How is training organized in Spain for those who want to become a matador?
When foreign tourists watch a matador fight a bull, few of them think about how training is organized in Spain for representatives of this profession. Most of the famous Spanish matadors were trained at the school, which is located in the famous capital arena Las Ventas. This school continues to operate today, despite calls to ban bullfights. Any young Spaniard can start training at this school, paying only 20 euros per month. The main requirement is a genuine desire to learn this skill.
Training begins with mastering the technique during simulated fights. When the future matador acquires the necessary skills, he moves on to practice with young bulls. At the same time, the cost of training increases, since the necessary equipment for bullfighting costs more than a thousand euros.
The school’s statistics show that many young Spaniards want to become matadors, although they understand that their career will be short-lived – from 8 to 10 years. The school’s students are mainly from low- and middle-income families who know that they will have to work hard. There are 50 academies in Spain that train matadors. Some of them receive subsidies from local authorities. However, the future of these academies depends on politicians who may decide to ban this art.
Today, bullfighting is second only to football in popularity. The number of bull runs in Spain has decreased significantly in recent years. Matador training has become more formal, and many connoisseurs of this art regret that it is losing its charisma and individuality. Becoming a real matador is not an easy task. Only a few succeed, but their art is highly valued and inaccessible to most people.
