Unusual Sports: Cock Fighting
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
Cock fighting is a blood sport in which roosters (cocks) fight in a ring known as a cockpit.
It is an ancient spectator sport, and the first recorded cock fight took place in China in 517 BC.
The cocks, which are specially bred and conditioned for strength and stamina, fight until one of them dies or is critically injured.
In some countries around the world cock fighting is a traditional sporting event, for example, in Colombia; whilst in others, it is either regulated by law, for example in Peru, or banned, for example, in the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, as well as elsewhere in Europe.
Cock fighting is particularly popular throughout Southeast Asia and is regarded as a form of fertility worship.
In Indonesia, for example, it is a very old tradition in Balinese Hinduism. In Bali, cockfights, which are known as tajen, are practiced as part of an ancient religious purification ritual, which is intended to expel evil spirits. Cockfights without a religious purpose are considered to be gambling in Indonesia, which is illegal both for nationals and foreigners.
Since 2003, cock fighting is banned in all the 50 States of the US, the District of Columbia and all the US Territories.
Betting on the outcome of the fight is very popular in those countries where cock fighting is permitted by law.
Cock fighting is very much a cultural and traditional thing!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
