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Betta fighting as we know is a common activity in South East Asia,
where much money is bet on the outcome of the fights, it is not surprising
the Vietnamese also participated in such gambling activities.
The fighter in the video is from Ho Chi Minh City, located in the southern part
of Vietnam. Fighting and breeding of Betta Splendens have a long history here, and with luck,
a friend recently returned from there with several Ca Xiems :).
In this city and in southern Vietnam in general, where the climate is
warm throughout the year, breeding and raising them whole year round is not diificult. It is for
this reason, they are the de factor fish used in fish fights, and not surprising produces very
good fighters. When a lot of money is at stake the breeders cannot be dumb!
In the ring the fishes are pitted against each other in glass bottles just like
in all the other South East Asian countries, but their main difference lie in
the way they size their fighters.
Whether you fight in Singapore or in Vietnam, a bigger fish is a stonger fish, so sizing is very important and
no matter where you are, and nobody no matter who he is would not want to take advantage on size.
The Vietnamese ring is the only place where you size the fighters from the top, meaning
you only allow your opponents to see from the top. From the top view you would want your fish to look
small and slim, but from the side view which is never seen by your opponent, you may want that part to
be bigger! It is for this reason, the Vietnamese fighters typically look slim and narrow when viewed
from the top, while viewed from the side they may be tall and broad, such is the fighters' typical physical characteristics.
The rules and regulations of the betta fighting rings have an influence on the bettas' fighting characteristics and
how the fighters are sized do have an effect on their physical conformation.
Players and breeders knows that and as far as physical conformation is concerned, the Ca Xiems are always slimmer when viewed from the top, they are smart enough to give you the illusion that your fish is bigger
when in fact it is not the case.
The biggest single difference in the rules and regulations of the Vietnamese rings are they sizes their fighters by looking from the top only and nothing else.
As a result of this sizing from the top only, there is indeed a difference in the criteria of selection of broodstocks from breeders of the other South East Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore etc.
By selecting broodstocks from winners in the rings based on performance and results, will then have new generations of Ca Xiems made more well suited to the prevailing sizing rules of the Vietnamese rings.
By breeding delligently for the Vietnamese rings, the Ca Xiems then develops a body conformation much different from those Plakat Lukmorhs ancestors, but very much at home under the local sizing conditions.
The Vietnamese in the United States also sizes their fighters by viewing from the top only,
but many rings have evolved over time to use the weighing scales. Fighters' are sized according to their weight and it has probably
removed much argument as to whose fighters are bigger and provides a fair and level playing field for all to
enjoy the game. The rings in Singapore has also started to use the weighing scales a year or two ago, not totally but is now the "other" option of sizing. For the moment, as long as the Vietnam rings continue to use the existing sizing methods, the breeders will continue to base their broodstock selection criteria on that and the players will continue to make sure they take advantage of having a fish that is narrow from the top and broad from the side view.
The fighters by the way were tested and proved to be forminable foes, though their scales
were softer on the average, and less solidly built, but they were smart and nimble, have
quick reflexes, a good heart that draw their opponents into a long fight
and then wore them down with their wit and skills.
This video makes a simple comparison of the Ho Chi Minh fighter with a typical fighter I
got from the ring in Singapore. The fighter I used to make comparison with the Vietnam fish
is from Malaysia and was bred in Ipoh. I hope to provide some insights into this fighting breed
from Vietnam, which is very rare in the local rings and have travelled 1000km to have come into my hands! |
