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Where It's At
The Monumental Plaza Mexico is the largest bullfighting
ring in the world and holds up to 60,000 people. Primitive
bullfighting started around 2000 years before Christ and has
evolved into today's more organised, but no less dangerous,
bullfights. The success rate of matadors (bull fighters) should
turn you off a career in bullfighting because about half of
the great matadors in the world were killed in the ring!
Fight Club
Watching a corrida de toros (bullfight) is not for
the faint hearted, but to experience true Mexican culture
you cannot beat the drama and pageantry that occurs both in
the ring and amongst the spectators in the crowd.
In an average afternoon session at Monumental Plaza you can
see three different matadors, each fighting two bulls. The
fight begins when the bull is released into the ring and the
bullfighters assistant (torero) will take a few passes
of the bull with his cape, to gauge the reactions of the bull.
Then picadors riding horses enter the ring and draw
the first blood then exit the ring. The traditional cape work
with the bull then follows, with each pass of the cape being
accompanied by a hearty cry of "ole!" from the crowd.
The eventual killing of the bull is always performed in a
very traditional and ritualistic manner, by thrusting a lethal
blow of the sword deep into the bulls back. The way that the
bull is killed will bring shame to the bullfighter if it is
not perfect, and a judge scores the killing.
Cultural Legacy
Whilst the issue of bullfighting is contentious for much
of the English-speaking world, the bullfight has deep-seated
roots in Mexican culture. Bullfighting has been attacked for
being un-ethical and promoting cruelty to animals. Most arguments
against bullfighting concerns the drawn out way that the bull
is killed and the fact that the alleged battle to the death
can be rigged by torturing the animal before the fight to
weaken it. In Mexico an anti-bullfighting organization exists
called the Mexican Peña Antitaurina Mexicana,
but it seems that they have had little impact to the status-quo.
Getting There
To get to Monumental Plaza you can easily catch the Metro
to San Antonio station (linea 7), then take the Avenida San
Antonio exit. After exiting the station turn right and walk
about 10 minutes. |
