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INDIGENOUS SPORTS IN GRAN CANARIA
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An important
characteristic of the native inhabitants of Gran Canaria was
their great love of sports, many of which are still being practiced
in modern times. An example is Canarian wrestling (lucha canaria),
which is characterised by the nobility, valour and artistry
of the way in which it is practiced. This ancestral sport, together
with lateen sailing, are the most popular indigenous sports,
having the biggest following in the island.
However, there are other indigenous sports that demonstrate
the richness and variety of the traditions that have been handed
down to the Canarian people. Examples of these are the pole
game (juego del palo), stick fighting (la lucha del garrote),
and pole jumping (salto del palo). It is clear from these disciplines
that the earlier inhabitants developed great skill in the handling
of sticks and poles as a means of fighting against their opponents.
There are also other disciplines of skill and strength, such
as plough lifting (levantamiento de arado), handball (pelotamano),
Canarian petanque (bola canaria), cattle pulling (arrastre de
ganado) or stone lifting - two varieties: with and without touching
one's body (levantamiento y pulseo de piedra), respectively,
which are all beautiful to watch. They are also deeply rooted
in popular tradition. |
| LUCHA CANARIA (Canarian freestyle wrestling) |
Historical reference was already made to the practice of Canarian
wrestling in the era of the ancient settlers of the Canary Islands.
The native people used it to resolve domestic conflict or disputes
over land ownership.
The wrestling match takes place in a circle of sand known as
a "terrero". Two wrestlers enter the circle with the
aim of knocking down the opponent through a series of wrestling
manoeuvres and counter manoeuvres. The match ends when one of
the wrestlers touches the sand with any part of the body other
than the feet. |
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An aspect of this popular
sport that provides palpable proof of its noble nature and which
always surprised the early chronicles and other foreigners who
witnessed the sport, is the gesture of the winner extending
the hand to help the loser to his feet, after which he embraces
the loser and accompanies him to his corner.
The typical clothes for Canarian wrestling consist of long pants
rolled up to the thigh, which is where the opponents grapple
each other, with a shirt that hangs below the waist. The contenders
do not wear shoes. This indigenous sport is organised by the
Federation of Canarial Wrestling, which was founded in 1943
and which is represented in Gran Canaria by the Island Federation
of Canarian Wrestling. |
| SALTO DEL PASTOR (The Shepherd´s Leap) |
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| The unusual mountain landscape
of the island of Gran Canaria obliged the inhabitants of rural
areas to develop special means and techniques for moving about
in difficult terrain and negotiating obstacles, which included
large ravines, steep rocks and cliffs. El salto del pastor (the
shepherd’s leap) was born from this need. The technique
involves the use of a long wooden pole (which is called a "garrote"
in Gran Canaria), to which a metal point is fitted (known as
the "regatón"), in order to make it easier
to move up and down hills, slopes and steep rocks, to leap across
ravines and trenches and to scamper up slopes with the aid of
the pole.
The usual method of using the garrote is to place the regatón
firmly in the earth at a point below where one is standing,
after which one jumps and slides down the pole to negotiate
the steep drop, repeating the leap and slide as many times
as is necessary to reach the bottom of the ravine. However,
it must be pointed out that there are many other types of
leaps, depending on the nature of the obstacle that needs
to be cleared, some being so dangerous and fraught with risk
that they have given rise to beautiful legends, such as "salto
del enamorado" (the lover’s leap) and "salto
de media luna" (the half moon leap).
The garrote is also used in competitive sports events, which
include climbing up and jumping over walls, speedy descents
down steep rocks, precision leaps, acrobatic leaps and leaps
of various styles.
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| LEVANTAMIENTO Y PULSEO DE LA PIEDRA |
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The aim of this sport is to
lift and raise an extremely heavy stone to the height of the
stomach, after which it is raised to the chest and shoulders.
When the stone is lifted above the head it is called "pulseo
de la piedra" (pushing the stone).
This sporting activity first appeared in rural areas as a means
of occupying moments of leisure after the completion of the
day’s work in the fields. In order to display their strength
and skill, peasant farmers applied different methods of stone
lifting, such as lifting the stone with one hand or without
it touching any part of the body, supporting the stone with
various parts of the body, lifting it to the shoulders or onto
the head, throwing the stone backwards or displacing the stone
as far as possible.
The shape of the stone also varied. Normally, the stone was
not tooled into any particular shape, with the result that it
could be round, oval, etc. The greater the difficulty in getting
a grip on the stone, the greater the strength and skill that
was required to lift the stone. Naturally, persons who take
part in this sport need to have enormous physical strength,
not to mention the agility that is required, and they need to
have a refined technique that enables them to avoid all unnecessary
effort. |
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| LEVANTAMIENTO DEL ARADO (Plough Lifting) |
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The objective of this activity
is to lift a plough, which can sometimes weigh as much as one
hundred kilogrammes, into a vertical position.
A variant of the sport is to lift the plough into a semi-horizontal
position and to hold it in that position while doing a 360-degree
turn, all this while the plough-lifter is squatting on his haunches
and supporting the yoke of the plough on his thighs. Sometimes,
the plough is kept in a vertical position, with the plough resting
on the lifter’s chin, his mouth or in the palm of one
hand, or while the lifter is lying on his back on the ground.
To lift the plough, the contestant grabs the yoke, which measures
a little more than four metres, with both hands while planting
his feet firmly on the ground and facing the plough. The contestant
initiates the lift by leaning backwards in order to create a
counterweight to the plough with his body, thereby lifting the
plough into a horizontal position and raising it to the height
of the hips. Next, the plough is lifted into a vertical position,
where it is held in balance. While the plough is in this position,
the contestant will execute some of the variations described,
depending on his individual skill. Putting the plough down is
perhaps the most difficult part of the entire manoeuvre. The
contestant lowers the plough slowly, showing it to the public,
sometimes stopping halfway to do a turn before the yoke and
other parts of the plough are set down gently on the ground,
without any sudden drops. |
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| JUEGO DEL PALO (Stick Fighting) |
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recreational sports activity involves the execution of a series
of movements with sticks in simulated combat between two participants.
The aim is to "score" or simulate hits without there
being any contact on the unprotected parts of the body.
The sport requires consummate skill and balance, as well
as agility in the wrists, arms, hips and feet. Spectators
are amazed by the spectacular tilted stances of the fighters,
as well as the characteristic manner in which the sticks are
held at one end and twirled in windmill-like movements. |
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| Some of the characteristic
techniques that are used in the sport are "cuadras",
a term that refers to the stances that the contenders adopt,
"atajes" and "parados", which refer to
defensive blocking moves, as well as "mandados"
and "tirados", which are techniques for attacking
with the sticks. These techniques are classified according
to the manner of execution as well as the part of the stick
that is used for scoring or indicating the hit.
The sticks, which may differ in size, are chosen in accordance
with certain criteria, whereafter they are prepared in a specific
way to obtain strength and lightness. |
| LUCHA DEL GARROTE (Pole Fighting) |
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Canarian herdsman have always
made extensive use of poles, using them for support when moving
about on difficult terrain and also to defend themselves whenever
the circumstances required.
The aim of this form of fighting is to defeat one’s opponent
without doing him harm. The most notable aspects of this sport
are the unique enganches (techniques for immobilising the opponent’s
pole) and revoleadas (creating an opening for attack), the zapatas
and trabas that are used to knock one’s opponent over,
the manner in which the fighters face each other squarely and
the use of a large and solid pole, which is usually as long
as the fighter is tall, or sometimes a quarter longer. However,
the determining characteristic of this form of fighting is not
the size of the poles, but rather the way in which the poles
are gripped and wielded.
The main tactic consists of using the pole to cover the body
while attacking at the same time, which is why the contenders
face each other squarely, this being the most stable and secure
position that enables the fighter to protect himself with the
pole while being able to make equal use of both ends of the
pole for attacking. Two characteristic attacking movements are
"el braceo" and "mudar las manos". |
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| ARRASTRE DE GANADO (Pulling with Livestock) |
This rural sports activity
is practiced with animals (cows and bulls in particular), the
object being to get the livestock to drag a weight over a terrain
in the shortest time possible. The weight differs according
to the category, ranging from 600 to 800 Kg. for cows and 800
to 1,100 Kg. for bulls, as measured in the yoke.
The skill of the handler, who is known as the guayero or boyero,
the strength of the yokes, the conditions of the terrain and
the treatment of the animals, which may not be punished either
during or after the competition, all contribute to the unusual
beauty of this sport in which both man and beast participate. |
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