Last post:

Hello everybody,

This last post means that we have almost finished this course. At this time I have been writting about the Spanish bullfighting which is one of the most important and popular spectacle in Spain. I wrote about some themes that could be interesting for you to understand the meaning of this event, like the history, the terms of the spectacle, the most important day in a bullfighter's life and so on. I also wrote about some opinions and different points of view about the event. As you know there are many different opinions about it but after that I think that you may be prepared to have your own opinion about bullfighting.

There are many people who doesn't understand how important is that event for the Spanish culture, the effects on the Spanish society and the profitability of it. We know that the tourism is one of the most important incomes in Spain after construction and we noticed that the bullfight help Spain to grow up so why people are against this spectacle? As we have see during all the post, the people have diffrerent opinions about it and it has to be respected.

Thank you very much and I hope that you have enjoyed and learnt at the same time with the topic I proposed.

This is a website that I found. It's a discussion about bullfighting. If it is a murder or not and the people who participate on it makes their own opinions about the fact.

http://www.freewebspace.net/forums/archive/index.php/t-21313.html

There you'll find all kind of opinions and they demostrate the facts that they are defending.

It is a very interesting view of what does the bullfighting means for some people.

Why some people think that bullfighting is important to Spain's culture?

People has to know that this sport, job or whatever is part of the history of Spain. It is one of the most traditional spectacles in the world. Almost everybody has heard something about it and people know that it is a very dangerous event that can cause the bullfighter's death. It is an interesting spectacle that enjoy the people and nowadays it is impossible to be cancelled by anyone.

Also, the bullfights are so popular and move a lot of money. I have just talked about it in other posts. Many people live because of this sport.

These are some reasons why people think that bullfighting...

More opinions and feelings of this spectacle:

Bullfighting . . . Some think that it is an art form and a very important part of Spanish culture. They say that if weren't for bullfighting, Spain wouldn't be the country it is today. They believe that it is beautiful. Fans feel that the bullfighter's movements are graceful and athletic, like a basketball player going for a perfect lay-up or a dancer performing a ballet. In fact, one of Spain's most famous dances, el paso doble, is an imitation of a corrida or bullfight, with all its moves and footwork. One of the most famous pieces of music of all time, an opera called Carmen, has lots of bullfighting music in it. Many people think that if Spain lost bullfighting, it would lose a part of its history, its culture, and its excitement.

Others disagree. They say that even though bullfighting is exciting, it is too cruel and dangerous. People who look out for the rights of animals feel that it is not even a fair contest, that the bullfighter always has the advantage over the bull. After all, he has other people on horses in the ring to help him confuse the bull. They even stick sharp objects into the bull's body to deaden his senses. Still other people feel that it is too dangerous for the bullfighter, that the bull can still cause very serious injuries and even death. Because of this, many fans do not like the fact that women are starting to choose bullfighting as a career. They think that women are weaker than men and could get hurt more easily in the ring. They think that if bullfighting is going to continue, it should be a man's world.

As I said in all of the post I've written before, there are many opinions about this spectacle and all of them has to be respected

A website for anybody who want to know more about Andalusia and its culture

Everybody is able to know the impact that this spectacle has around the world. As you can see is part of the Spanish culture so a big amount of tourism like to see the event. Sometimes they don´t know how to find tickets, what are the best bullfighters, best bullrings or whatever...!!!

www.andalucia.com is a website which help people to solve all this problems. There people can find everything that can be necessary if someone who arrive to Spain and in particularly Andalusia, doesn't know what they can do to enjoy in each region of Andalusia.

There are many websites but I think that the best and the ones which can solve the problems better is this one.

The Crowd:

Everybody notice that the most important character talking about this spectacle is the bullfighter but it is important to mention others like the bull or the crowd.

The audience makes this sport interesting and profitable. This sport is part of the history of Spain and its culture.

The audience looks for the bullfighter to display an appropiate level of style and courage and for the bull to display aggression and determination.For the bullfighter, this means performing skillfully in front of the bull demonstrating his mastery over the animal. The skill with which he delivers the fatal blow is another major point to look for. A skillful bullfighter will achieve it in one stroke. Two is barely acceptable, while more than two is usually regarded as a botched job.

Depending on the bullring the requirements to reach the prize (ears and tail) are higher in ones or another. So, the audience is very important. Bullfighters begin in regular bullrings and when they are becoming more and more interesting and they are improving their skills as a bullfighter, they can have the opportunity to bullfights in better bullrings. That decision is coming from the audience. The crowd and the bullfighter's manager decide if you are prepared or not to do the best actuation.

Finally, they are the ones who decide the ranking of all bullfighters. That's why they are so important at this spectacle.

The meaning:

Ernest Hemingway said of it in his 1932 non-fiction book "Death in the afternoon":

"Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death and in which the degree of brilliance in the performance is left to the fighter's honour." Bullfighting is seen as a symbol of Spanish Culture.

The bullfight is above all about the demonstration of style, technique and courage by its participants. While there is usually no doubt about the outcome, the bull is not viewed as a sacrificial victim — it is instead seen by the audience as a worthy adversary, deserving of respect in its own right. Bulls learn fast and their capacity to do so should never be underestimated. It is another point which explain the riskiness of this sport. Indeed, a bullfight may be viewed as a race against time for the matador, who must display his bullfighting skills before the animal learns what is going on and begins to thrust its horns at something other than the cape.

A bullfighter is like a gladiator. Both of them fights against something that they don't know and that's why it is so beautiful because each day can be the last of their life.

Bullfighting phases:

Preliminary Phase

During the preliminary phase the footmen, peones or capeadores work the bull with large magenta and gold capes while carefully appraising its agility, intelligence, dangers, sight and, most importantly, its strength. It's very important for the matador to determine the animal's qualities.

First stage

This is when the picadores, mounted on padded and blindfolded horses provoke the bull to attack them. The aim is to plunge their lance into the bull's neck thus weakening its strong neck muscles. This causes it to lower its head without which the matador couldn't perform the coup de grace in the final part of the fight

Second stage

When the bull has been sufficiently weakened by the picadores, the next stage begin, during which barbed darts decorated with colourful ribbons are placed in the bull's neck. The banderillero, carrying a banderilla in each hand, runs towards the charging bull at an angle and places the banderillas in its neck. These are not supposed to weaken the bull but rather correct any tendency to hook, regulate the carriage of the head and slow it down.

Final stages

The final stage of a bullfight is called the suerte/tercio del muerte and ends with the death of the bull. The matador creates a series of passes with his red cape, bringing the animal closer to his body.

The kill

When the matador realises the bull is weak and unable to charge much longer he will reach for his killing sword and seek to manoeuvre it directly in front of him with its head down, so that he can administer the death stroke. The matador looks down the sword to sight the target, leans over the horns and attempts to insert it between the cervical vertebra and into the bull's heart.

Finale

If the matador has performed well and made a quick, clean kill he will be applauded, do a lap of honour and be showered with flowers, hats, cushions and anything else to hand. The crowd demonstrates its approval of a fight by waving white handkerchiefs which are a signal to the president to award the matador a trophy, such as an ear or tail. If the bull has put up a good fight, its carcass will also receive a lap of honour and very occasionally if a bull is exceptionally brave or strong and the matador is unable to kill it, it may be spared and allowed to return to its stud farm to live out its life in peace.

And this is an overview of what happen in this spectacle.

Opinion:

After giving some pieces of information about the bullfighting in general I am going to begin and continue with the discussion about it.

There are different opinions about the bullfighting, if it is a murder, a traditional event or whatever. Nowadays there are opinions for everything that people do so how can you decide if something its correct or not?

Depending on the people who judge the spectacle.

People in general have to know that one of the most ancient job in the history is working in the countryside. Many families eat and live because of the products that they work on so we can say that it is a way of life. Almost everybody eat meat, and it becomes of murder animals. Bulls serve people to enjoy themselves and that is the real problem.

The spectacle is a way of life. many people invest their time working on it and this event give them the possibility of working in something special.

People of some sectors are disagree with the spectacle because they think that its a murder. There are many points of view and any of them are going to think in the same way. It is like a permanet feedback with no end.

During this blog I am going to write about points of view of different people!!! I encourage you to write on it about what do you think about this event?

Bullfighter: Is it a job?

Of course yes. They have to be special men. It is like the people who get up everydays in the morning at 7am, go to their offices and they live the same routine everydays. A bullfighter's life is a little bit different but it is more or less the same.

They have to go to the gym everydays. Bullfighting seems very easy but they have to do many efforts to work with the cape and the sword. The event is to long and each phase during the event could be very hard if a bullfighter it is not in shape.

Almost all the bullfighters work with "novillos" (young bulls) everydays. They have to be prepared for their important dates. Also, they have to control the food they have (diet food and drinks if they can). In few words, they have to take care of their bodies because it is their main tool or weapon to have success in this difficult and dangerous job.

The life of a bullfighter is similar to a regular worker. They have to do the same routine everydays, using their tools, to the reach their particular objectives.

Tickets:

Bullfight posters will appear in the town and surrounding locality about two weeks before a fight. These detail the type of fight, the names of the matadors, the ranch from where the bulls are reared, and the date and time. Bullfights always start promptly in Spain.

Tickets (billetes) prices vary considerably depending on the bullring, the bullfighters and the occasion. Tickets for corridas usually cost from 20 EUR to 100 EUR, although tickets for the cheaper seats in a novillada are usually less than 10 EUR. Tickets for top fights may be sold by touts for up to ten times their face value.

Seats are usually designated as being in the shade (sombra) or the sun (sol), with shaded seats being more expensive. Sun and shade (sol y sombra) seats are those that become shaded as the fight progresses. The closer you are to the action, the more expensive the seat, with ringside barrier (barrera) seats in the shade being the most expensive. So are those nearer the president's box ( where the bullfighters often play towards). Some rings have seats designated as contrabarrera which are the next rows to the barrier seats. The seats behind the ringside seats are called tendidos and my be divided into high (alto) and low (bajo) areas. They are the cheapest seats in the ring. Cushions may be rented for around 0.30 € and are advisable as the seats are usually stone or concrete. Children aren't admitted to bullfights.

Tickets show the section name and number (eg tendido 10), the row (fila) and the seat (asiento) number. It's best to purchase tickets from the box office (taquilla) at the bullring or at the official ticket office. Tickets sold by agents have a surcharge. You should avoid buying a ticket from a tout who will often tell you that the bullfight is sold out when it is not. Most fights do not sell out completely so if you arrive at the bullring in reasonable time you should be able to get a ticket.

Booking early offers the chance of a better seat for the same price. The exception to this are the most popular fights during the summer fiesta in larger towns.

At popular fight you may be approached by 'touts' on the way to the booking office. They sometimes sell tickets at less than face value. Do not pay more than the face value printed on the ticket unless you are sure the tickets are definitely sold out at the booking office. A tout will tell you that the bullfight is sold out when it is not. Be careful when buying tickets from touts, although there is little risk of forgery the tickets sold may not correspond to seats located together. Check the tenido (section), fila (row) and numero (seat number) carefully.

Don't miss the opportunity for buying souvenirs such as old posters, photographs and assorted memorabilia. You can also buy flowers to throw at the bullfighter when he does his lap of honour.

Bullfighting is like a ritual:

This is what the peolple who like the bullfighting the most think about it. It is a very depht feeling.

It is a ceremony that is carried out in carefully prearranged steps, as called for by the tradition of the corrida (the event), each stage with its own name, and which the aficionados (people) in the crowd will know by heart. The lead roles are played by the bull and the matador (bullfighter) in the arena. It is a ritual that requires a sacrifice, a sacrifice to the death.

Only this thought can justify the ritual, the performance, the bullfight, the celebration, and that is death. Man, in his complex relationship with the fear of death but also his willingness to risk it, seeks to vanquish death. He does that by physically overcoming death; and doing so in the arena, he seeks immortality. The bull, therefore, is death personified.

Man's melodrama is forgotten for an instant. The matador, representing mankind and dressed for his date with death in the fantastical if impractical traje de luz, suit of lights, goads, mocks and sentences the bull to death with the estocada (sword), the death blow, from his sword. The most spectacular estocada is the estocada recibido ('received', when the matador stands his ground and lets the enraged bull charge him) but it isn't seen that often. The ritual has been carried out, the bull is dead and the matador is triumphant. Man has defeated death - today he is immortal.

Bullfighting Records:

In the last few years, bullfighting has entered a golden age and it is smashing all the records. Not only in Spain, its original homeland, but also throughout the south of France and in the former colonies of Latin America.

The figures speak for themselves. In Spain and France, at the beginnings of this century, there have been more than 1.800 bullfights and "novilladas"(fights using young bulls and young bullfighters) every season. Nearly 11.000 bulls are killed in the ring and dozens of annual contracts are given to the most promminent bullfighters.

Some of the Spanish Festivals attract millions of people. As an example: Saint Isidro in Madrid, Saint Fermin in Pamplona or Feria de Sevilla in Seville.

As a result, bullfighting has become one of the leading entertainment industries in the world.

the best bullfighters earn Hollywood level fees and the biggest bull prizes match the price of Iranian caviar.

This is the reason why bullfights are one of the most popular event in the world.

Well, like everydays I am going to write another piece of information in my blog. I will be satisfied if this information help you to know more about one of the most important spectacle in Spain.

Andalusia is the best promoter of this spectacle. There are bullrings in all the region. The oldest one is located in Ronda and one of the most important one is located in Seville. Some people don't know about the importance of a bullring. It is very easy to explain. The importance of a bullring depends on many factors: the quality of the buildind (materials, structures, seats, rows...); but the most important one is the requirements of the people.

Andalusia is well known because they support this spectacle, they know a lot of it and one of the most important bullrings in Spain is located in the capital of Andalusia. The bullring is called "Real Maestranza".

Yesterday, I was talking about the first date in a bullfighter life. The most important dream of them is to triumph in the "Real Maestranza" or in "las Ventas", located in Madrid. From that date from the rest of their life they are going to be remembered and evaluated as a good bullfighter. That means that they have to defend themselves of the criticism of the people doing it well each time they do their job.

The managers of the bullrings want the best bulls for their spectacles so in these bullrings the bullfighters usually have to be more concentrated than in others, although they are always playing with their lifes.

Today I am going to talk about the most important date in a bullfighter's life.

Before being a bullfighter they have to reach some goals. They have to prepared themselves to fight with the beast. They usually have trainers who help them to overcome all the obstacles that they must jump in the way to be a great bullfighter. They need some skills as mind force, being fit and so on.

A novice bullfighter is called a novillero and they don't fight in the spectacle, only in a "novillada" with young bulls called (novillos). Novices don't dress with the light suit. In Andalusia the dress clothes consist in a black outfit of short waistcoat, tight fitting trousers, high heeled boots and a broad black hat.

Young bullfighters often take chances in their eagerness to please and be recognised. Most novices learn their trade in bullfighting schools such as the Royal School of Bullfighting in Seville. To join the senior ranks and become a fully-fledged "matador de toros", a novice must take his "alternativa" (which is their first date in a real bullring), a bullfighter cedes the tools of the trade (the cape and sword) to the novice, thus giving him the right to kill fully grown bulls. it is like a ritual and this is one of the most important day in a bullfighter's life. they will remember that date all their life.

Hello Everybody,

I wrote last week some coments about the topic "the Spanish Bullfighting: a murder or a traditional event" and now, after looking for and reading some blogs I notice that it was impossible to read it because it wasn't interesting. Now, I am going to make some changes.

Introduction and development of the spectacle:

The Bullfighting is one of the most ancient event in Spain. Bullfights were popular spectacles in ancient Rome, but it was in the Iberian Peninsula that these contests were fully developed. The Moors from North Africa who overran Andalusia in AD 711 changed bullfighting significantly from the brutish, formless spectacle practised by the conquered Visigoths to a ritualistic occasion observed in connection with feast days, on which the conquering Moors, mounted on highly trained horses, confronted and killed the bulls.

In 1726, a well known bullfighter discover some tools to make this event less brutal and more enjoyable. Francisco Romero introduced the "estoque" (the sword) and the "muleta" which is the small cape that the bullfighter use at the end of the spectacle.

The spectacle consist in many stages. This is what I am going to explain.

Six bulls are going to fight with three bullfighters. Three matadors, each followed by their assistants, the "banderilleros" (the ones who helps the bullfighter) and the picadors. The matadors are the stars of the show. They wear a distinctive costume, consisting of a silk jacket heavily embroidered in gold, skintight trousers, and a montera (a bicorne hat), its called "light suit". When a bull first comes into the arena out of the bull pen gate, the matador greets it with a series of manoeuvres, with a large cape; these passes are usually "verónicas", the basic cape manoeuvre (named after the woman who held out a cloth to Christ on his way to the crucifixion).

The amount of applause the matador receives is based on his proximity to the horns of the bull, his tranquillity in the face of danger, and his grace in swinging the cape in front of an infuriated animal weighing more than 460 kg (1,000 lb). The bull instinctively goes for the cloth because it is a large, moving target, not because of its colour; bulls are colour-blind and charge just as readily at the inside of the cape, which is yellow.

Those animals selected for the event are allowed to live a year longer than those assigned to the slaughterhouse. Bulls to be fought by novilleros (beginners) are supposed to be three years old and those fought by full matadors are supposed to be at least four.

At the end of the spectacle, the bullfighter kill the bull with his sword. It is like the last facing up!!! In some seconds, both of them can die that´s why people like it very much.

After everyone doing their job, the bull die and the matadors are the winners of the fight. In some cases, the bullfighter die in the sand of the bullring. the spectacle is incredible, the man against the beast, the strentgh versus the intelligence. Its like a fight against someone much more stronger than you.

"Las Ventas" (Madrid) and "La Maestranza" (Sevilla) are the most important bullrings in Spain. The goal of the bullfighter is killing the bull, but it is not enough, they have to kill them in a beatiful way, many and elegant passes and a perfect manoeuvre of the sword. There are three prizes: the ear of the bull, reach two ears or reach the two ears and the tail of the bull. In Madrid and Sevilla is very difficult because the public is very hard and demand many things to reach their objectives.

After a brief explanation of the event I would like to ask you about what do you think about it and your feelings. For many people it is not considered a sport, only a good way to enjoy the people. What do you think?

have a good day everybody!!!!

START!!!!

Before I did a short introduction about the topic.

As I said before there are many opinions about it. the spanish bullfighting is well known all over the world and some people like it very much. but there are others that consider this "event" as a murder. what do you think about this fact? i think that people like it very much because is very dangerous and the bullfighter can die if they do something wrong!!I think that winning or losing depends on you that's why it's a very exciting event. what's your opinion about this traditional event? is it a murder? is it a sport? What is it for you?

welcome to the spanish bullfighting blog

Hi everybody,

The title of my blog is: spanish bullfighting: murder or traditional event. the bullfighting is one of the most popular event in Spain. there are many opinions about it. These are some of the opinions of the people: murder, traditional event, job, sport and so on. what i want is to open a discussion about it. If you don't know anything about this topic tell me!!