Tajen - Bali Cockfight

Tu Aji, fake name, claims to be a brahmana, a member of the upper caste, descended from sacred men, one of the four Balinese castes. He says that the practice of the taji is clandestine for more than 35 years. Tu Aji is the owner of the taji used for the fights, owns around 23. He rent the blades to the players for 150 thousand rupees, on average. "Is a good business," he says. The razors are made by a family member, he says that few families know the manufacturing secrets of taji, a process that includes detailed rituals, which takes place on nights of hiding the moon. The amount paid for each taji, he explains, depends on the stake amount reached in each fight. / Tajen - Bali Cockfight, Bali, 2018