Photos: Sergio Betancort
The town of Tao, deeply rooted in the sport of Canarian wrestling and traditional music, experienced a very special day last Thursday in the halls of the El Fomento Society. There, the presentation of the book "La Lucha Canaria, Sí (Tal como la Viví)" (Canarian Wrestling, YES (As I Lived It)), by professor José Miguel Martín González from La Palma, took place. A book in which the author talks about the techniques to be used in the vernacular sport. In its 323 pages, he recounts all those experiences that throughout his life he has witnessed. José Miguel began to practice his first holds in this sport in his native island, La Palma. Specifically in the team called "El Balta", until, due to his studies, he moved to the island of Tenerife where he signed for "El Caridad", also being co-founder of C.L. Universidad. It was from there that he began to dedicate the little free time he had left to teaching the history of Canarian Wrestling from the School of Coaches, even serving as president of the Insular Federation of Canarian Wrestling of Tenerife, between the years 1988 to 1992, and president of the Canarian Wrestling Federation, from 1992 to 2000. He has also published several journalistic articles related to Canarian wrestling.
For the presentation of the book, José Miguel had many friends and acquaintances, all of them related to the vernacular sport, managing to materialize a presentation based on the same number of fighters who jump to the wrestling ground, 12. The collaborators, among whom was also a woman, were placed on the stage of the social hall and each of them intervened, relating some brief fragments that are included in the book such as: My First Fight, The University, Canary Roots, Juan Henríquez González, The Grounds, etc.
Once the interventions were finished, the attending public was able to enjoy the sounds of a group of friends who joined to interpret the most traditional pieces of our folklore such as mazurka, folía, isa and seguidillas. The author, once the performance was finished, gave each of the musicians a book. And with the signing of books, this endearing act was concluded, where Canarian wrestling and traditional song came together in the town of Tao.
