History of the Fighter

To understand the history of the fighter you have to understand the human in you who like to watch with intent, the ferocity with which animals in general fight. It reminds us of our battles and helps many draw inspirations. Fighting animals were developed under many civilizations. Our very own used to be cock fights. A lot of money is gambled which in turn fuels the need to make the fighting breeds better and better.

The Siamese fighting fish, or more scientifically Betta. Splendens was a native of Siam (now in china). Rice cultivation surprisingly led to the the discovery of this spectacular fish. Even today wild bettas are found in the shallow rice Fields of Thailand and Cambodia.These are lands where the rivers know no boundaries, the land has no option but to give way. Hence the increase in paddy fields further mooted the development of the fish.

How the fish travelled to Thailand was due to the movement of the ethnic "Tai" tribe from china southwards to the fertile soils of what is now named after them "Thailand". After discovery the local communities soon resorted to raising these fishes as pet and use them in local games for fighting and betting.

Fighting was essential and the only way to ascertain the desired quality of the fishes. The aggressiveness, the colours, the temperament, finnage are the deciding factors. The winning fish used to become the icon of the next generation of fighters, while the losers were released back to the waters.

Selective breeding with females led to fighters with increasing desirable qualities. These betta matches still go on in parts of Thailand and known to be very exciting. It is this same old breeding and raring technique that makes the "thai" fighters some of the best in the world.

It is also not very uncommon to find communities dedicated to breeding these fishes in rural Thailand.

Selective breeding was the second import tool deployed in the development of specific fin types and specific colouration. This is a result of hundreds of generations of fighter breeding for many years in Thailand.

The fish enjoys a special place in the heart of many around the world who have come to admire them