11 criteria to decide the hit
Artisan Hoang Gia Bon (born in 1960, residing in Ngoc Xuyen ward, Do Son district) is the second generation in a family of three generations participating in the buffalo fighting festival. Having been involved in the festival for more than half of his life, artist Hoang Gia Bon said that for him and the people of Do Son, the traditional buffalo fighting festival is deeply rooted in everyone's subconscious, as closely connected as flesh and blood. Almost every year, artist Bon's family has a buffalo in the final round of the festival, including two times the buffalo won the championship (in 1995 and 2009), four times the buffalo won third prize and many other secondary prizes.
This year, artisan Hoang Gia Bon has 3 buffaloes, but he can only approve one buffalo that meets all the criteria to participate in the festival. Artisan Hoang Gia Bon revealed 11 criteria for selecting fighting buffaloes. In particular, the buffalo must have a heroic appearance; jet black fur, thick skin; horns with standard arcs; small and black eyes; the buffalo's tail covers the anus; 4 hooves curved like a bowl; the buffalo has 4 whorls (2 above 2 below, if 5 whorls, the buffalo is rebellious); the mouth and jaw must be red, not white; 2 narrow cavities... Also according to artisan Hoang Gia Bon, in reality, humans cannot teach buffaloes how to fight, but these 11 criteria are the buffalo's instincts, determining the buffalo's fighting style. For example, the width of the buffalo's horns determines the fighting style, if the buffalo has horns 42-45cm high and 50cm wide, the buffalo specializes in hitting the opponent's eyes, if the horns are 35cm high and 60-70cm wide, the buffalo specializes in hitting the jaw...
Taking care of buffalo is very hard work.
According to artisan Hoang Gia Bon, choosing a fighting buffalo is difficult, and taking care of it is also a lot of work. Every morning, the trainer lets the buffalo wade through the pond to practice 15-20 laps, and as the festival approaches, the intensity of the training decreases and stops about 10 days before the main festival. At that time, the buffalo gets used to the gongs, drums, flags, and the atmosphere of the festival.
The nutritional regimen is also meticulously balanced. At noon, the buffalo is fed rice bran mixed with molasses, and in the afternoon, it is fed 5-6 peeled sugarcanes, clean sweet potatoes or good grass (new grass). At midnight, the buffalo is given a large bucket of bran. Thanks to the care of the buffalo owner, the buffalo meat after slaughter is very fragrant, without any fishy smell.
Artisan Hoang Gia Bon also said that there is no way that buffaloes are given alcohol before the competition day because drinking like that will cause the buffaloes to become mentally ill. In fact, in many years of following the festival, Mr. Bon has never witnessed such a case. However, the artist affirmed that if the artists and the Organizing Committee discover that there is a situation of giving stimulants to buffaloes, they will be severely punished.
Every year, hundreds of millions are invested in raising fighting buffaloes, but the buffalo owners are still very happy, excited, and wholeheartedly devoted to the festival. "This year marks the 35th anniversary of the restoration and development of the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival. I suggest that the locality and buffalo owners preserve the village culture well. If the village is good, the meaning of the festival will be enhanced" - said artisan Hoang Gia Bon.
According to the plan of the People's Committee of Do Son district, the buffalo fighting festival will take place on September 11 at the central stadium of Do Son district. Traditional rituals such as incense offering, flag raising to open the festival, water procession, deities, and gods will take place from September 3 to September 18.
Source: https://laodong.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/nghe-nhan-hai-phong-tiet-lo-11-tieu-chuan-tuyen-trau-choi-1368744.ldo
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