| COCKFIGHTING
IN BALI
By Fred B. Eiseman, Jr.
 In
1981 the government of Indonesia, presumably motivated by high moral principles,
decreed that all forms of gambling, including cockfighting, would henceforth
be illegal. The results of this law have been about the same as anywhere
else in the world where popular, relatively innocuous, and slightly immoral
activities have been prohibited. The practice has merely moved away from
prying eyes so that it is less obvious but still very real. So popular
has cockfighting been in Bali for so many decades, that it is about as
realistic to tell a Balinese man that he cannot participate in his favorite
sport as it is to tell the sun not to rise.
Concealing cockfights from the law isn't all that difficult. It is illegal to possess drugs, or firearms, but not chickens, and I have never heard of anyone being arrested for carrying a fighting cock down the street. So, the animals don't have to be concealed - just what they do to each other. And there are more than enough of out-of-the-way places in Bali to insure that this tradition is perpetuated. Every now and then the cops come and break up a cockfight. But, usually they have better things to do, and they know full well that, as soon as they go away, it will be business as usual. So, the law doesn't take this matter very seriously. A local policeman who tries to keep his friends neighbors from cockfighting is not likely to be on the scene very long. The main result of declaring cockfighting to be illegal is that
the material aspects must be portable, in case of a sudden raid. That requires
dispensing with some of the equipment that was traditional, such as round
timers. It also means that villagers can't use the big, roofed arenas called
wantilan that were built years ago for cockfights. But, that is no serious
hindrance. In my area there is a cockfight every day. It isn't in the village,
of course, but not very far away, either. nor is it advertised, but
There, just off a rutted dirt road or single track trail, perhaps
behind a living fence, one will find several dozen dusty motorbikes parked
somewhat out of sight under some scrub trees. And not far away is where
the action is.
For another thing, cockfighting is exciting. Unlike the monotonous whir of the slots, there is literally blood and guts here - like the Romans throwing the Christians to the lions. There are crowds that jostle and shout. There is lots of frenzied action. Even if you don't bet, the scene may be worth the effort of getting there. Although this is almost exclusively a man's sport, there are always ladies who show up to sell snacks to the spectators, and frequently there is a necessarily portable card or dice game on the ground nearby. Pulling slot machine handles or filling out bingo cards all day long is a rather anti-social existence. Cockfighting is quite the opposite. It is a chance to see one's friends, gossip, meet newcomers, and just pass the time of day. It is also the chance to make or lose a lot of money. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the government banned it - the fact that those who bet and lost were among those who could least afford to do so. I have heard a hundred stories about locals who literally bet the farm on their favorite cocks and lost everything. However, really big-time multi-million rupiah, professional cockfighting
that used to be a daily event in the large public arenas in Denpasar and
elsewhere in Bali has pretty well disappeared. The local, village cockfights
may involve hundreds of thousands of rupiah, but seldom reach the point
where a loss means a change in life style of the gamblers. Ordinary people
 Cockfights
have one other aspect, the religious, that is not well-appreciated by visitors
to Bali. One important characteristic of the Balinese Hindu religion is
the making of offerings. This is a complex subject that requires here a
broad, sweeping generalization. One important function of offerings is
as a means of communications between man and the gods. Higher deities are
given offerings that emphasize the beautiful and tasteful side of life
- flowers, fruits, leaves, and the like, usually placed in containers of
young coconut leaf that are cut to various degrees of intricacy. These
offerings are normally placed in elevated shrines or niches, befitting
the belief that these deities have physical as well as spiritual elevation.
No less important is a class of spirits that are impish, lustful, impetuous, greedy, unpredictable, and capable of causing harm to those who interfere with them. These lower spirits that live on or near the ground have a variety of names and characteristics. In my village they are called butakala. It is wrong to think of them as being evil spirits. As with all spirits they are ambivalent; their behavior toward man is a function of how they are treated. They are just as capable of helping and protecting their human neighbors as they are of causing sickness, accidents, or the loss of a prized possession. If they are treated with respect, according to well known principles, they can be kept under control, and, indeed, they can be depended upon for protection. Butakala are more animal-like than the higher spirits and require
considerable amounts of food in the form of offerings. Ceremonies that
are principally directed toward butakala always require an animal sacrifice,
which may range from a small chick to a water buffalo, depending upon the
size and importance of the occasion. One of the most important requirements
Theoretically only three rounds of such a religious cockfight
are legally permitted. But, things being as they are, the normal procedure
is to retire to the local wantilan and continue, sometimes all day long.
The police won't bother such an event since it is held under the guise
of religion.
cock is fed his special mixture of food and from which he is watered frequently. There are several villages in Bali in which the chief industry, next to farming, is making cock baskets. These baskets are too big to be used for carrying a cock to the fight on a motorbike or on foot, so there is a brisk trade in smaller, purse-like, portable baskets with carrying string that can be slung over the shoulder, or with handles that allow them to be carried like a shopping bag. There are craftsmen who specialize in making the sharp steel spurs,
called taji, that are tied on the cock's leg before the fight. In the old
days broken automobile springs were the raw material, and the blades were
straight and shaped like stilettos. Nowadays many smiths use pieces cut
from hard, tough, industrial-size hacksaw blades. There are others whose
specialty is sharpening the blades and removing the nicks from previous
encounters.
 Many
Westerners worry too much about the blood and guts aspect of cockfighting.
That which provokes our elementary instincts will not provide much cultural
insight. a more enlightened approach is to consider the Balinese attitude
toward this activity. There is never any sense of guilt among the Balinese
about that which to many outsiders might be considered inhumane treatment
of animals. The Balinese are not known for their compassion for animals,
except, perhaps, their cows and water buffalos. To them, the death of a
chicken in the cockfight arena is in no way different from its demise under
the knife in the kitchen before dinner.
In addition to the vocabulary, there is an extensive lore in both the tangible and intangible factors that may determine the outcome of a cockfight. Certain colors of cocks should only fight certain others colors of cocks on certain days, at certain times of the day, depending, of course, upon the phase of the moon, and must be placed only in certain directions with respect to opponents. There are auspicious and inauspicious days for cockfighting that are determined by the calendar. These matters are the subject of endless discussions when men gather
to exercise their birds at the end of a long day when the shadows are starting
to lean. The squatting cock owners stage impromptu, mock fights in which
the birds are released to confront each other. But, no blades are used
on their legs, and no injuries result. The men handle each other's animals,
massage them, ruffle their feather, pull their bills and combs, feel their
muscles. This may go on for hours on end, and the scene is endlessly repeated
in village after village.
 There
are many preliminaries leading up to the actual fight itself. If the cockfight
is not held in connection with a ceremony that fixes its beginnig, the
event usually is staged in the late afternoon when the heat of the day
has passed. The cocks are brought by their owners to the appointed gathering
place in small, flexible carrying cages made of coconut or lontar palm
leaf or bamboo. The food sellers bring their wares on their heads of by
bicycle. The cages are lined up around the edge of the arena, and their
handlers squat on their haunches behind them. It is a noisy, color affair,
with the crowing of the cocks, the cries of the food vendors, and the raucous
laughter and chatter of the crowd. Balinese are not sticklers about time,
so there is usually a long wait.
It is important to realize that, in the larger cockfights, the men who
actually handle the cocks before and during the fights are often not the
owners. They are expert handlers who are hired by the owners to manage
the animals. A skillful handler is of great importance to an owner. The
winning cock is the one that last manages to stay on its feet, even if
it is mortally wounded and drops dead seconds later. A good handler has
a large bag of tricks that he uses to revive a seemingly lifeless cock
and instill enough spirit in him to return to the fray. He plucks, massages,
and ruffles the feathers. He has salves and medicines. He may breathe on
the cock's mouth, or even put the cock's whole head inside his own mouth
- anything to enable the wounded bird to get in just one more blow. Because
one good stab is often all it takes to turn an apparent winner into a future
feather
Before the preliminaries begin an offering is usually placed in the fighting area. Then the handlers or owners who want to match up their cocks come out into the arena to seek opponents. Usually a miscellaneous crowd of bystanders collects too. After much wandering around and talking, quite time-consuming, a potential opponent is usually found. The two handlers involved squat down, facing each other, and, still firmly holding their birds, allow them to glare at each other and, perhaps, get in a peck or two. Ruffs flare, and the animals get very excited. Then the handlers exchange birds by simultaneously handing the bird with the right hand and receiving the other with the left. Muscles are felt and strength is tested. Sooner or later a match and the amount of the bet are agreed upon. If
a cock is being handled by someone other than the owner, this handler must
ask the owner's approval, and he may veto the match; but this is rare nowadays.
After three or four pairings of opponents has been made, considered to
be one set of matches, preparations are made for the fights.
The next step is to affix the blade, the taji, to the cock's leg. The person who does this is usually a specialist, not the owner or handler. A taji is a small steel dagger, 11 to 15 centimeters long from tip to tip. The blade is a thin diamond in cross section and terminates in an unsharpened, roundish handle that constitutes about one-third of the length of the whole taji, where the blade is attached to the bird's leg. There are all kinds of special stories and lore about taji. Menstruating women may not look upon them or touch them. Some say that they may only be sharpened at the dark of the moon. They must be forged with charcoal from a tree that has been struck by lightning, and some say that they may only be made when there is lightning going on outside. They must not be touched by a member of a family in which there has been a recent death. And so on, depending upon whom you listen to and where you are. A good taji may cost up to Rp 10,000. There are usually several tying specialists around, to be hired for a small fee to affix the blades. Or, it sometimes happens that the handler has his own taji. The taji are carried in a little wooden or leather wallet containing usually 6 to 12 taji of different sizes. The appropriate size for the cock at hand is selected. 
The blade is attached, normally to the left leg, by wrapping twine around
the leg and handle of the taji. This is an extremely important part of
the preparation. If a blade is improperly fastened, the cock will be at
a great disadvantage. There are numerous ways of attaching the blade by
tying it in various positions relative to the foot of the cock and at various
angles.
There are always several referees, in the arena. But, the chief judge is the man in charge. He must be a man of impeccable honesty and reputation, and he must have no relationship to or interest in any of the owners, handlers, or cocks. His word is undisputed law in the arena. If he is tainted in any way, honest people will not fight their cocks under him. Before gambling was outlawed in Indonesia, the system of judges, referees, and time keepers was fairly elaborate, often with a permanent arena, tables, benches, and all the paraphernalia required. Nowadays, except for matches that take place in a religious context, cockfights must be conducted with an eye out for a raid by the police. This makes it impossible to use anything that cannot be quickly packed up and carried hastily away to safety. And so there are now usually no special facilities. Any open area will do. There is usually no special timing equipment. There is not a retinue of judges and referees. Things are kept simple because of the possible necessity of a hasty retreat. The referee now announces the amount of the central bet. This is of
interest to all, because it indicates the confidence that the owners and
handlers have in their animals, and thus will influence the amounts of
the side bets. Now the side betting begins - that is, the bets between
members of the audience or between them and the cock owners or handlers.
To the uninitiated, this phase of the proceedings is utter chaos. Betters
yell at each other, wave money around, stand up and gesticulate wildly,
and make unfathomable signals with fingers and hands. But, to the aficionado,
this is all a very interesting intricate, and carefully structured series
of events. And the side betting tells perhaps more about Balinese character
than any other aspect of cockfighting. It is as if one were attending a
horse race meeting at a medium large track and there were no ticket windows
or
The central bet is always even money. The side bets are never even money.
The most fascinating thing is the way in which the odds are set. First
the favorite and the underdog must be established. The first shouts of
the betting are generally made by the experienced, more or less professional
betters. These are the men whom one sees at almost every cockfight. They
follow the fights around and have no regular jobs except gambling. These
men quickly assess the two cocks, using their considerable knowledge and
experience, and decide which is the favorite. And then they start shouting
its color. The shout is a staccato repetition of the color name. For example,
bieng means red and white. So, if a red and white cock is being pushed
as favorite, one hears: "bieng, bieng, bieng, bieng, bieng, bieng...."
in rapid fire. There are a great many ways in which color is classified.
Some examples are: putih, white; barak, red; buik, speckled green and black;
selem, black; brumbun, black, red, and white, and so on. These colors generally
refer to the color of the cock's collar or ruff and not to the overall
body color. If two cocks have the same color, some other differing aspect
will be called out - for example the size of the tail, the size of the
body, or even the side or compass direction of the arena that the cock
is located in. The latter is done either by shouting the direction
Other, less experienced betters listen carefully to the first calls
and generally follow their lead. But, strict attention is required, because
the favorite may change, depending upon the opinions of the betters and
the overall sentiment of the crowd. If more people yell one color name
than the other, and do so more vigorously, the former will replace the
latter as the temporary favorite.
10 / 9 = dapang
And if a better shouts balu, or sapih after the odds, he wants to win
even if the fight ends in a draw - a rare event. The first four on the
list, the lowest odds, are by far the most common. The backer of the underdog
tries to get the longest odds possible, and the favorite backer tries to
get the shortest. The underdog backers usually start at about 3/2 and are
forced by
Curiously enough, the monetary unit of betting is not the Indonesian
rupiah, the standard of currency for the entire country, but, rather, the
ringgit, a unit of money used many years ago when Indonesia was a Dutch
colony, and long since abandoned. No prices anywhere in Bali are quoted
in ringgit except bets on cockfights, and there nothing but ringgit are
used. Since there is no ringgit currency, bets are necessarily paid off
in rupiah, but they are always made in ringgit. It is rather like the guinea
in British
While the betting is going on the handlers carry the cocks to the center
of the arena and incite them to fury by pushing them at each other, plucking
their combs, and bouncing them on the ground. Betting frenzy reaches utter
pandemonium as fight time approaches and those so far unsuccessful at placing
bets try frantically to do so at the last minute.
Usually the birds fluff their ruffs, extend their necks, and, after a preliminary glare, have at each other in a fury of feathers and flying feet, so quickly that the eye can hardly follow the action. The crowd groans and shouts, almost as one man, following the action with united body English. Rather soon one cock lands a solid stab with its taji. At once its handler signals the head referee to stop the first round. This is done to prevent the two animals from making further contact, since the wounded cock could easily stab the one that stabbed him, when the latter closes in to peck him to death. The time keeper nlw starts his count. In the old days the time keeper used a unique kind of clock called ceng, a half coconut shell with a hole in the bottom, placed, large side up, in a bucket of water. Its sinking time, obviously rather variable from place to place, but usually about 10 seconds, is also called one ceng. The time keeper's gong was sounded once after each ceng. Three ceng are allowed between rounds. Nowadays the referee simply counts off the seconds out loud so all can hear. Meanwhile the handler of the wounded cock works frantically over his
bird, trying all of his tricks to revive it and give it spirit. And he
is often quite successful, the injured animal, seemingly indifferent to
its wound, sails right into the other one. At the end of the third ceng,
both cocks have to be put on the ground immediately. Failure to do so forfeits
the match. Round two starts. If the wounded cock cannot stand, and if the
other one can stand for one ceng, the match is over. If the two birds start
It frequently happens that the wounded cock loses its appetite for fighting. Or, in some cases, a cock may not have any desire to fight at all right from the beginning, and tries to escape from the arena. The crowd scatters quickly because wildly escaping cock with a lethal dagger strapped to its leg could cause great harm. One or another of the spectators grabs it by the neck and returns it to the ring. The handler has 9 ceng to get his animal back into action or he forfeits the fight.
As soon as the winner is declared the bets must be paid up. Side bets
are paid in cash - at once. No IOUs. In large, crowded arenas those who
are wedged into the crowd wad up their bills and throw them at the persons
who won their money. If the money misses or lands in the arena, someone
always forwards it to the rightful owner. There is remarkably little bickering
and
The owner of the winning cock gets the entire central bet, which has been kept by the referee during the fight. From this he must pay the handlers, the blade affixer, the percentage to the house, and all those who contributed to his share of the central bet. He also gets the body of the losing cock. He always gives the chopped off taji leg to the tying specialist who unwinds the string, puts the blade back in stock, and looks for further work. The match itself has lasted only a few minutes. At once the second match
of the set begins. The cocks have already had their taji attached. Their
handlers carry them into the arena, the central bet is quickly made, and
the side betting begins just as before. There is no connection at all between
the separate matches. One set consists of four or five matches. When they
Cockfights are regularly held at ceremonies that occur in family house compounds when it has been determined that the grounds are unclean and need some sort of purification so as to make the place livable. At such times a very large offering, called a caru, is made inside an enclosure of coconut leaf mats, and the butakala asked to help the people who own the property, rather than interfere with daily activities. This is inevitably preceded by a cockfight, as the word gets around fast, and villagers from all overcome and stage an impromptu tajen right inside the family house compound. There is a small, important shrine just outside the front door of my house. On the day of its anniversary, every 210 days, as many as 50 men gather for the obligatory tajen. The family with whom I live are not gamblers and don't even own a single fighting cock. But, they consider it imperative to participate in the fight, and so they buy a cock from a friend, give it to a neighbor to handle in the first fight, and place small bets on it, just so that they can be a part of the activities of the anniversary of their shrine. Gambling on cocks has been responsible for the dissipation of a good
many Balinese fortunes, large and small. Many a rajah of old lost his palace,
wives, and treasure by being cock crazy, as the Balinese call an habitual
better. I have heard from many of my Balinese friends how their fathers
or grandfathers were reduced to poverty by this addicting habit.
 It
is difficult to penetrate the shell of many cultures. The adjective inscrutable
has been overworked in the case of Asia, but it is apt. Fear of misunderstanding
and ridicule, desire to maintain privacy, and unwillingness to risk profanation
of the sacred have required some groups to erect formidable barriers that
prevent perforation by the casual observer. But, every now and then one
finds an opening, a cultural crack through which a glimpse of the interior
is possible.
Such cracks often occur in connection with public events that are so popular and are participated in with such vigor and enthusiasm that, for the time being, the protective reserve and dignity and politeness shown to foreigners are forgotten, and the real values and character of the people hang out, so to speak, for everyone to see. Fighting cocks, cockfighting, and wagering on the fights have been popular obsessions with the Balinese for generations. The tourist who can worm his way into the sweating, jostling, noisy, gesticulating crowd of men and join them, standing around an open arena, watching the proceedings, might wonder if he has stepped into a different country. Are these the graceful, deferential, dignified people whom he has seen in his hotel? Are these the same individuals who carry the offerings to the temples and pray with such lovely and heart-felt fervor? There is no better place than the cockfight to observe Balinese values and behavior. But, the casual observer is likely to focus his attention on the brief cockfight itself. This is understandable. The boisterous crowd itself is a sight to behold. As it suddenly quieted down and the action began, the fast and furious flurries of engagement are punctuated with the ohhhh's, and ahhhh's of the audience. The impressions of color and primeval combat were blurs of color. and suddenly it is over, and the tourist leaves. But, if that is the only impression, the visitor misses most of the significance. The preliminaries and the post script, the daily treatment of the fighting cocks, the arcane lore of the sport, and especially the intricacies of the betting are as integral a part of the story as the fight itself. And, unfortunately, they are aspects that most people miss because they occur in such a seemingly chaotic fashion as to make them unintelligible to anyone but the person who would take the time and trouble to investigate. Nowadays it is not easy for the casual tourist even to find a cockfight. Years ago they were common, daily events. Visitors to Bali with sufficient interest, flexibility, and time will find it very interesting to inquire from local people when and where cockfights are going to occur so that they can look for themselves through this window of Balinese culture. |
Favorite
and underdog backers scan the crowd quickly, looking for an acceptor. It
is usually the favorite backers who stand and wave toward their choice,
while the underdog backers wave rupiah notes, not to indicate the amount
they wish to bet, but just to attract attention. When eye contact is made
with a likely looking prospect, there ensues a complex and rapid series
of signals that make sure each understands the nature of the bet. Palm
waving indicates the favorite. Finger extension indicates the bet size.
Lip movements enforce the signals, because the din makes oral communication
impossible at a distance. If the bet is agreed upon, the two men signal
the fact by touching their heads or pulling at the fronts of their shirts.
If there is isagreement, they break eye contact and look elsewhere. If
an odds shouter cannot get a bet, he lowers his odds one notch on the scale
and keeps trying, getting closer to, but never attaining, even money. The
handlers often bet too, spurring the crowd to back their cocks by holding
them aloft and walking around the arena. During this phase of proceedings,
confusion and noise are maximum. The sounds are deafening, as the odds
criers yell out: "cok, cok, cok, cok", or: "gasal, gasal, gasal, gasal."
The favorite backers shout their colors in a frenzied patter. There is
much waving and shouting and gesturing to attract attention.
Another
rest is signaled if the cocks do not start fighting, but, rather, merely
walk around the arena without trying to escape. During this time the handlers
of the reluctant cocks try to urge them on. In the next round, if they
are unsuccessful, and the cocks do not clash, the winner is determined
by use of an ordinary bamboo cock cage without a bottom. It is the tie
breaker - the finisher. There must always be a winner. The two reluctant
cocks are placed on the ground under the cage, and the referee brings it
down quickly and leaves it down for one ceng. The head referee looks carefully
from close up. Victory goes simply to the aggressor. It not need kill or
even wound the other cock, although it frequently does. kill the other.
It merely has to display aggression. But, if the two cocks, now face to
face with no retreat, start to fight again, the cage is removed and the
fight continues as before. The second round, if there is one, and succeeding
rounds, is always started with the two cocks facing each other close together
in the center of the arena, where a small square is marked, rather from
the sides of the arena, as when the fight starts.