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The
standard
bullfight has six bulls, fought by three bullfighters.
Each bull should be killed within a period of not more than
twenty minutes, in three stages called tercios, directed
by the president of the bullring. You will see him draping
handkerchiefs of different colours from the presidential box,
signals which are echoed musically by the band.
 From
the moment the bull first charges belligerently, almost playfully,
into the ring,
to its dead body being dragged out by a team of mules, a script
is followed, aimed at reducing the bull's strength until the
matador is able to exercise near-complete control over
it. This is the point - for the bullfighter to come to dominate
the beast to the extent that it obeys his will (and it is
a killer beast, however much sympathy it may stir in you,
and one that may weigh up to eight hundred kilograms - a modestly-sized
car), until bullfighter and bull move together with grace
and in harmony.
 The bull
may be met by the matador himself or by one of the peones
in his cuadrilla while the matador watches. In either
case, the first, spectacular moves with the cape as the unweakened
bull charges around the ring have a purpose - to test the
bull, find out how it moves, its preferences, its dangerousness.
Non-aficionados often prefer this part of the bullfight to
the later, final stage when the matador uses the smaller cape,
the muleta. But in fact, it is preliminary and of
little importance, though some bullfighters are famous for
their artistry in it.
All photographs and images ©1991-2001 John Kalucki. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Next page > The Beginning
- the First Tercios > Page 1,
2, 3, 4,
5
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