Spider fighting

From WikiPilipinas: The Hip 'n Free Philippine Encyclopedia

Spider Fighting [1]

The game Gagamba (spider fighting) is a popular game among Filipino children. The game starts by placing two spiders at opposite ends of a stick. The first spider that falls of the stick three times loses. In some games, the spider should die first by being eaten by the opponent spider before being considered as defeated.

1 History and Cultural Variations
2 Cultivation
3 The Fighters
4 The Game
5 Legal Issues
6 External Links
7 Reference
8 Citation

[edit] History and Cultural Variations

The history of fighting spider as of today is unknown, but traces of spider fighting culture are found in different countries in the world. In Japan, specifically in the Kajiki, the worlds largest arachnid fight club meets for its annual showdown, the Kumo Gassen. The Kumo gassen is an annual traditional event of spider-wrestling match. This event is a long unbroken tradition for four hundred years. Spectators and players gather here to watch hundreds of spider match and the game goes on for seven long hours. Perhaps the origin spider of fighting can be trace in this particular tradition, as Eastern culture dwells in this insect fighting culture. In some parts of Asia, spiders are not the only insect who are expose to fighting matches, crickets are also breed to fight. Japanese spiders who are mostly black and white Agriopes, which is a kind of garden spiders, are called "samurai spiders." In the Philippines, spider fighting culture is emanent and many Filipino children are engage in this kind of game.

Kumo Gassen [2]

[edit] Cultivation

The spiders are caught in trees although some prefer those found in electric wires which they believe are much tougher. After capture or fighting, the spiders are stabled in used matchboxes. These matchboxes usually have separate cells to house different spiders. Spiders are fed with insects and some are fed with secret formulas. In Japan, they cultivate spiders in large boxes. Mostly Agriopes spiders are breed. They raise spiders in powerful diet, like spraying sport juices in the web.

[edit] The Fighters

In the Philippines, spiders who are caught in along power lines are thought to be more aggressive. "Damang" which is a Bisayan word for spider are found everywhere in the Philippines. Players do not have any particular preference on the kind, shape and size of the spider but they would choose spiders that are long-limbed and slender-bodied. They called their spiders in different names depending on the way they appear. Most damang lovers used Pulahan, which a kind of spider that has red marks on its back and mostly found in tamarind trees. There are also, Mantalan, Tiger, Ituman and the Yellow Spider which is usually found on horse-radish trees.

[edit] The Game

Rules of the games are simple, it starts by placing two spiders at opposite ends of a stick. The spiders must be of relatively the same size to have an even match. Before the duel, players usually tickle their spiders to get it agitated. The spider who falls off of the stick three times loses the match. In the Philippines, even adults engage in the game. Some even put bets on the matches, ranging from a P1 to as high as P50,000.

[edit] Legal Issues

The practice is now generally discouraged since it damages educational performance of children. They spend too much time hunting and training spiders that lessons and homework are missed. They might also be attracted to gambling. Ordinances against the sport are now in effect in some cities. The sport might also be indirectly responsible for crop damage since spiders are useful in controlling insect pest populations.