Japanese man on course to be matador in Spain
Monday, August 3, 2009 @ 4:12 PM
TORREMOLINOS, Spain — A Japanese man moved closer to achieving his goal of becoming his country's first full-fledged professional matador by taking part in his first bullfight involving mounted lancers.
Taira Nono slayed two young bulls at the bullring in the southern Spanish resort town of Torremolinos on Sunday after a picador, a bullfighter on horseback, goaded the animals with steel-pointed lances which weaken their shoulder muscles.
"I am very happy and have a real desire to succeed. I love the bullfighting world and am in Spain to become the first matador in Japanese history," the soft-spoken 35-year-old told reporters before entering the ring.
Since he moved to Spain from Tokyo 12 years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a matador, Nono has up until now only participated in simpler bullfights that did not involve picadors.
To become a matador he must undergo the "alternativa", a ceremony that separates amateurs from professionals in which a novice or "novillero" is proposed and seconded by two other matadors.
Until then he can only take part in bullfights with bulls aged at least three years old, whereas matadors face bulls aged at least four years which can weigh between 480 and 600 kilos (1,060 to 1,320 pounds).
Audiences judge bullfighters according to their skill, grace and daring and the sparse crowd of around 300 people which turned out to watch Nono's debut with mounted lancers was sympathetic to his efforts in the ring.
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