El Juego del Garrote

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El Juego del Garrote (The Garrote Game) is a Venezuelan martial arts system which involves the machete, the stick and knife fencing. The garrote is a stick that is heavier at the striking end than at the handle end. The discipline of El Juego del Garrote is also known under other names, such as Garrote Larense, Garrote Tocuyano, Pelea de Palos and Esgrima de Palos.

The origins of el Juego del Garrote are unknown, though references to it exist throughout Venezuelan culture. The combat system was passed from generation to generation and its practice and teachings held secretly.^{[citation needed]} The master stick fighter (Maestro Jugador) revealed his skill just at the moment of the fight, never before, since it was to the Jugador's advantage if his opponent underestimated him in a life-and-death duel. The Garrotero Mercedes Pérez used to say of el Juego del Garrote: "it is like a companion who could give us help in any moment of life; it is like a handkerchief that you put in your pocket and take it out whenever you need it".^{[citation needed]}