in madagascar moraingy is a brutal mixed martial arts tradition creditfinbarr oreilly for the new york timesmadagascar dispatchthe sport of moraingy a brutal mixed martial arts tradition in madagascar has become commercialized over the years but at heart it remains a reflection of local culturea moraingy match in madagascars northeastern sava region the sport attracting legions of devoted fans has a centurieslong traditioncreditfinbarr oreilly for the new york timesnov 5 2018sambava madagascar the devoted fans make their way to dusty outdoor rings surrounded by grass huts and palm trees they take their seats on makeshift wooden benches and through song and lots of cheering glorify the gladiators of moraingy madagascars brutal bareknuckle fighting traditionbouts are a blur of fists elbows knees and feet punctuated by the thud of vicious slugs and the smack of bodies hitting the ground whirling blows are exchanged for longer than seems possible to withstandhaymakers kicks and punches are landed absorbed and countered with equal ferocity the fighters known as fagnorolahy perform a violent dance until someone gives up or is knocked down or the referee identifies a winneri dont feel fear before a fight said rocky ambanza a local star of the game if you feel fear you have already lost but you must not underestimate your adversaryfew opponents would underestimate mr ambanza 28 whose compact body is marked by scars and scratches his power speed and technique combined with his confident swagger and aggression made him a crowd favorite during a recent moraingy pronounced moreaingee match in sambavathe city in the northeastern sava region of madagascar is the world capital for vanilla production the soaring global price for the flavor has boosted the local economy in recent years and the infusion of money has added a commercial component to the centuriesold form of handtohand combatwinners of moraingy bouts earn cash as well as prizes that can include stereos televisions bikes and even carsthe traditional sport has changed in another way too typically it was pursued by unmarried men between the ages of 10 to 35 now women are increasingly taking part both as combatants and managersmy husband loves moraingy so with the money were making from the vanilla trade we put fighters on a monthly contract and host the events said maria hadjee whose family business sponsors a moraingy team in sambava with a half a dozen male fighters and a coachthe team travels the region by minivan drumming up attendance by driving around the dirt roads of the towns they visit and announcing over loud speakers the next days combat against rival clubs the fighters sometimes set up the smaller venues themselvesimagecreditfinbarr oreilly for the new york timesimagecreditfinbarr oreilly for the new york timesimagecreditfinbarr oreilly for the new york timesthe combat that follows becomes a marker not only of strength and courage but also of character especially in the face of a lossrules vary from region to region but victory is not possible without maintaining certain critical social attitudes and principles according to