Spider fighting in Kajiki

Last weekend Tyler and I traveled north to Kajiki to see some friends, and to experience the very famous (?) Kajiki Spider fighting festival. Tyler was pretty skeptical before we left, assuring me it was going to be very boring. It turned out to be extremely thrilling though!! Apparently they breed and train these spiders for fighting, letting them live in their houses just like pets. Here are some pictures courtesy of Tyler:

Basically they would put two spiders on a long stick, and the first one to nock the other off, bite the other, or wrap the other in web was the winner. Then they would challenge the winner with a new spider. What I couldn't understand was how they could actually tell them apart. The man in the traditional Japanese robes was there to mediate, and nudge the spiders toward one another if they weren't cooperating. The man in the yellow was like a commentator, and he sounded much like an auctioneer, talking really really fast in single syllable words the whole time. It was quite the show, and I felt pretty comfortable around the spiders. Although if it was me versus one of those in my apartment, I would likely reach my untimely end, as I almost did last september when my face-off with a hand sized yellow spider ended with me in hysterics and my apartment covered in toxic bug spray. eek!