Politics of the Stick Game (Tenerife)
El Juego de Palo de los Guanches
Elisio Diaz and his grandson in the bullring of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1985
After quickly slipping out of my shoes, I walked on the mat to engage in juego de palo. I was warned to put my shoes back on. Before I could ask why, a native practitioner approached, turned, and stomped his foot near mine.
Without making contact, he motioned like he was going to shove me. At that moment, he said, “You can fight dirty in juego de palo.” Then he pointed to my shoes with his stick, so I stepped off the mat, put them on, and officially restarted my lesson.
What Is Juego de Palo?
Translated into English, it means “game of stick.” That evening in Tenerife, one of the seven main islands of the Canary Islands of España (Spain), I was a guest of Alejandro Rodríguez Buenafuente at the traditional club of Banot Achinech in the town of La Laguna.
My visit to Tenerife was predicated on learning how this indigenous game survived the Conquest of the Crowns of Castile y Aragon (1479–1516) and centuries later the dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939–1975).
My palo (stick) lessons over the next few days focused on learning how to block and attack.
“El juego de palo is a traditional Canarian sport that is taught everywhere, even in the schools, like a martial art. It seems to be a legacy of the Pre-hispanic population that used this practice.” Curator Museum of History & Anthropology of Tenerife
So is juego de palo a game or a martial art? The answer requires an understanding of the conquest and assimilation of the indigenous population that began in the late 14th century and the creation of the Canarian identity that emerged in the late 20th century.
Santiago Diaz Bacallado (L) instructing Carlos Alfonso Reyes (R). Banot Achinech Jan 2024
Civilized Brutes?
Since my focus is on Tenerife, it is best to stay localized on the history of this isla (island) with minor references to the other islands. For clarification, all of the indigenous groups are referred to as Guanche, despite having separate customs, names, leaders, religion, politics, languages, and habits.
The formal conquest of the Canary Islands began in 1405. Prior to this time, the indigenous groups were rooted in the Berber (Amazigh) tribes of North Africa, based on the similarities of language, farming, burial practices, culture, and modern genetic testing.
Prior to the conquest period (1405–1496) the islas were visited by various groups (Phoenicians/ Carthaginians, Greeks, Vikings, and Romans) who documented their visits. In 1341, the first descriptions of the inhabitants came from a Portuguese-funded exhibition by Genoese Niccoloso da Recco and Florentine Angiolino del Teggihia de Corbizzi. Their five-month stay was recounted by the Italian writer Boccacio:
“A rocky land without any crops, but rich in goats and other animals and full of naked men and women…some of them seemed to rule the others and dressed in goat skins colored with saffron and red dyes. From afar, these skins looked very fine and delicate and were carefully sewn with animal guts.” Giovanni Boccaccio 1341
These written accounts and the abduction of Guanche who were brought to Portugal by da Recco highlight the confusion regarding the Guanche groups. Along with the descriptions of naked individuals are descriptions of clothed ones. Later descriptions describe civilized individuals who were tall with blond hair and blue eyes, softly speaking a soft language similar to Italian. Mentions were made of towns, a female deity, agriculture, classes, and other items attributed to a civilized society and not naked brutes. So today we are left with a question that is unanswered: Were they brutes or civilized people?
Sketches of Indigenous Guanches
Conquest of the Guanche
From 1326 to 1334, the French arrived by way of storms sending their ships veering off course. Shortly after this period, the Spanish staked their first claims to the islands via the Count of Claramonte, Don Luis, originally under Pope Clement VI and later by Pedro, King of Aragón. Due to a number of other engagements, Don Luis was kept away and consequently passed away before making his voyage to the islands.
In 1385, Ferdinando Peraza departed from Sevilla with five ships and a crew with the intent to loot the islands and Barbery Coast. Shortly after their arrival to Isla de Lanzarote of the Canaries, they attacked the inhabitants taking their King (Guanareme), Queen (Tinguafaya) as well as animal skins and other possessions back to España.
This process continued between the Spanish and French into the 15th century with ships coming every few years to loot. The most memorable of the arrivals was John de Béthencourt.
Originally arriving to Lanzarote in 1402 with three ships and up to 200 crew members, Instead, what Béthencourt learned was that the islanders were more interested in observing than in fighting. Over time, this relaxed environment allowed Béthencourt to bring more people and to build forts.
Eventually venturing to the Isla de Fuertaventura, Béthencourt discovered more physically imposing and warlike islanders who did not take well to strangers arriving on their lands and he chose to return to Lanzarote.
Due to his successes in establishing a base in 1403, Béthencourt requested a grant from Don Henry III, King of Aragon, which provided more ships and men who arrived with plans to claim the islands. With Béthencourt in his twilight years, his actions resulted in the islands being individually conquered through out the 15th century.
Primary Sources
One of the first mentions of juego de palo, or Canarian stick fighting, comes from Béthencourt in 1402. In his account, he refers to “bimbches (inhabitants) of Isla de El Hierro of the Canaries holding “big spears without iron.” In 1478, Antonio Cadeno, a soldier who came to the island under Juan Rejon wrote about his experience at a wedding that featured a “general tournament of sticks or rods painted red with dragon blood.”
In 1590, an engineer named Torriani gave a detailed account.
“When two Canary Islanders were challenged to a dual, they went to the appointed place for it, which was a high square, which had a flat stone at each end, just large enough for a man to stand on. First, each of them stood on their stone…with a stick called amodeghe and a magodo and then they went down onto the ground and faced each other with the magodos, fencing with each seeking their advantage.”
Leonardo Torriani '1590
During the almost century-long process of conquering the Islas de Canaries, each island was taken separately. Due to the different Indigenous communities and their populations, their acquisition and pacification were either violent or relatively easy:
• Isla de Lanzarote Conquered in 1402; population of close to 1,000; 300 warriors under King Guadarfia.
• Isla de Fuerteventura: Conquered in 1404; population at the time of conquest unknown; two distinct kingdoms ruled separately by King Guize and King Ayoze.
• Isla de El Hierro: Conquered in 1404; small population led by King Armiche.
• Isla de la Gomera: Conquered in 1404; exact population unknown; broken into four distinct kingdoms ruled by Kings Alguabozegue, Alhagal, Aberbequeye, and Maseque.
• Isla de Gran Canaria: Conquered in 1483; up to 20,000 to 30,000 inhabitants along with several thousand warriors led by Kings Guanartemes, Thenesor, Semidan, and Doramas.
• Isla de La Palma: Conquered in 1493; 6,000 to 8,000 inhabitants with a large fighting force; separated into 12 provinces.
• Tenerife: Conquered in 1495; 30,000 inhabitants with a fighting force of 5,000; split into nine kingdoms with several kings, most prominently Benchomo.
For the most part, cultures and communities were assimilated and made to adopt Christian names. Large numbers were turned into slaves or prostitutes and taken to España. Consequently, many families became inter-mixed over time.
Families who quickly adopted the new ways were allowed to keep their names. The names that survived are Acorán, Aday, Ayose, Dácil, Doramas, Fayna, Gara, Guacimara, Ico, Yeray, Yurena, and Zebenzuí .
In an attempt to gain an understanding of the period, especially from the perspective of Canarians, I reached out to the Museum of the History of Museum & Anthropology of Tenerife as well as Sénior Buenafuente and Daniel Glez of the Escuela del Palo Eduardo Oramas Alayon. Please note that the responses were translated from Spanish.
Thibert: Coming from the Americas, we tend to look at the Spanish Conquest as one of domination and conversion and nothing more. Is this the proper way to also view the experience of the Guanche?
Museo: It is not the proper way. Since the end of the conquest, the Canarian population was a mixture of peoples: the pre-Hispanic inhabitants, the Spaniards, and those coming from other parts of Europe. Therefore, it was never seen as one of domination and conversion and nothing more because, although during around 200 years ago, a group of Guanche rebels were living in the mountains (Guanches alzados, in Spanish). Soon after that, the Spanish culture and traditions were completely accepted by them. Take in account that Guanche people were very similar, from a physical point of view, to the Spaniards, after all both were Mediterranean populations and this facilitated the integration of both.
Thibert: I see conflicting accounts on juego de palo. On one hand, I read that the game was forced into obscurity due to it being used to fight against the Spanish. On the other hand, I read accounts where it was used publicly in front of Spanish officers. Which one was it? Was it banned or not?
Buenafuente: Nothing can be reliably stated about the affiliation of the current stick game to the Guanche culture. The Guanches publicly challenged each other with sticks and other weapons like many cultures, and as Leonardo Torriani wrote in 1590, they did it “as is customary among us.” In other words, the Castilians also played palo and used other weapons. The stick game has not survived, but it has lived on as a fundamental element of the war knowledge of the Canarian militias (which always included Guanches). It was not until the beginning of the 18th century that the expression applied to public demonstrations.
Glez: At the end of the conquest, there continued to be a minority of rebel Guanches who maintained their customs, but the large majority were enslaved and continued doing field work and shepherding for their masters. This contributed to the fact that the customs of the Guanche people will continue to live on mainly with the Indigenous shepherds, who were the main bastions of the conservation of pre-Hispanic culture. It must also be taken into account that the conquest of many of the islands was completed thanks to the help of the armies of several Guanche Menceyes (kings) who collaborated with the Castilians. At the end of the conquest, these Guanches, who fought with the Castellanos, were free and obtained rewards and privileges. These free Guanches helped free their brothers by purchasing them from their masters. As a conclusion, I only have to say that the indigenous culture was always coexisting with the new imposed culture, although it was not well received by the new society.
Book titled Conquest of the Canaries with depiction of Béthencourt
Juego del Palo (Stick Game)
The first lifetime governor of both the islands of Tenerife and La Palma (1496), Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, earned his position through his part in the submission of Isla de La Palma and conquests of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. With a force of over 1,500 troops, some were family, Indigenous Guanches, and veterans in the capture of the other islands. Tenerife was the last to fall as part of the “Capitulations of Zaragoza,” which gave a deadline of 10 months to conquer the island with a defeat known as the “Acentejo Massacre.” Lugo lost men and time to a native force using sticks:
Despite size, length, thickness, or material used in the game, the stick which is utilized is generally referred to as a palo despite differences in appearance. Traditional names have been broken into three main categories palo grande, palo corto o chico, and palo medio, which translate into big stick, small stick, and medium stick. Each category can be broken into small categories and names such as garrote, shepard’s stick, lanza, bason, porriño, and more. - Taken from the book Juego del palo o garrote en Canarias
With their palos, the Guanche fought against Conquistador armor, crossbows, swords, firearms (harquebuses), and lances with strikes and attacks that can be translated as fencing. Regardless of their prowess, the tenacity of the invaders is what brought an end to a 94-year campaign to conquer the islands.
Returning home after his defeat, Fernandez de Lugo negotiated an extension and more men. Returning to Tenerife in November of 1495, he defeated the Guanche of Tenerife at the Battle of Llanos de Aguere (La Laguna) on the 14th of that month and at Acentejo on Christmas Day, which ended the military campaign and turning the captured into slaves, land to be divided, the king (mencey) Bentor to take his own life by ritual suicide, and any remaining resistance to be dealt with according. Offering up plots of land to loyal conquistadors as rewards, Cristobal de Ponte was able to develop wealth in the newly established cash crop of sugar and the slave trade. He passed on some of his wealth to his son Pedro who went on to found the town of Adeje (Tenerife). According to Espinosa:
The war that the Spaniards made…on the natives of these islands…was unjust, unreasonable…because these people neither owned Christian lands, nor passed over their limits and boundaries to invade or disturb others. So to say that they brought them the Gospel should have been by means of preaching…and not with the drum and the banner. - Espinosa
In Pedro de Ponte at the first lord of Adeje’s former family home, La Casa Fuerte, I met Daniel Glez, a teacher at the traditional escuela (school) of Don Eduardo Oramas Alayon. As I watched attentively from the corner, various people walked into the class: men and women of various ages and different nationalities. Someone stayed with me to explain what I was witnessing and explain the various families tied to juego de palo. I will detail in the next section what was explained.
Observing a demonstration at Escuela del Palo - Eduardo Oranas Alayon - Jan 2024
Traditional Families
The Federación del Juego Del Palo Canario gives the following as the technical definition of juego del palo (Palo Canario): Stick fencing that is carried out as recreational practice between two players, with antagonistic purposes but who seek to score without coming into contact. It is defined as the main hallmark of the Canarian people as it is one of its most important cultural and anthropologic traditions.
Thirty traditional schools throughout Tenerife are also recognized by the Federación. In total, there are 43 lines spread throughout the islands each with its own lineage consisting of schools and practitioners.
“There were only players from two lines of ancestry: that of Tomás Déniz (1900–1983) and that of Pedro Morales (1927–2013). From the line of Tomás Deniz, there were Santiago Díaz, Constantino Bacallado, Edwin Hernández and me. From Pedro Morales was Pablo Melián.” Alejandro Rodriguez Buenafuente
It is from the traditional families that we get the modern “styles” of juego del palo that gained popularity during the 1940s - 1960s through exhibition matches, competitions, and family gatherings. It returned in popularity in the late 1970s into the 1980s, forming variations based on the traditional families.
Due to the large number of teachers who have learned and taught each traditional style, the following list is abbreviated and focuses solely on Tenerife. Please note that I was unable to find the date of birth and death for many of those mentioned.
Tomás Déniz Hernandez (1900–1983) is the founder of Estilo (style) Deniz that was passed on to Francisco Morales Martin, Nicolas Morales Martin, and Pedro Pestana Guevara. This is perhaps one of the most popular styles due to Deniz’s numerous exhibition matches.
Jose Santos Acosta Estill (1932–2008) is the founder of Estilo Acosta that was passed on to Maximiliano Hernandez Acosta and Leopoldo Acosta Estill,
Cristin Feo de Leon is the founder of Estilo Conejero (Rabbit) that was passed on to Jose Maria Feo Barreto.
Pedro Morales Martin (1927–2013) is the founder of Estilo Morales that was passed on to Francisco Morales Martin Pedro Dominguez, Nicolas Morales Martin, Jose Morales Martin, and Pedro Pestana Guevara.
Juan Francisco Quintero Zamora is the founder of Estilo Quintero that was passed on to Eloy Quintero Zamora and Juan Cabrera Machin.
Jose Manuel Guedez Rodriguez founded Estilo Garrote (Juego del Garrote) that was passed on to Miguel Calderin Santana, Francisco Santana Suarez, Jose Calderin, and Pino Calderin.
Domingo Alberto Brito is the founder of Estilo Lata (Juego de La Lata) that was passed on to Ruperto Martin y Simeon.
Luciana Diaz Rodriguez and Eugenio Diaz Estevez La Verga (1878–1955) are the founders of Estilo Verga. It is important to highlight that women can and have been involved in the development of juego del palo since its Indigenous beginnings.
Tomas Hernandez Medina is the founder of Estilo Vidal that was passed on to Vincente “Vidal” Rodriguez.
From these main lines, we get the following Tenerife escuelas (schools), which are also traditional in thought, style, and practice. Escuela de la Familia Verga, Escuela Familiar Los Acosta, Colectivo Universitario de Palo Canario, Escuela Guajaro, Escuela de don Pedro Morales en Valle Jimenez, Escuela de Los Campitos, Escuela de Florentin “Vera,” Escuela de La Laguna–La Manzanilla–Colectivo Aguere, Escuela de La Comarca de Abona, Escuela “Malagana,” Escuela de Maria Jimenez, Escuela Las Mercedes, Escuela Las Canteras–Chimenchia, Escela de Taco–El Cardonal, Escuela Scosta de Juego del Palo Corto, Grupo Tilena, Escuela de Chasna, Escuela de Guimar, Escuela del Colectivo Cultural La Escalera, Esceula de Juego del Palo Anaga, Escuela del Palo y la Mano don Educardo Oramas, Esceula de Tradiciones Canaries Jose Toledo, Esceula de Juego del Palo de Tejina, Escela de Baston Canario de Tenerife, Esceula de El Tablero.
The following are clubs derived from the clubs above and still practice the traditional style: Orijama, Bijache, Hirguan, Tagoror Chiregua, Maragat–Hirwan, Banot Achinech, Tajinaste, Afona, Grupo de Alcala, Alumnos puntales de D. Gregorio Felipe Alonso, Familares y Alumnos Puntuales de D. Francisco Rogor Melian, Familiares y Alumnos de D. Pedro Hernandez.
Special mention goes to Juego del Palo in New York–Escuela Santiago Diaz Bacallado .
Yet, as stated earlier, the current issue with the traditional schools is that juego de palo has become popular since its re-emergence in the late 1970s and is generating revenue by being classed as a martial art, despite traditional practitioners stating that it is not.
Thibert: There are a few photos of juego del palo practitioners during the 1920s–1930s as well as comments that it fell out of practice during this period. What exactly happened during this period? Was the game effected by the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera or the Global Depression?
Buenafuente: In Spain, there have been only two dictators: Primo de Rivera between 1923 and 1930 and Franco between 1936 and 1975, and neither of them cared in the least about the game of stick. However, in the 1920s the game became a permanent part of the May festivities in Santa Cruz, and in the 1950s, there were several point fights in Tenerife .
Harquebuses used by Conquistadors image taken Museo de Historia & Antropologia in Tenerife
Game or Martial Arts
A few weeks after leaving Tenerife, I reached back out to the various people who are familiar with the juego de palo schools and clubs in Tenerife, including Alejandro Rodríguez Buenafuente of the traditional club of Banot Achinech and Daniel Glez of the traditional school of Don Eduardo Oramas Alayon. Now, fully informed, I could dive deeper into the topic. Note that these responses are translated from Spanish.
Thibert: Who taught you and how many years have you been learning juego del palo? How many years have you been teaching others?
Buenafuente: “I am a disciple of Don Ángel González, so it is assumed that the Déniz Style would correspond to me, but since these styles lack a specific technical definition, I prefer to adjust to an old (at least 120 years old and in writing) cataloging of Tenerife: “Game with a long stick and a firm hand.”
“Don Ángel González taught me between 1983 and 1993, the year I began to do it under his direction until in 2017 when he decided to give me the status of teacher and total independence in this sense. I must include among my teachers (in a secondary way) Don Anastasio Acosta and Don Domingo Felipe.”
Glez: “I learned the palo game with Don António Cabrera who was a student of the founder of the Don Tomás Déniz style of palo game school. Don António Cabrera was my EGB (basic general education) teacher, and in extracurricular hours he taught the stick game at school to the children, and among those children was me at 12 years old. It was there where I received my first classes. I spent two years learning with Don Antonio until I left him when I was 14 years old. At the age of 28, I rejoined the classes that Don Antonio Cabrera continued to teach in Granadilla de Abona in 1999. Since then, I have continued to practice it until today (2024). So, in answer to your question, I have been practicing the stick game for more than 24 years.”
“I have been teaching how to play stick since 2022 following the death of my stick and hand personal defense teacher Don Eduardo Oramas Alayón in January 2022 at the age of 98. From that moment, I begin the work of giving continuity to what I learned so that this inherited memory lasts in the next generations.”
Thibert: “Why do traditional practitioners abstain from using titles such as teacher?”
Buenafuente: “Because, traditionally, mastery is granted to you by those who have taught and there is no such specific category in the tradition. It is rather a treatment of respect towards those who know more than you. Only a few dared to apply as teachers, since if you did, they could look for you to challenge you. Thus, Don José Morales said in 1936 that he was ‘the master because no one had defeated him.’ Others like Don Tomás Déniz defined themselves as ‘champions.’”
Glez: “The title that the people assign to a person of ‘teacher’ is generally due to their age and their knowledge, but focusing on the answer, specifically, on the game of palo canario, I want to take as reference one of the reflections of a great philosopher and master of the stick game, Don Pedro Morales: ‘You are a teacher when you have a student. ‘In my case, I have no problem being called teacher, but I will never call myself teacher. I am clear that I have a high level of knowledge about the game of stick, but I also know that I do not know everything, as my great friend and nonagenarian teacher Don Eduardo Oramas Alayón said, ‘You can’t learn everything in a lifetime.’ Clearly, you can’t stop never learn and whoever says they know everything, that day stops learning. For this last reason, I will never call myself a teacher because that day I close the doors to the student within me.”
Thibert: “Is there a qualification or certification that is required to become a club or escuela?
Buenafuente: “The term ‘school’ in tradition is not concrete; it has been assumed since the 1980s to define groups around a respected figure, who has begun to be called ‘teacher.’ As for the clubs: they are, as everywhere, formal sports associations that are registered in the corresponding registry.”
Glez: “In the Canary Islands, there are two government bodies for the stick game: the stick game federation and the club game federation. In both cases, they certify and accredit the clubs or schools that are federated, while the first federation tries to bring together the schools and clubs that are traditional, the second federation only has associated sports clubs that are created within the federation and whose common name they call ‘Pilas.’ Apart from these two federations, there are many associations of the traditional stick game that do not want to federate for multiple reasons. These associations neither certify nor accredit, for the most part, the players or schools that are trained in their teaching centers.”
“From what was described above, we see that, in the Canary Islands, there is everything, a real chaos, caused mainly by the government and public institutions of the Canary Islands, which are largely unaware of the Canary cultural heritage.”
Thibert: “How does your school/club find students?”
Buenafuente: “Normally in street workshops, or those interested in the topic, they can ask about it or find advertising for the school.”
Glez: “The schools do not find the students directly; students look for the school. We look for future students, indirectly, by holding exhibitions, workshops, talks, etc., about the traditional stick game. It is the interested students who then search for and go to the nearest stick game school.”
Thibert: “What is your primary concern regarding the future of juego del palo?”
Buenfuente: “Control the Stick Game Federation and adjust its statutes, without ceasing to be a sport related to the intangible cultural heritage.”
Glez: “Although I am concerned about the continuity of this cultural tradition to future generations, my main concern is that I will stop enjoying this wonderful ancestral tradition and that I will no longer have fun practicing it.
Thibert: “Why does the federation de lucha garrote want to make juego del palo a martial art? What benefits would there be in going this route?”
Buenfuente: “Lately, they are saying that the stick game is one of the Canarian martial arts, along with the Canarian wrestling, all of which is technically correct. The problem is that there is no cudgel fight because it is simply a stick game with the name changed.”
“The stick game is certainly a martial art if we do not conform to any anthropological definition of martial art. More specifically, it is a Western martial art, since it does not have any philosophy or religion attached. It’s just the science of combat. This is shared with jogo de pau Filipino fencing, Sicilian paranza, French cane, or Egyptian tahtib, for example. The problem is that there is an international model of martial arts with a clear Orientalizing bias, which makes practitioners more like acolytes of a sect and not athletes, and that model is the one they follow in the club fighting federation.”
Glez: “I understand that they have taken a model that is quite successful worldwide, and with this they have sacrificed the traditional philosophy and way of teaching for another that attracts more students. I have nothing against looking for new alternatives to the transmission of a tradition such as the game of palo, as long as no extraneous content is added and that it is transmitted as faithfully as possible as it was learned.”
Thibert: “Why does it matter to keep the traditional ‘estilo’? Wouldn’t making it a martial art bring more practitioners from around the world?”
Buenfuente: “The traditional style does not matter because it is not clear what that is. It is important to maintain the lines of ancestry that exist, so that the practitioners know who they are and what they are doing. What good is a traditional Okinawan karate school? For example, 200 enlightened people from Florida do some useless kata by mumbling three Japanese words that they don’t know what they mean. In Chinese Kung Fu means ‘well done’ or ‘correct’ and it is an everyday expression. How many people speak or practice something they say is called Kung Fu and it is in a certain way? Do you know what they are talking about? I don’t think that this path leads to any good place. Wherever it ends, what it will do is distance itself from the cultural origin of any manifestation and create something completely different and always a bad parody.”
Glez: “Because it identifies you as a people, it is part of popular culture and determines the way of being of the individuals who practice it. It is what differentiates us from other cultures in the world and is that in the difference lies the cultural richness of the people and their most genuine value. Making it into a martial art would clearly attract more practitioners, but is it worth it?”
Thibert: “Is there a concern that juego del palo will become a commodity?”
Glez: “If we consider that a commodity is one with which an economic transaction can be made or can be used as currency to obtain credits in various areas, I can say that the stick game is already a commodity. For years, the game of palo has been used as a commodity, both to capture votes by the politicians in power who try to sell themselves as defenders of traditional Canarian culture, and by the federations, which use their institutional power to occupy those places where there are traditional non-federated schools (educational centers, institutional activities, etc.), displacing them from those places and publicly discrediting them with the goal, I suspect, that they end up federating or disappear definitively, without also ruling out economic interest.”
Thibert: “Are there any other concerns or issues that you feel is important in regard to juego del palo or the distribution of Guanche/Canarian culture?”
Buenfuente: “The game of stick is not Guanche, it is Canarian and comes from the hands of specific people who when they lived were the bearers of cultural good, now we are those who have learned from them and later it will be those who teach us, and it does not matter if they are Canarians or Russians, as long as they can join the line. Angel González, who was born in 1949, taught me; to him Don Tomás Déniz who was born in 1900; to him Nicolás Morales who was born in 1862; to him José Morales who was born in 1854; and to him Pedro Pestana who was born in 1832.
Glez: “Traditions, like in other parts of the world, are being lost for many reasons. The main reason why traditions are lost in the Canary Islands is that, even though there is teaching material on Canarian themes for educational centers, the content taught in schools about Canarian culture is practically non-existent and the most serious thing is that future teachers who leave the teaching profession are unaware of their territory and culture, so they cannot teach what they do not know; it is a big problem that does not have an imminent solution. With this panorama, it is very difficult to be optimistic about the future and the continuity of traditions.”
Class at traditional club of Banot Achinech taken Jan 2024
Canarian Garrote
Reaching out to the Federacion de Lucha del Garrote Canario (Canarian Garrote Fighting Federation), I was put in contact with current Presidente Carlos Barrera Vera who was kind enough to answer my questions. Note that the responses are translated from Spanish.
Thibert: “Does the federation descend from a traditional style? If so, which one?”
Vera: The federation is the representative of the Canarian garrote, and as such descends from the groups of practitioners that emerged when the garrote fight was rescued. Therefore, it is the transmitter of the teachings of all the teachers of the land (older people) who remained in the Canary Islands in the decades of the 1980s and 1990s.”
“Its rescue was carried out at the limit of its existence thanks to the task of a researcher, Jorge Domínguez Naranjo, who traced the memories of informants, and older people (since the 1980s, he has saved the information from more than 100 informants, people born at the beginning of the 20th century), to compile the techniques, stories, and experiences linked to this traditional practice.”
“Thanks to this complilation work (currently Jorge Domínguez is honorary president of this federation) this practice was kept alive and was not forgotten.”
Thibert: “Who taught you and how many years have you been learning garrote?”
Vera: “I learned with Jorge Domínguez, who, thanks to his research, prevented the techniques of the masters of the land from being lost.”
“I started in 1989 and since then my concern, and that of all the practitioners of the clubs (or Pilas) of the federation, has been the traditional conservation of this way of fighting. At the same time, we have tried to guarantee the safety of those who practice stick fighting, as established by sports and educational laws, and we have looked for ways so that when a competition takes place there are no accidents and using protection at that time.
Thibert: “I have spoken to some traditional schools and clubs who claim that titles such as teacher are not valid. However, I see it being used within the federation. Why?”
Vera: “No one can proclaim themselves a professor or teacher. It must be taken into account that it is the Canary Garrote Fighting Federation that has the power to appoint its monitors, instructors, and teachers, as it has been doing since its creation in 1997.
This federation is the one with the longest standing after that of the Canarian Latin Sailing Federation and the Canarian Wrestling Federation.”
Thibert: “Some traditional practitioners also claim that it is not actually a martial art but a ‘stick game.’ What do you think about this?”
Vera: “Traditional practitioners? Are you referring to any club that defines itself like that? We make traditional garrote, there is no other. The club has always defended itself against the conquerors, the pirate attacks, social revolts, and fights.
Thibert: “Within the federation, is there any qualification or certification that is required to become a club or school?”
Vera: “Of course. The clubs are headed by personnel recognized by the federation to guarantee correct teaching of this traditional combat art. Registered clubs participate in federation activities: workshops, courses, and exams that authenticate the knowledge acquired, participation in events, etc.”
Thibert: “How does the federation find students?”
Vera: “The federation is always open to people interested in this traditional art of combat and is an open, democratic and transparent official entity. Since the rescue began in the 1980s, it has carried out demonstrations and workshops in public and in schools.”
Thibert: “How has the federation helped spread knowledge about this art?”
Vera: “Apart from the workshops and exhibitions, the Garrote Fighting Federation has published the rescued techniques so that Canarian society knows about them. It also publishes other serious publications about this indigenous combat system. We believe that this traditional practice has to be available to the entire Canarian population without attempts to gain prominence.
Thibert: “Is there concern that the club will become a commodity?”
Vera: Yes, a lot. We see that there are people who name themselves as teachers and as traditional schools to want to differentiate themselves. The interest of our federation during all these years has been to escape from these personalisms and to disseminate in a serious and rigorous way the art of fighting with clubs. For this, teamwork among the members of the Garrote Fighting Federation is promoted to guarantee the conservation of all the rescued and conserved techniques. Not just a few techniques collected from an informant with no guarantees of reliability.”
Thibert: “How does the federation remain faithful to its Canarian roots?”
Vera: “Transmitting this tradition exactly as it was rescued.”
Thibert: “After talking to some of the traditional clubs, I sensed a tension between the two of you. Is my perception accurate?”
Vera: “I don’t understand. What is a traditional club? Being the son of an informant does not guarantee that I learned what my father knew. Some other schools that are said to be traditional learned in the environment of the Garrote Fighting Federation and we know of another that later learned from them.”
“The Canarian Garrote Fighting Federation practices traditional garrote, with traditional clubs and with rescued techniques. It also has a sport especially for competitions, but that does not harm traditional teaching. Our only interest is that the garrote is part of Canarian society.”
Thibert: “Is there any concern or issue that you consider important regarding the distribution of Guanche/Canarian culture?”
Vera: “Yes, of course. In the federation, there is a lot of concern about personalism and people who want to damage the image of the stick fight to establish themselves as the authentic ones. Economic interests? Need to attract attention? Capturing subsidies?”
“It is very important that the distribution of Canarian culture is done rigorously with qualified personnel, with official entities, and with publications that share the tradition accurately with society.
Image taken from Canarian Garrote Fighting Federation website
Conclusion
What I found most interesting about the exchange with Presidente Vera is the mention of Jorge Domínguez Naranjo, who is listed on the federation website as the person who helped develop the federation after juego del palos reemerged in the 1970s and 1980s via “exhaustive investigation that led him to interview the shepherds of the islands.”
Before wrapping up, I reached back to Buenfuente on his thoughts on Dominquez.
Buenfuente: “Jorge Dominguez was practicing in Tenerife with Marino Acosta, who, as he had pointed out, did not know much at the end of the 1970s (he says that he even proposed a federation of stick playing that would have been aborted due to disagreements between the promoters) and giving classes in Las Palmas of play the stick. In 1982, he also created the Palo Canario Association (ASPAC) in Las Palmas, then in 1984 he began his obsession with club fighting.”
Thibert: “What were these ‘disagreements’ about?”
Buenfuente: “I have no idea. I only know it tangentially in an article. In those three years, there have been more things. For example, that frustrated attempt to establish a federation. Yes, it was attempted on one occasion approximately two years ago, but it was not the appropriate time. There was a fairly negative general reaction, since men who did not even know what the sport was were trying to manipulate the theoretical federation. Soon, we will try again.”
Reference: CHAVANE, Francisco J. (1981): “Sports and Summer Campaign. Banot or Game of the Stick” in El Eco de Las Palmas, p. 30 [Wednesday, July 8, 1981]. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Thibert: “This gives me the impression that the federation is not based solely on tradition but for alternative reasons.”
Buenfuente: “The federation was, as shown in the documentation, a personal project of Mr. JD, who probably met people, most likely from Tenerife, which is where he had practiced, who did not want an extreme sports federation and who could not be convinced. Keep in mind that at that time the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands was in the process of formalization and there was no sports law to apply.”
“Just then he began with the invention of an international martial art called club fighting based ultimately on the stick game, and it seems that the idea caught on among the politicians of Gran Canaria who wanted their own palo game federation, since a Canarian Sports Law was being planned, which was going to include traditional sports.”
As we wrap up, the question is should the modern version of juego del palo be based on its pre-Conquest version as a tradition or on a later version used for actual defense and protection?
I noticed that the references made by Presidente Vera of the Garrotte Federation are about the post-Conquest version, so perhaps Indigenous arts should not be modernized and just stick to their roots.
