Bakom
| Also known as | Vacón, bakon, lucha total, Peruvian street fighting |
|---|---|
| Focus | Striking, kicking, grappling, wrestling |
| Country of origin | Peru |
| Parenthood | Various techniques from street fighting in Lima |
Bakom, also known as Vacón, is a Peruvian martial art created during the early 1980s by former commando and street fighter Roberto León Puch Bezada.[1]
History[edit]
The art was created by Roberto Puch (b. 1952 in Martinete),[2][3] a resident of the third block of Caylloma street, in the historic centre of Lima, a once-dangerous part of the city.[1] The oldest of eight children,[2] Puch was born in Barrios Altos, growing up in the neighbourhood's then crime-ridden areas, such as Cinco esquinas,[2] where he saw kicking duels as a child, eventually learning self-defence techniques from a Chinese mentor at the city's Chinatown.[4] A troubled relationship with his father (d. 2015) due to his behaviour led him to be sent to a boarding school.[2] He eventually graduated from the COEDE School of the Peruvian Army, serving as a commando and later working as a member of the intelligence service.[4]
Both the fighting style and its creator's fame reached its peak during the 1980s and 1990s.[2] In the early 1990s, he was interviewed by Jaime Bayly in his programme ¿Qué hay de nuevo?, also being featured in the biographical miniseries Tatán.[2][3] After his appearances on Peruvian television, he became a bodyguard for a number of celebrities and politicians,[3] eventually becoming a curandero,[2][5] opening a workshop on Moquegua street.[4]
Rules[edit]
According to Puch, the ruleset is as follows:[6]
- Study the opponent and analyse the type of physical build.
- Maintain serenity, reason, make your mind work quickly and safely, keep your body elastic and not rigid.
- Always remember that skill is better than strength and resort to creole mischief, that is, "total fight."
- Review and memorize the weak points of the human body.
- Distrust is part of wisdom, in the face of a possible triumph; Never turn your back on your opponent. Never neglect any angle of your body.
- Surprise is the cornerstone of success in action; Change and combine different tactics in the fight.
- Never give your opponent a break, on the contrary, ensure his defeat by attacking him without rest.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Escajadillo, Fabricio (2012-04-01). La noche de Caylloma: "El otro rostro del Centro Histórico" (Television production) (in Spanish). Jhony Sebastian (editor), Walter Jiménez (camera), Paolo Ramirez (assistant), Manuel Ticona (auxiliary). Panorama.
- ^ a b c d e f g Victorio, Rosario (2016-10-16). Yo soy leyenda (Television production) (in Spanish). Gabriel Pastor, Daniel Huaroc, Luis Calderon, Maycol Chauca. Al Sexto Día.
- ^ a b c Escajadillo, Fabricio (2012-04-22). El último peleador callejero (Television production) (in Spanish). Franz Bismarck (editing), Jimmy Rodriguez (camera), Teresa Cueto (assistant), César Caldart (auxiliary). Panorama.
- ^ a b c Bedoya García-Montero, Jaime (2016). "Peleador callejero". En aparente estado de ebriedad (in Spanish). Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial Perú. pp. 18–19. ISBN 9786124271182.
- ^ Rey, Maria Laura (1997-06-25). [Report on Puch and Bakóm] (Television production) (in Spanish). Ego Aguirre, Alfonso (editing); García, Antonio (camera); De Pomar, Manuel (assistant). La Revista Dominical.
- ^ Puch Bezada, Roberto (2004). Bakom: El Arte Marcial Peruano (in Spanish). Biblioteca del Congreso de la República del Perú.