Of course, bullfighting is not for everyone, especially not for the faint of heart. Men face horned bulls face to face in the arena, and these animals often weight well over a ton. That's two thousand pounds of force behind those sharp points. Although these trained professionals are very experienced, occasionally someone will get hurt. If you can't stand the sight of blood or the thrill of the risk, you should not go to the bull fights.

Bullfighters, called charros, traditionally, face the bull both on foot and on horseback. Usually six bulls are used in the show, and the bullfighters perform a sort of dance, leading the bulls with taunting movements. Bullfights are held weekly at Plaza de Toros, so you will definitely get the chance to see one if you'd like.

At a typical bullfight, you will see three bullfighters fighting two bulls for approximately a twenty minute time period. Trumpets signify the stages of the fight. First, bullfighter "assistants" on horseback, called picadors, display the bull's strength. They use long metal staffs to poke the bull, but these weapons have a release that prevents the bull from being hurt by the penetrations, only annoyed.

In the second stage, the bull is further tired and weakened by three banderillos. This all leads up to the final stage where the main bullfighter, the matador, enters the stage and taunts the bull with a red cloth. After showing his skill, the matador kills the bull, using an upward thrusting motion into the bull's neck. Trophies are awards to the matadors that perform best and show the most skill.

It is important to fully understand this tradition, as many Americans do not feel right about needlessly killing animals. Research the history of the tradition more fully to understand why it is done and do not visit a bullfight unless you truly want to experience this.