Stress can also do wonders

Conditioning has assumed a much greater role in the outcome of a cockfight. Whereas, sometime ago it was rather bloodline or quality of the game fowl that almost always told the difference between winning and losing, now, the situation could be a different story. Now it seems, at top level competition, game fowl are already created about equal. Therefore, some emphasis should shift toward discovering superior conditioning methods.

Within the framework of conditioning is another very important aspect—pointing. Pointing is the final stage in the game fowl’s conditioning for the actual fight. If conditioning is to prepare a cock for battle, pointing is to prepare the cock for the day, and even, for the moment of battle.

Lately, pointing has become a specific stage of the game fowl’s preparation specialized by some higher masters of the game. It is not uncommon nowadays that the pre-conditioning and conditioning stages are handled by assistant handlers and feeders. But, most of the time it is the chief conditioner who will take care of pointing.

Pointing is the culmination of all the time, effort and knowledge put into the game fowl being prepared for the fight. Here, in this final act, there would be no room for mistakes.

We, at RB Sugbo, believe stress management is a factor in peaking and pointing method. Why?

Stress triggers the release of the hormone epinephrine or adrenaline known as the fight or flight hormone. We know what wonders adrenaline could do. This is why: “Epinephrine stimulates breakdown of the storage of polysaccharide glycogen within liver cells and muscle cells. Glycogen de-polymerization releases the sugar glucose-1-phosphate, increasing the energy supply for cells. Thus, one effect of epinephrine, secreted from the adrenal gland during times of physical and mental stress, is the mobilization of fuel reserves.” (Campbell; Biology 4th Edition)

In layman’s language it means the release or rush of adrenaline triggers the mobilization of fuel reserves that are instantly converted to energy. Now you don’t have to wonder anymore why if there is emergency such as fire, you could lift and carry to safety valuable belongings that you certainly could not do during normal circumstances.

Our theory is since no matter what we do, we could not prevent stress from eventually happening to chickens, with all the noise, the unfamiliar faces and the new environment in the cockpit, we might as well make stress work to our advantage by timing the resulting adrenaline rush to occur exactly at the time of the fight. This is what we call ‘Stress Management.’