Aces need not have specific fighting styles, just excellent fighting traits

Good cocks have no specific fighting style, not necessarily angat, a grounder, or a breaker, but they can be all and any of the above if called for by the situation.

Don’t go for too much power, they are usually slow. Don’t go for too much speed, they are usually not accurate cutters. Don’t go for too much a high breaker, it is mostly weak on the ground. Most of all don’t go for too evasive a cock. It has no intention of killing the opponent; it merely intends to avoid getting killed. Also avoid at all costs, cocks that habitually go for a bill hold. In these days of cut throat competition, it will literally get its throat cut.

Defense, alone, would not win fights. A good cock is aggressive even in defense: cutting after side stepping, counter punching while back pedaling, and always trying to beat the opponent to the draw. Smartness does not mean the ability to avoid the opponent’s blow. It means the ability to deliver the right blows at the right time that it could not be avoided by the opponent.

An ace cock hits from any angle, not just from above or from behind. It could score on even break from under, from the sides, or even when its back is literally against the wall.

In selecting roosters to fight, the two most important attributes are cutting ability and gameness, in that order. Many of those I talked with, including some of the masters, disagreed with me in my regarding cutting ability above gameness. My reason was since killing is the name of the game, cutting should be ranked above gameness. A less game cock that could cut well could still kill and win. But a dead game cock that could not cut could not kill and, therefore, could not win. Most likely it will end up as such– a dead gamecock.

Then after cutting comes gameness, or I prefer to call it bottom to include power and endurance. Then next I go for smartness, agility and quickness.. The three should go hand in hand. Because agility is the attribute that enables a smart cock do what it has to do under a particular circumstance and, quickness enables it to do what has to be done ahead of the opponent.

Also in judging fighting ability, the masters consider quickness as very important. Quickness of the mind, quickness to the draw. Because, as they say, fighting cocks, like gunslingers, are either quick or dead.

At any rate, since we, Filipinos, are fighting with the long knife, we should consider the attributes that are more advantageous with such a weapon.

Regard cutting ability more than gameness; quickness more than power; timing more than speed; and smartness more than endurance. Bear this in mind and you will win more than you will lose.

However, for purposes of defining a cock with good fighting ability, I reduced all these precious attributes to just three – 1. cutting ability; 2. gameness, power and endurance or bottom as a whole; and 3. smartness, agility and quickness.

Good cocks do not have any particular style of fighting. They have cutting ability, bottom, and smartness, agility and quickness. Characteristics that are all aimed at one thing. Killing the opponent.

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