Select looks that kill
Many cocking enthusiasts are obsessed with selecting the perfect body conformation for their breeding cocks and battle cocks. The popular idealized cock will have tall station, long shank with fine but strong bone, balanced tail at 45 degrees, straight legs set forward, heart shaped body, head held upright with medium neck, breast bone not protruding and not too short or too long, large strong wings, and small almond shaped head not too long or too thick.
This perfect cock will perform well and be a beautiful specimen, but he will NOT be a crouching tiger that will fly to the lights and swoop down like a hawk, he will NOT be a shifty defensive fighter that will elude the blows of the other cock until the advantage in position allows him to make the clean kill like a matador, and he will NOT be a ground fighting cock that unleashes a furious shuffle that seems never ending like the blades of a food processor.
The high-flyer, propelling himself into the air with powerful leg thrust, will most likely have a bent knee and does not have an upright stance. The shifty, intelligent fighting cock will probably have tail lower than 45 degrees and show oriental characteristic of Asil, Jap, or Sumatra. The ground-fighting shuffling machine will most likely have medium-short station with close set knees. The powerful, long reaching cock will most likely have a moderate hump back. The leg-throwing speed burner will probably be a cock with upright tail. The pounding cock, more suited to gaff and Mexican knife, will be the bird with straight legs and upright stance.
The bottom line is to select your cocks based on their outstanding fighting ability, not based on some man-made idealized standard of conformation. But of course they are your birds so you select what you prefer and do not succumb to the opinions of others who are often very vocal critics of your birds.
