DAMANG: When Spiders Take the Stick..

Have you ever seen a cockfight? Well, if you have, I am sure you would no longer be surprised to see men taking care of roosters for this special purpose. Here in our village however, I have noticed a really unique game-fight that is not done by cocks but by spiders. Yes, spider fighting is done but no longer by kids.

Young men, college graduates and even middle aged men do the fighting and the funny thing is that, they are like children when they enjoy this unusual sport. Spider fighting is not at all new, as I had been playing with spiders with my male friends back in the days when I was yet conscious that I was a girl and not a boy, lol.. I remember going with my classmates after class and seek spiders in the trees and the bushes. We would capture them and place them in matchboxes that have compartments. I wouldn't have them spiders fight on a stick, but I always watched and I remember being fascinated by  the action, lol...  I was I think 5-6 years old back at the Camp Alagar Kindergarten established for sons and daughters of active servicemen at camp. It was not until Gwendolyn, the daughter of my mom's best friend studied there too that I have a change of friends to go hang around with.

Anyway, in some parts of the country, Spider fighting also exists. Only, the system of the fight is different. But the rules I guess are the same. It's fight to the death of one's spider. The spider that dies is of course the loser. See the photo at the above? That's actually 2 spiders that just fought and the other one that has lost, has already been captured by the winning spider by enveloping the other with its web..

To imagine things clearly, watch this video I found online as I searched for spider fighting.

With spider fights in the Philippines, the process follows that:

1. It's a spider fight on a stick, if one's spider falls 3 times, it loses;
2. If one's spider chicken's out and goes the other way instead of going forward to meet the opponent, then it is disqualified;
3. If one's spider gets eaten by the opponent, of course it loses;
4. If one's spider loses a leg during the fight, the owner can not call for a break or to stop the game.  However, the spider has to be dead and not just lose a leg to be declared a loser;
5. Betting and Pot money applies as reflective of gambling. Betting by the people watching will go for as low as P 5.00 and would rise up to P 20- P 100, while pot money is total money of the two players which ranges from P 500 to P 2000 pesos.

Well, I hope that the info here is helpful enough for you.

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