great incentive such as it would be for any mercenary.

A MATADOR - which strangely enough the Spaniards prefer to use with all the force the name conveys. The translation is “The Killer” – no sugar coating that one - no appologies . They shaun the more euphemistic names given around the world such as “bullfighter” which gives a less than accurate representation of what actually happens in that “Arena”

Of course, any discussion about “TOROS” can not be complete without acknowledgment of brutality by those whose opinion of the “spectacle” (A bullfight is NOT considered a sport in the least – What is taking place in the “Ruedo” is beyond description.

What a cruel “spectacle” where the outcome is the death of one of the combatants. We could rationalize that, Boxing , Cage fighting even football have that “death” mantel surrendering it. But, an argument is “well they both accept the danger with full knowledge of what they’re doing, a bull has no choice.

Well, easy rationale, but it crumbles when you see cows being killed for our eating pleasure, or chicken being filled with hormones in a space of 5’ X 5’ that hosts 100 chickens their whole life. These chickens never knew normal life. We divested them from life even before they hatched, same as cattle, pork etc. If you eat any of these, your complaints about Bullfighting are a bit dogy.

A bull runs in ITS pasture is treated with care (even devotion) have not been abused. The bigger, faster quick in reflexes. In other words the one more liky to kill the Torero , goes to the top of the class. This breed of bull spends his first 4-6 years pretty much alone, feasting in the ranch's pasture. Yes, a little lonely but they LIKE that. Just like a “Bull”terrier or a Yorkshire terrier the breed sole biological objective is territorial. “This is MY chunk of land and you (even a cute cow) will die if you dare enter it.

As I said these animals are bread for their ferocity, just as a German Shepard was selected as a favorite Nazi auxiliary. Deep in that patient loving nature, runs the heart of a killer. The Nazis were able to pull THAT out of them.

A “Toro” does not think in terms of its own death, but in terms of “killing”, much like a shark– A shark attacks to eat or if some ffisherman tricked him into biting in a hook, then after what can possibly be hours of desperate pain , he is pulled on board and a picture taken. To ME that seems a hell of a lot crueler. That was not the reason a shark was born, we human beings decided it to be so.

Still I do not see any protests against fishing, or rodeo for that matter. So what if they tie up the testicles of the Rodeo bull to a know so it will jump higer , and be more fierce? Hey we dont see blood. The word hypocrecy comes to mind.

Bulls are carefully selected, not for the safeguard of the Matador, on the contrary the Matador wants a bull as fierce as possible , without being dangerous to the audience. An enraged overly fierce bull will do things that are incomprehensible and most likely will jump to attack the crowd. These are the "crazy" ones and just as humans there are not many , but once in a while one goes that way.

An example:

I was going to school in El Escorial near Madrid and we knew there was a "Brave Bull" ranch near by. I was 14 and at that time, I sort sympathized with the bulls while still in awe of Torero's skill and bravery. Thinking on the Toro's side I asked : ”Geez who asked HIM to be in there” a little more explanation is in order to understand WHO really is handicapped when they enter the ring.

Going back to the ranch. We are awaken one day by a thumping sound, massive solid. A few seconds later, another just as loud just as solid. We quickly dressed and realized the sound came from the bull pastures. There, bleeding from the head and a horn dangling , this particular 4 year old weighing at over a ton had been spooked .

and was attacking a tree with all his might.

The keepers later explained that anything, from a ray of light, a shadow or a field mouse would trigger this behavior. It looks like anger but it is just his genes flipping switches. A borderline "crazy"but this beast WOULD make it to a corrida had his switches not reacted that way prematurely.

When we approached a "bit" closer , the quite robust tree was half way broken and the bull had hardly any energy to continue. However, he did. From afar, we saw the keepers not moving a finger. The tree crashed down and with a huff and a kick of dirt the bull fell dead but NOT before it rolled the tree to make sure it was “dead”. I do not know of any other animal that would withhold pain this way just to follow instct . Not a gorilla or Lion

This bull commited suicide! You see this, and your attitude towards fighting bulls changes, in a flash. In addition, this is not an aberrant behavior; this IS what is expected of that bull. There are studies that point to biological traits , like tremedous tolerance to pain, that in fact pain releases endorphins and that the bull is in fact having fun and sese of preservation , just does not exist.

With some luck, they make it to bring THAT behavior into the bullring.

The real fight here is between the breeder and the Matador.

Top Matadores are invited to see the upcoming line up and , contrary to common logic , the matador WANTS the fiercest bull they see.

As everything in Bullfighting, the spectacle is full of hidden rules, metrics, standards, regulations, ceremony and a million other rituals that neither you or I can or will understand.

If you have, the stomach see the movie “El Matador”. El Fandi the best bullfighter in the world was 2 years away from getting that title. What made him best was his ABSOLUTE adhesion to classical bullfight. No jokes, no clowning no playing with the bull as a toy after getting him dizzy. El Fandi is there to do his job and do it better than anyone ever has.

In a particular scene, he approaches the barrier and asks for the killing weapon. He explains to his crew “This bull is not fighting, this is not a show, and he’s suffering, I’ll let him go”

The most famous and charismatic of all Matadores was “El Cordobes” but he achieved this by turning the faena into a game. A dangerous game, but a game. El Cordobes, would drop the Capote 3 feet from the bulls face (followed of course by the bulls gaze) and at 1 foot from the bull will scream “TORO!” when the startled bull looked up “El Cordobes” , patted him in the forehead , would turn around and walk VERY slowly away” It was said he hypnotized bulls, it was said he could communicate with bulls mentally . A lot of things were said. But his beginnings were so full of danger that at some point he had to hope for “tamer” bulls. When you snap in half the “Banderillas” and do your own baderillazo you REALLY do not want a fierce nor a very awake bull. But for the matador, placing the banderilla is totally optional but the crowds love it.

So, El Fandi, did not take advantage of a groggy bull and he can not just say “let him go” (There are times when that happens and that’s the epitome of the empathy of bull fighter and bull)

So this bull had to go. Playing with him is NOT what this is about.

Nevertheless, killing a bull is a LOT more complicated than *I* knew. I always though “get close and stab” Not that easy.

The bullfighter must bring the bull to the exact center of the Ruedo, with precise movements has to place the bull in a secure way for THE BULL to attack without fear of a slip. This only happens when the four legs are exactly parallel and a determined distance between the front , back and left/right legs.

After this “Ballet” is performed and the bull is in perfect position, the Matador has to maintain the bull still . How he does it is his problem. Then, do his own positioning. This must be done while the matador keeps a solid gaze into the bulls eyes. Now when the torero's body is in a direct line with that of the bull and in a specific distance, the Matador must get his head within an imaginary frame where both combatants are said to be “cuadrados”, body to body, head to head, eyes to eyes. The matador gets ONE chance to aim and that’s the tip toe position we are all familiar with. Once he does that (the tip toe) he’s committed to the kill, and charges the bull HEAD TO HEAD. The bull responds by charging back. Only ONE place in the bull’s body is allowed as a clean kill and that is a “softer” area between his shoulder blades. While the torero digs the sword to the hilt and the bull is shooting up his head to attack this “thing”, the torero “flies” between the horns and using the the sword's handle , uses it as leverage to move to the side of the animal where he watches firmly for a clean kill. It is easy to know if it was a clean kill. You see the front legs buckle. The assistants are always eager to come and “help” but today all first rated matadors waves them away as if saying “ this is between the both of us” If the estocada missed the heart the bull is still fighting, again “La Escuadrilla” wants to take over the bull. Such situation happened with El Fandi in the movie. The sword was to the handle and the animal seems awake and still fierce. Fandi, not believing this animal was still with fighting spirit, AGAIN screamed at the Escuadrilla that HE would do the killing estocada even if this meant a tremendous drop in his ranking. As he approached the bull, the animal’s front legs buckled and El Fandi stood 4 feet from the bull with his head down and the next sword he was going to use. The bull fell El Fandi approached and tapped the dead bull on its forehead. Turned away clearly unhappy with his performance. There is a coup de grace all bulls receive wheather dead or dying. Prolonging agony is not what this is about. El Fandi

acknowledged the bull's death and permitted the Escuadrilla to proceed. THAT was not a clean kill and he was distraught. The fact he had fought 6 bulls that afternoon, the third had wounded him badly on a thigh and part of the abdomen and he refused to go to the hospital but demanded to have the stitches in the simple infirmary of the Plaza, was something never seen in the history of bullfighting. Forty five minutes later he came out limping, noone had moved and stayed awaiting the news of his possible death. Then he walks out into the sun to a tremedous cheer from the crowd. He is in his home town and killing six bulls (again something never done)

assured him a chance to killing 100 bulls in a season. He barely lifted his hat as acknowledgement walked to the center and signal to let the next one out.

As I mentioned El Fandi is a young MATADOR driven by traditional rules and this was shown with another bull which showed tremendous bravery, he position himself for the kill but lowered his sword His ranking dropped but he was sparing THAT bull’s life. His reason.”He gave me the fight of my life”

So, before we protest a custom, integral to Spain’s culture which goes back to Roman times. Let us think of MEN vs. MEN in a war. Both rational creatures who have not learned ANYTHING since before Roman times and even though ther's rationale and human intelligence keep killing each other by the millions in the name of.. YOU MAKE a reason.

Myth : The bulls are drugged

The bulls are given a mild tranquilizer for the trip to the Plaza and wait there 2 days. When over one ton of flesh comes out at THAT speed. You KNOW there is no drugging. Contrary to Horse racing , the “winning” is just not which animal crossed first. The winning is called by the whole Plaza and the public somehow always seem to be on the side of the bull.

Wasted flesh:

All the dead bulls meat is given to orphanages. It is NOT a tender meat since it has NO fat. But, it is used in stews, chopped etc.