PUNTA BRAVA WRESTLING CLUB

We visited Canarian wrestling Punta Brava Club, and there we met César Cabrera, a wrestler and a coach.

Interviewer: Hello César!

César: Hi!

I: When did you start practicing this sport?

C: Well… I have liked it since I was a child. I used to play football, but one day, there was a Canarian wrestling championship in my town, and I decided to join. I loved the experience, and it was then when I started to practice Canarian wrestling.

I: How much time do you spend on practicing this sport?

C: At the beginning, I just trained with the club, but as I am in a higher category now, I need to go to the gym to have a better preparation.

I: Have you won any championships?

C: My problem is that I am short and thin for this sport.  Although what we need is “maña” and balance, instead of being strong and weighting too much. So I use to win the championships where I wrestle against people of my weight. Right now, I am the champion of my category.

I: What is the thing you like most of this sport?

C: The best thing of Canarian wrestling is the nobleness in the competition.

I: Thank you so much.

C: Thanks to you.

The techniques used by wrestlers of FightClub Punta Brava is "La Contra", which is a struggle to try to throw the opponent, "el toque por dentro" and "toque por fuera" are  other techniques which consist on unbalancing the opponent. 

The main rule is that you cannot touch the ground with any part of the body except with the soles of your  feet and and if you break this rule, you lose. Everything is movement of hips and knees.

In Fight Club Punta Brava Canaria, the best player is Añaterve Abreu, who is a ‘puntal’ B, but has won against the two “puntales” that are now in the Canary Islands. ‘Puntal’ is  ‘prop’, which means support in a physical or emotional way.

Francisco Javier Pérez Machin, known as "Pollito de la Frontera" has been one of the most famous “puntales” in the Canary Islands.
He started Canarian wrestling when he was only six years old, and over the years his name was first heard on the Canary Islands, as it would become one of the best fighters in history.

Unfortunately, El Pollito de la Frontera retired three seasons ago due to an injury. However, El Pollito has not been disconnected from the Canarian wrestling, and he keeps on giving advice to his students, passing on his teachings and instilling a passion for the fight.