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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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 Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:48 am Post subject: have an advanced English class with Koreans? use this! |
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I found this story interesting and there is plenty of vocabulary and other points to be taken from the article... on top of possible discussion of the merits of 'korean bullfighting' in the first place.
I for one, like the guy's argument in the final paragraph. Much more palateable and preferable to the Spanish variety.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/16/asia/bull.php?page=1
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Betting on a comeback for Korean bullfighting
By Choe Sang-hun Published: March 16, 2009
JINJU, South Korea: Gangta, his neck muscles rippling, butts his head against a pine tree. Like a prizefighter, he does roadwork on a hilltop training ground, dragging a 200-kilogram tire filled with rocks in stoic plods.
"Since he's an animal, I can't teach him skills. All I can do is build up his muscles and stamina," said Kang Myoung-chul, Gangta's owner. "Technique is something he's either born with or learns the hard way in the ring."
Gangta, or "Power Punch," is a 10-year-old fighting bull weighing 835 kilograms, or 1,840 pounds. He is also a three-time heavyweight national champion, a star in a sport that once meant as much to Koreans as the Kentucky Derby or Formula One does to some Americans.
Unlike Spanish bullfighting, there is no matador. In Korea, bull fights bull. Tons of muscle charge at each other, and clumps of bloody hair fly as the animals bang heads, their horns clashing like sabers.
Bulls rarely die in the ring. The fight is over when one turns tail. Some matches stretch on for hours. Others end before they start: The bulls stare each other down, and one walks away.
Jubilation in streets of Pakistan erupts in a word: 'Justice'Betting on a comeback for Korean bullfightingSuicide bombing kills 11 in Afghan campaignPopular interest in bullfighting, once regular village entertainment in Korea, has waned in recent decades, the victim of television, the Internet and more-global spectator sports like soccer.
But in the last few years, some cities have begun promoting bullfighting as a tourist attraction. Now the government hopes to reignite the old passion by legalizing ringside gambling, starting in July.
Mr. Kang, 32, is one of about 500 rancher-trainers who own the country's 1,500 or so fighting bulls. Most are chosen from cattle headed for the slaughterhouse when they reach 2 years old and weigh about 400 kilograms. Kang and other trainers travel the country in search of talent among these young bulls.
"We look for small furry ears, eyes menacing like a snake's, big horns, and a thick neck with a long, low-slung torso," said Mr. Kang, a former computer engineer who writes a blog on bullfighting and is one of three ringside commentators certified by the National Bullfighters Association.
A bull can grow to well over a ton and compete until he is about 15. To start him on his career, owners bind the young bull's horns with wires to shape them into weapons.
Fighters are also distinguished from other bulls by what they eat. Their basic vegetarian diet is often supplemented with fish, live octopus and snakes. When a bout is imminent, Gangta gets herbal soups laced with ginseng, and energy drinks usually sold in pharmacies for people suffering hangovers.
On the day of a match, many feed their bulls soju, a fiery grain liquor.
"We don't know for sure whether a bull has been drinking," Mr. Kang said, "until he gets exhausted and starts panting," allowing bystanders to smell his breath.
Mr. Kang's day begins at 6 a.m., when he serves his 13 fighting bulls the first of four hot meals a day. On this morning, Mr. Kang was busy stoking the fire under a cauldron filled with bean sprouts, rice stalks, corn, yams, potatoes, pumpkin chunks and anchovies � a stark contrast to the factory feed that goes to ordinary cattle at Mr. Kang's ranch in Jinju, 290 kilometers, or about 180 miles, south of Seoul.
Later in the day, Mr. Kang and Gangta climbed the hill behind the ranch for training. Gangta knew the routine, stopping to rest whenever Mr. Kang's cellphone rang. After an hour of dragging the tire, the bull stalked Mr. Kang, demanding his reward: a full-body scratching.
Animals and owners develop a close bond. During fighting season, which runs from March to November, they travel together to the 11 cities that stage bullfights. On the road, Mr. Kang sleeps in a tent beside his bulls.
Around the amphitheater, bulls wait their turn like gladiators while their trainers sharpen their horns.
Between fights, cheerleaders in miniskirts prance in the ring. Folk musicians let rip with a frenzy of drums and gongs. Children crowd snack stands, which often promote local beef.
Since the revival of bullfighting, unofficial ringside gambling has become common and some bulls have national followings.
Bulls enter the ring with their names painted on their sides: "Flying Tiger," "007," "Komodo Dragon." One champion named "My Country," who lost his right horn, went on to further victories under the new name "Unicorn."
Bull owners are allowed in the ring during bouts. Some stand back and watch. Others join their animals in the fight, stomping the ground, crouching and growling, and shouting: "Stab! Stab! Gouge the eyes out of the stupid bull!"
"You never find a man more dejected than a bull owner whose animal just lost a match," Mr. Kang said. "Heads hanging, they and their bulls slip out to console themselves by sharing some rice wine."
The bullfighting renaissance taps into the unusual attachment Koreans feel toward the animal. In Korea, an agrarian society until a few decades ago, a cow or bull was a farmer's most prized asset. The animal pulled the plow, carried the loads on its back and was sold when the farmer needed money for his children's education.
When animals fell sick, farmers would serve them hot meals and rice wine.
"In the days before television, during major holidays, whole villages followed their strongest bulls to a makeshift ring where the bulls from neighboring villages converged," said Mr. Kang's father, Kang Chu-sam, 64, who is president of the Jinju Bullfighting Association. "In a society where face is important, bullfighting was a serious business for rich families."
Jeong Ho-yong, 55, a Jinju native, remembers from his childhood: "The champion bull was a hero, returning home like a victorious general, villagers dancing behind him, kids jostling to touch the bull."
Maintaining a fighting bull still requires some means. In a national tournament, a champion is awarded about 10 million won, or about $6,730. But most of the other finalists get only about 300,000 to 500,000 won a fight � hardly enough to cover their feed.
But with the government set to allow legalized gambling in one bullring in each province � starting in the central city of Cheongdo, where a 12,000-seat bullring stands ready � Mr. Kang sees a promising future for the sport.
He dismissed concerns that the pastime's revival might attract charges of animal abuse.
"All male herd animals fight each other for reproduction," he said. "This is not about man conquering nature, as in Spanish bullfighting. We are simply observing nature in action." |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: |
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| ... I had no idea. How interesting! |
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Chris_Dixon
Joined: 09 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:13 am Post subject: |
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| Its actually the bull fighting festival on the 21st of this month in chellogdo (sp?? not actually sure how to say it as have only seen it written in English) |
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Chris_Dixon
Joined: 09 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| Cheongdo, its actually in the article... |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:39 am Post subject: |
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That definitely does seem like something that should spark some good conversation and (hopefully) differing opinions in class.
As for the story itself...  I really wish Korea would stop surprising me with how backwards it can be. Maybe we should tell Michael Vick of the amazing opportunities to be had here! |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| geldedgoat wrote: |
That definitely does seem like something that should spark some good conversation and (hopefully) differing opinions in class.
As for the story itself... I really wish Korea would stop surprising me with how backwards it can be. Maybe we should tell Michael Vick of the amazing opportunities to be had here! |
I would argue against your view on this.
I find that the guy's concluding sentence makes perfect sense (it's a FACT that alpha males fight for fornication rights ALL the time - why can't/shouldn't bulls do what comes more or less naturally, and let people enjoy it??? besides, as noted, no bull gets seriously hurt and in the end the loser simply withdraws)
this might the be the FIRST aspect of "Korean culture" that I've come across that I find fairly enlightening! |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:58 am Post subject: |
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These bulls would not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are selected for being exceedingly aggressive (cuz if they're not, there's not much of a show). These bulls would also not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are forced to get drunk to make them even more aggressive. How do you think that soju feels after a few minutes of strenuous activity in the Korean heat (March to November includes all of Korea's summertime)? And the article says it can go on for hours. There's absolutely nothing natural about it.
Yes, the article does say they rarely die in the fights (meaning it does happen), but it also does state (and for dramatic effect no less  ) that "clumps of bloody hair fly as the animals bang heads, their horns clashing like sabers." Yeah, I'm sure no bulls get seriously hurt doing that. And let's not forget the heroic trainer who gets in the ring with his prized bull screaming, "Stab! Stab! Gouge the eyes out of the stupid bull!"
| Quote: |
| "This is not about man conquering nature, as in Spanish bullfighting. We are simply observing nature in action." |
He's right; it's not about man conquering nature. It's about man getting his kicks from watching two unwitting animals beat each other senseless. Have you ever seen Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch? The opening scene portrays a group of bored children who are passing the time by tossing a couple of scorpions into a stirred-up fire ant nest and then poking at em to make sure things don't get boring. Do you really think that kind of behavior should be encouraged?
This no different from cock fights or dog fights back home. Well, except it's legal, and the government apparently wants to encourage more people to participate. |
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zeldalee13
Joined: 08 Nov 2008
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:17 am Post subject: |
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| There needs to be less, not more, animal cruelty in the world. Violence breeds violence. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| geldedgoat wrote: |
These bulls would not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are selected for being exceedingly aggressive (cuz if they're not, there's not much of a show). These bulls would also not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are forced to get drunk to make them even more aggressive. How do you think that soju feels after a few minutes of strenuous activity in the Korean heat (March to November includes all of Korea's summertime)? And the article says it can go on for hours. There's absolutely nothing natural about it.
Yes, the article does say they rarely die in the fights (meaning it does happen), but it also does state (and for dramatic effect no less ) that "clumps of bloody hair fly as the animals bang heads, their horns clashing like sabers." Yeah, I'm sure no bulls get seriously hurt doing that. And let's not forget the heroic trainer who gets in the ring with his prized bull screaming, "Stab! Stab! Gouge the eyes out of the stupid bull!"
| Quote: |
| "This is not about man conquering nature, as in Spanish bullfighting. We are simply observing nature in action." |
He's right; it's not about man conquering nature. It's about man getting his kicks from watching two unwitting animals beat each other senseless. Have you ever seen Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch? The opening scene portrays a group of bored children who are passing the time by tossing a couple of scorpions into a stirred-up fire ant nest and then poking at em to make sure things don't get boring. Do you really think that kind of behavior should be encouraged?
This no different from cock fights or dog fights back home. Well, except it's legal, and the government apparently wants to encourage more people to participate. |
I have to admit you have points with putting them into enclosures and feeding them SOJU! (I was wondering about that one myself)
but it's miles away from Spanish bullfighting..
anyways... so what happened with the scorpions and the ants? I'm genuinely curious  |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Why don't ya just download the movie and see for yourself?  The whole movie is pretty good (and entertainingly violent  ). I'm usually not a fan of westerns (John Wayne movies put me to sleep almost instantly), but The Wild Bunch is a pretty damn decent one. I highly recommend it (and get The Magnificent Seven while you're at it)! |
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geldedgoat
Joined: 05 Mar 2009
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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Bwahahahaha!
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On the day of a match, many feed their bulls soju, a fiery grain liquor.
"We don't know for sure whether a bull has been drinking," Mr. Kang said, "until he gets exhausted and starts panting," allowing bystanders to smell his breath. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| geldedgoat wrote: |
These bulls would not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are selected for being exceedingly aggressive (cuz if they're not, there's not much of a show). These bulls would also not find themselves in an enclosed space with other bulls that are forced to get drunk to make them even more aggressive. How do you think that soju feels after a few minutes of strenuous activity in the Korean heat (March to November includes all of Korea's summertime)? And the article says it can go on for hours. There's absolutely nothing natural about it.
Yes, the article does say they rarely die in the fights (meaning it does happen), but it also does state (and for dramatic effect no less ) that "clumps of bloody hair fly as the animals bang heads, their horns clashing like sabers." Yeah, I'm sure no bulls get seriously hurt doing that. And let's not forget the heroic trainer who gets in the ring with his prized bull screaming, "Stab! Stab! Gouge the eyes out of the stupid bull!"
| Quote: |
| "This is not about man conquering nature, as in Spanish bullfighting. We are simply observing nature in action." |
He's right; it's not about man conquering nature. It's about man getting his kicks from watching two unwitting animals beat each other senseless. Have you ever seen Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch? The opening scene portrays a group of bored children who are passing the time by tossing a couple of scorpions into a stirred-up fire ant nest and then poking at em to make sure things don't get boring. Do you really think that kind of behavior should be encouraged?
This no different from cock fights or dog fights back home. Well, except it's legal, and the government apparently wants to encourage more people to participate. |
And it wouldn't be natural for bulls in Canada and America to find themselves with riders kicking spurs into them or getting tripped with lasso ropes in the wild, either, would it?
Since the bulls are about the same size pretty well all they do is push each other in what actually makes for a rather boring spectacle. But if Korean farmers find it entertaining, good for them. I can think of a thousand better things to be concerned about it either North American or Korean society. |
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Chris_Dixon
Joined: 09 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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"
He's right; it's not about man conquering nature. It's about man getting his kicks from watching two unwitting animals beat each other senseless. "
yeah lol....way to comment on something you know nothing about hahaha....
the animals are never hurt.... |
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