cholitas luchadoras

[shewhomust]

Todd Antony's photographs of Bolivian women wrestlers - indigenous Aymara Indians who wrestle wearing traditional dress (via The Guardian's 'My Best Shot' feature, which also gives some details of how the picture was taken).

His portfolio of women climbers is also very fine.

Comments

[klwilliams]

I wish he'd shown more of their actual combat techniques rather than just pretty pictures. I'd love to know more about how they wrestle.

[shewhomust]

Ah, of course you would! And the pictures are designed to make you ask 'how did they *do* that?' - and also designed not to tell you!

[asakiyume]

I was thinking about how all the pictures show them both in the air, which was making me wonder what happens in the next two seconds. It would be cool to see a film of what happens. I wonder... oh yes! here we go! And here's one with an explanatory voice-over that all describes the work of two of them. They fight men, too! I love that they're sewing their own costumes. This one puts them in the context of lucha libre more generally.

[anef]

It reminds me of some of the moves that we used to do in Aikido - in skirts, as well!

[asakiyume]

Oh wow, yes! My daughter was just talking about seeing people dressed for kyūdo--Japanese archery. they wear long skirts too!

[asakiyume]

Yes these are beautiful! They seem like they're flying--magical. If I saw this as a child, I'd want to know what their magic was.

(As I write this, I'm still watching the second of the videos I linked to in the other comment, and look! Here's Bolivia's indigenous minister of justice, Celima Torrico Rojas, talking about women's improving status in Bolivia:

)

Thank you so much not only for posting these, but for reminding me you posted--if I hadn't come back, I wouldn't have seen K.K. Williams's comment and might not have looked for videos, and now I feel like I've received another window onto another cool part of the world.

[shewhomust]

I'm glad you liked it - and thank you so much for the video! I would never have thought of looking for that: I was dazzled by the photography, and Karen was intrigued by the martial arts, and you've found the social/ human aspect of the story ...