[File:Tauromaquia en España.PNG|300px|thumb| Bullfighting in Spain: ]]
Bullfighting ( or ; ), also known as
tauromachia or
tauromachy ( , ; from "bull-fight"), is a traditional spectacle of
Spain,
Portugal, parts of southern
France and some
Latin American countries (
Mexico,
Colombia,
Ecuador,
Venezuela and
Peru), in which one or more
bulls are fought in a bullring. Although it can be defined as a
blood sport, within the areas where it is practiced, it is not considered a sport but a cultural event and art form. There are no elements of competition in the proceedings. The bullfight, as it is practiced today, involves professional
toreros (of whom the most senior, who actually kills the bull, is called a
matador) who execute various formal moves which have a meaning, or at least a name, according to the bullfighter's style or school. It has been alleged that toreros seek to elicit inspiration and art from their work and an emotional connection with the crowd transmitted through the
bull. The close proximity places the bullfighter at some risk of being gored or trampled by the weakened bull. After the bull has been hooked multiple times behind the shoulder by other matadors in the arena, the bullfight usually concludes with the killing of the bull by a single sword thrust, which is called the
estocada. In Portugal, the finale consists of a tradition called the
pega, where men (
forcados) try to grab and hold the bull by its horns when it runs at them.