Raging Bulls

The first bull comes out of the gate, and my friends and I immediately think it's a bit small. Though these bulls aren't as buff as the ones at the bigger bull fights, they can still take someone out with ease. The bull runs around the ring, as it thinks it might be free. But the games begin. Men with colorful banners lead the bull in a wild cat-and-mouse chase around the ring. As they try to tire him out, they use techniques to control the bull's path.

Horns sound and more people come out to induce the first contact with the bull. Men on horses wait for the bull to come close enough to striking distance. The bull approaches as the man tries to stab the bull in the back (literally and figuratively). In this stage, the horses are blindfolded so they'll hold their ground against the raging bulls. While they´re given a fair amount of physical protection, the bulls will often try to knock the horses over. It´s interesting to compare the power of the bulls with the raw strength of the horses. For the horses to withstand so much pressure from the bull and not move is incredible.

Once the bull is stabbed, the horses exit and the next stage begins. Three valiant men attempt to thrust a pair of rods where the bull was stabbed. It's almost like a dance. After a step forward and a quick fake, the man makes his move. He lunges at the bull and hurls the rods into the bull´s back before running for cover. Once the six rods are in place, the bull fighter comes out.

The fighter walks out to the center of the field and raises his (or her) cap to acknowledge the crowd. This lone fighter faces the bull and goes to work. Once the action begins again, it can range from invigorating moments to repetitious and seemingly redundant periods. However, this is the art of the bull fight. Now that the bull is weaker, the fighter must seize control and maintain it the entire time to be successful. Fighters have their own styles. Some use elegant dance-like moves, while others choose simplicity. An agile fighter may spark the crowd´s interest, but the end result matters most.

As fighters gain more and more confidence in their control over the bull, some may turn their backs on the animal. It comes off as a llittle arrogant, but it shows the comfort of the fighter, who will eventually sheathe his sword. It could take 10 minutes or more before fighters feel ready to kill. The final stage is most important, because if the fighter isn´t perfect in every way, the bull will suffer. The fighter must thrust the sword completely into the bull´s back to minimize suffering. Sometimes the thrust will not be clean and the sword will pop out. The fighter must then sheathe another sword to finish the job. Other times, the thrust is perfect, but the bull is too strong to go down, and the fighter must try again. However, when the fighter cannot provide a clean, swift death, it shows the ineptitude of the fighter and the crowd will boo or whistle in disapproval.

Once the bull dies, horses drag it around the field and out of the stadium.

At this particular fight, we saw a little bit of everything. We saw a female fighter, which is about as rare as rain in Seville. The three fighters were all young and inexperienced and made mistakes that added to the bulls´suffering. Some of the bulls were too weak to make it halfway through the stages, and had to be forced off the ground at certain points.

My thoughts? It was on my to-do list, and I´m glad I went. Some of it was very difficult to watch, especially in the bull´s final moments and the "parade" of it around the stadium after its death. In general, I´m against killing animals, especially for sport. But there was something entertaining, and I can easily see why it´s such an important part of Spanish culture. I´d like to see a bigger one, maybe in Madrid or Barcelona, with more experienced fighters who have mastered their craft. Watching the bulls suffer was difficult, especially in light of the ineptitude of the fighters. I enjoyed the experience, but I am still at ends about how I feel.

I leave it in your hands now. I´d love to hear what you think, so post comments if you´d like.