"DAGGER KNIFE" fastened to a fighting cock-bird leg.
Monday(1-9-2014) :- Was on a 23 day holiday of Java and Bali in Indonesia, my holidays having started on Monday(11-8-2014) on arrival in Jakarta from my home city of Mumbai.On Monday (1-9-2014) i was having a early morning stroll around "Poppy's-1" street in Kuta when i heard some cocks crowing in a compound .Made my way into the compound and saw a few cocks kept penned in small bamboo t-pee covers.
"COCKFIGHTING RING AND STADIUM"
I realized that these were "Fighting Cocks" and enquired with a local if the sport of "Cockfighting" existed in Kuta.To my utter surprise he informed me that "Cockfighting" was held daily in the afternoon near the "Bakunsari Hotel" situated on JL Buna Sari Street.
"Fighting Cockbirds" kept in Cane baskets.
This was just a few minutes walking distance from my hotel "Maha Bharata" situated on Legian street in Kuta.In the afternoon at approx 1230 hrs headed towards the "Cockfighting " site. It was situated in a small shed off the main road of JL Kubu Anyar.Some beautiful imported Philippines cockbirds were kept enclosed in bamboo basket enclosures. A small part of a shed was converted into a mini makeshift stadium akin to a boxing ring.The entire concept seems to have been modeled on the Filipino form of cockfighting, although this was entirely illegal while in the Philippines it is legal !
Documenting the illegal "Cockfights" in Kuta.
I was the only foreigner in the crowd, the rest being locals. Entrance ticket to the "Cockfighting show " was 10,000 Rupiah.The last time i had witnessed cockfighting in a foreign Country was in Manila in 1995 and the same has been documented.The Cockfighting complex resembled a mini gambling casino with a local form of roulette , dice and card games being played at one end of the small stadium.There was a massage man at one end giving a massage to man on the floor.
Balinese rituals at start of "COCKFIGHT".Religious offerings.
The cockfighting ring had a few cocks in basket cages kept along its boundary fence and some religious offerings in the centre of the cockpit where the cockbirds would be pitted against each other. The crowd gradually began to fill and i was a major source of interest being the only foreigner.Later three young German tourists joined the crowd and it was a total carnival atmosphere in the small illegal gambling club ."COCKFIGHTING" has deep cultural and religious significance in Balinese culture and hence it is allowed in Bali although officially illegal.The "Cockbirds" are used as sacrificial offerings and cockfights are always held on auspices occasions.
Handlers & Owners of "COCKBIRDS".
The gambling aspect is another face of "Cockfighting" and involves heavy gambling among the locals.As always a group of men gathered inside the cockpit with their cocks for pairing of fights.The cockbirds were judged by weight and hence birds of equal weights were paired too fight against each other, a brutal gladiator sport.There were men inside the cockpit wearing green shirts that advertised their cockfighting club on the back .Seemed the sport was totally legal.It read "KRESEK COCKFIGHTING -2014,Utamakan Tabuh Rah", the language being Indonesian .It was after a gap of 19 years that i was witnessing a "Cockfight" in a foreign country, having last witnessed a illegal fight in the outskirts of Bangalore city in India.In South India akin to Bali cockfights hold a religious significance and are held illegally on auspicious religious Hindu festivals.After the cockbirds were paired the action began and the betting frenzy was to be seen to be understood.It was very similar to the legalized gambling coliseums of Manila, only difference being that the crowd in Kuta was miniscule compared to Manila."Coded Sign Language" was involved is betting and no money was exchanged during the betting, a total jigsaw puzzle to a outsider witnessing this fierce bird bloodsport.
Owners pairing their birds for the "COCKFIGHTS".
Seems bets on a win or a loss was settled after the birdfight unlike other betting sports where a "Bookie" is involved in accepting money for a bet before the event , also giving the odds for the bet.In Balinese Cockfighting there were no "Bookie's" but just a lot of yelling and shouting between the spectators and the handlers with money shown as a sign of wagering but not exchanged as is the done thing with Bookie's in other forms of gambling sports.O A few men had "Money Satchels" across their shoulders and were heavily involved in the betting frenzy which could indicate some form of "Bookie Gambling" involved in this illegal bloodsport.All the cockbirds were of local breed similar to fowls in India unlike the beautiful large Filipino cockbirds of Manila that cost a fortune.
The average price of these cockbirds ranged from 20 to 30 U.S $'s. Once the birds were paired and the betting done the grand finale began.The two fighting cocks were taken to the centre of the ring where previously religious offerings had been kept with the owners/handlers holding their respective cockbird.
"COCKFIGHT" about to begin. Betting Frenzy .before start.
A "Cockfight referee" akin to a "Boxing referee" judged the entire proceedings, his word being final in important stages of the short and brief fatal bird fight.The two birds faced each other and were aggravated by their owners to peck and bite at each other. On a signal the two birds were released by their owners in the centre of the ring and the fight began.The birds literally ran towards each other, jumping in the air and kicking .In a few seconds both the birds were locked together on the ground pecking at each other but unable to stand as their legs were entangled.On a signal from the fight referee after a "Knockout Count" both the birds were separated by their owners and after a brief few seconds were put into a enclosed red coloured bamboo basket for the final kill. After a few seconds of thrashing between the birds inside this enclosed basket the game was over with one bird lying dead or dying on the floor and the other bird standing or still very much alive and the winner.
"Cock Fight daggers", a surgeons envy in instrumentation.
.I observed this "BASKET OF DEATH" for the first time in a cockfight.Have seen a few illegal cockfights in Indian villages but never ever saw the two fighting birds locked together in a enclosed basket for the ultimate death fight.Same applied in the legal fights cockfights in Manila.Balinese cockfights was different from Indian and Filipino cockfights in the usage of the "Basket of death".
Both birds on the ground almost locked together in the fight.
The dead or dying bird was quickly taken to the side of the ring and "Euthanized" with the jab of a knife at its side by a special "chicken slaughteror".The winning bird was not sutured in the cockfighting complex as in Manila but was just kept aside, luck playing a crucial role in its fate of living to fight another day until dead ! The "Chicken Slaughteror" had a field day busy slaughtering the loser chicken in the side of the cockpit ring.later he took the bird to a side of the cockfight complex where the tail feathers of the bird were removed and kept in a separate packet.These feathers are the feathers probably used for decorative purposes in fashion accessories.Rest of the chicken bird was put in hot water and later dissected into pieces as in a normal chicken shop.
Cocks fighting inside "CAGE OF DEATH".
A woman was in charge of boiling the hot water while her toddler child was near her side observing the chicken slaughter.This could be the costliest "CHICKEN MEAT" with definitely a few lakhs of Rupiahs bet on this dead fowl while its cost could be 20 to 25 U.S $'s.Next to the chicken slaughterors corner was a lavish local food stall and wonder if they had a special dish on their menu called "barbeque cockfight chicken", charging a premium for the dish.Normally the winner owner gets possession of the dead fowl.Language was a major obstacle and hence i couldn't discuss the finer points of Balinese cockfighting rituals with the locals at the cockfights.Did manage to speak to a local cockfighter but his answers were vague as he had difficulty of explaining in english language.It was a total village type carnival atmosphere with gambling , food and hawker stall on one side of the complex outside the "Cockpit ring" .A legalized gambling casino owner would marvel at the organization and efficiency of this small illegal rural enterprise.
A "WINNER COCK" with its owner.
"BALINESE BASKET OF DEATH".
Strangely some of the promoters of this sport disliked my photography and pointed their backside towards my camera when i tried photographing their fowl or them. Could be superstition or something i didn't understand. I didn't face any antagonism being a foreigner tourist, just curiosity and a few strange backside posturing.Had a "Bintang beer", the most popular beer in Indonesia .Didn't taste any of the delicious food as my stomache was upset.After watching a few cockfights in succession, all very similar decided to sightsee other spots in Kuta.These cockfights would continue till approx 1600 hrs in the evening and then the next day.
