GOGOJILI Tari Sabong: What the Tari Is and How It Ends a Fight

The tari is the blade fitted to a fighting rooster's leg in a cockpit.

In this section
FactValue
GOGOJILI Kristo MeaningThe kristo is the caller in a licensed cockpit who relays bets between bettors using hand signals and calls.
GOGOJILI SentensyadorThe sentensyador is the official in a licensed cockpit who declares the result of a sabong fight: a win for one rooster, a loss, or a draw.
GOGOJILI Sultada MeaningA sultada is the pairing of two roosters for one fight.

Talk of the tari today means the cockpit, not a screen: online e-sabong has been suspended nationwide since 2022. President Duterte stopped it in a taped broadcast on 3 May 2022, with no signed order behind the words. A written ban followed when President Marcos signed Executive Order No. 9 on 28 December 2022.

Physical cockfighting runs on in licensed cockpits, which is where the tari matters. Start with the sabong ph basics for the full legal picture.

Tari sabong: the blade on the leg

The tari is a blade strapped to the leg of a fighting rooster. It is fitted before the birds meet, and it changes what a fight is: with blades, a fight is decided in moments instead of a long struggle. That is why the word tari comes up in almost every conversation about how a sabong fight ended.

FactDetail
What it isA blade fitted to a rooster’s leg
WhenAfter the pairing, before release
EffectFights end fast and the result is clear

How the tari is fitted, step by step

The order below is the same in every licensed sabungan.

  1. Pairing. The two roosters are matched first, as a sultada pairing explains.
  2. Preparation. The handler readies the bird and its leg.
  3. Fitting. The tari is secured to the leg so it stays in place through the fight.
  4. Release. The roosters are set into the ring.

Why the tari decides how a fight ends

With the tari on, one clean strike can settle a fight, so the result usually comes within moments of the release. That is why cockpit language treats the blade as the deciding factor. Here is the chain of events.

  1. The tari is fitted to each bird.
  2. The birds are released and meet in the ring.
  3. A strike lands, and the fight is settled almost at once.
  4. The verdict follows, called by the sentensyador.

The sentensyador’s verdict page covers how a win, loss or draw is called.

Tari next to the other pit words

The tari belongs to a set of words that mark one fight from start to finish. The table places it among them.

TermRelation to the tari
SultadaThe pairing, which always comes before the blade
TariThe blade, part of one specific fight
KristoRecords the bets before the birds are released
SentensyadorDeclares the result once the fight is over

A tari is never fitted on a rooster that has no partner, because the blade belongs to a specific fight. The kristo signals page shows how the bets are recorded.

FAQ

What is the tari in sabong?

The tari is the blade fitted to a rooster's leg before a cockpit fight. It is the reason a fight is usually short.

When is the tari fitted?

After the two roosters have been paired and the handlers have agreed, and just before the birds are released.

Is the tari the same as a gaff?

It is the Filipino word for the blade used in sabong. English-language writing often calls a curved blade of this kind a gaff.

Related guides

Related guides
GuideWhat it covers
GOGOJILI Kristo Meaningkristo meaning
GOGOJILI Sentensyadorsentensyador
GOGOJILI Sultada Meaningsultada meaning

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