Vantage Point: Battle of the Skirts in Bolivia

Feb 20, 2011 by Grace

She was wearing the flounciest skirt I have ever seen in my entire life. It was lavender made with a shiny polyester fabric. She was short and stocky so I was not surprised that she was able to drag her opponent close to the corner of the ring. Then with one swift movement she turns away from the ring, places her hands on the top rope and climbs to the second rope. She proceeds to bounce on the rope until she began to throw her legs and body outwards. As this happens she releases her grip which sends her flying outwards and downwards on top of her opponent’s torso. The result was a puddle of petticoats and braids on the center of the ring.

I had just witnessed a corner slingshot splash from one of the Fighting Cholitas in Bolivia and I thought: “the battle of the petticoats is in full swing!”.

In the Altiplano highlands is a multifunctional center in a city called El Alto where they host these nightly freestyle wrestling matches called Lucha Libre. By now, the existence of cholita wrestlers are no longer a secret. Cholitas, by the way, are indigenous women who wear bowler hats and multilayered skirts. They are also physically strong from manual labor.

These women come from impoverished communities where they are still considered subservient to men. A regular night can earn them up to $13-$19. This helps only to pay some bills so they continue to hold day jobs. They train hard and they fight hard. Other male luchadors still mock them but they continue to win and come further in the sport.

Fighting Cholita in a high-flying maneuver

 

If you have never heard of Lucha Libre before, it is a professional wrestling sport which started in Mexico. Think of it as the latin version of WWE which eventually spread all the way out to South America. Traditionally, Lucha featured only men until an enterprising fight promoter in Bolivia thought that letting cholitas fight would draw a larger crowd. That was ten years ago and now these ladies are a global sensation.

As a matter of fact, a documentary called Mamachas del Ring has been produced which I am now trying to get a hold of (has anyone seen it?).

I like Lucha Libre. I was first introduced to Lucha when I was living in LA. There was a predominant demand from Mexicans living in the city so they came up with an entertaining production complete with burlesque dancers, acrobat performers and comedy acts. Dubbed as Lucha Vavoom, it’s a dolled up Hollywood version of the sport.

 

I certainly enjoyed watching both the LA and Bolivian version. Although the fighting cholitas are far more inspiring and symbolic to me. In conservative and macho Bolivia, they have manged to become the main attraction for lucha libre enthusiasts and gringos in La Paz.

 

A Cholita preparing to crush a male Luchador

 

If you are in Bolivia, don’t miss a chance to see them fight! The El Alto Multifunctional Center is about 15-20 minutes from the center of La Paz. You can take a cab and they would know where to go. Another alternative is to contact a travel agency like this. Where they provide you a bus and VIP seats to the fight.

 

View from El Alto

 

If you want to see more of these fighting Cholitas, below are excellent photo stories about them. Enjoy!

‘The Fighting Cholitas’ of El Alto, Bolivia

A Cholita Wrestlers Life

Carmen Rosa, The Cholita Wrestler

Oh, and if you are like me and you are curious to know why Lucha Libre is so popular in Latin America. This article called “Wrestling as a form of theater” is a good read.