Not long ago, an elite few ruled cockfighting in the Philippines, by sheer advantage in chicken quality and raising techniques. This is no longer the case. Gamefowl are now created about equal — at least in top-level competition. The effort to achieve supremacy should now shift from breeding to conditioning.
Now, there are thousands of game fowl breeders in the Philippines. The best bloodlines are here. Thanks to the federal law that bans cockfighting in the US caused by animal rights movements. Many of these Filipinos could whip the toughest American breeders.
As far as breeding is concerned, the gap between top and bottom has narrowed down considerably. Gone were the days when only a few lorded it over, only because they enjoyed overwhelming advantage in chicken quality. Although there still might be some grain of truth to this in small time derbies and cockfights in the provinces, in top competitions, the fact is even the least known could beat the best known. During the 2007 Bakbakan national 10-stag championship this point was underscored once more when three backyard but diligent breeders, who had to combine their stags to put up a single entry emerged as solo champion with perfect 10-win slate besting the then record number of more than 1,400 entries.
With the best bloodlines, enormous resources, and much improved breeding techniques, many breeders are now approaching the summit of breeding ability. Not much could be done anymore when it comes to enjoying overwhelming advantage in chicken quality. Gamefowl entered at the top level contests are now about equal.
Unlike in breeding, supremacy in conditioning is still up for grabs. The field is still very wide open for exploration. The possibilities limitless, considering the new dimensions and technologies available to athletes nowadays. Like some human and horses, gamefowl are athletes. Their performance can be stretched to the limit by sports nutrition, training and supplementation. Yes, there are Muhammad Ali’s and Manny Pacquiao’s. But even a super athlete needs an Angelo Dundee or a Freddie Roach before potential is maximized. Conditioning will replace breeding as the pivotal factor in the sport of sabong. It will be the foremost factor that will spell the difference between winning and losing, at least at top level competition, where, as we observe, cocks are now created about equal.
This handbook is focused on conditioning. This contains modern point of views into the science of condtioning the gamefowl, some of which are new applications to cockfighting that we studied and experimented. Some, such as the concept of power pointing and conditioning pyramid are designed originally by RB Sugbo Gamefowl Technology to make available to the common sabungero knowledge in gamefowl technology which in the past only the big timers enjoyed.
