Ritual fighting in Peru
The Andean fighting tradition known as Takanakuy is a ritual of unclear providence that predates Spanish colonial rule and happens twice a year, in July and just after Christmas.
The fighters dress up in costumes of Andean folklore figures, with the ski masks an integral part of the costume.
Among the characters: "El Negro," representative of black slaves; "El Majeno," reminiscent of liquor salesmen from a region called Majes; and "El Gallo," the rooster.
The fights are preceded by traditional dancing and music.
Takanakuy, which means "When the blood is boiling" in Quechua, is a ritual of unclear providence that predates Spanish colonial rule.
It's not just adult males who fight. Women and children with scores to settle also battle it out.
During the fights, women sing "huaylia" music with lyrics in Quechua that include such lines as "Child, fear not when rivers of blood flow."
In Peru, it has long been practiced in the highlands province of Chumbivilcas near Cuzco. More recently, it has spread to outlying neighborhoods of Lima.
Often with faces swollen and bloodied, the fighters shake hands or hug and deem their personal dispute settled. Or else they agree to do battle again next year.
"When we first started doing this in Lima (in the early 1980s) they called us savages, but this tradition of ours dates back hundreds of years," said Jose Boza, president of Club Qorilazo, which organizes the Lima fist fest.
