Entry 2: Finding Strength in Brake Fluid

Richard Writes:
Perhaps sensing I needed a leg up, Kamikladze pointed in the direction of a decidedly unusual hut. Where most Zulu huts are high-walled with sturdy roofs, these walls came only to my knees. The rounded roof was the dominating feature, and its thatch sloped down on all sides. There was no door, the entrance being instead a small gap in the thatch. Through this hole I stooped and ducked, and thus began my first encounter with a witchdoctor.

“Muhusi,” I said. I had been forewarned by Kamikladze, my excellent host, that this was the appropriate introduction when making the witchdoctor’s acquaintance, and even though I garbled it awkwardly, something seemed to work. An ancient hand stretched from the shadows and bade me take a seat.

At closer range I placed the man in his early 70s, and as I sat I saw he was markedly different from the other Zulus. Even the village grandfathers were a muscular bunch on the whole, but this man was gaunt and withered. From his chin a tattered gray beard spiralled floorwards. He sat cross-legged and hunched, dressed in a fantastic ensemble of beads and robes. Ornaments dangled from his neck, a splendid headpiece sat upon his head, and from this head his eyes, bloodshot and wild, stared out like cinders from a dark cave.

“What can I do for you, young fellow?” he asked in a tired voice. (I paraphrase, of course – the translator who had accompanied me gave a blander interpretation.) This was a good question. Up until now, I had treated the idea of visiting a witchdoctor with a cocky buoyancy, but face-to-face with this fascinating man I was humbled to the point of faith.

“I would like strength for the competition,” I said in a near-whisper. “Indeed? Then I can help you.”

Everything seemed to be going very well, and I watched eagerly as he began concocting a particularly juicy potion. At first it looked like a fine jug of Pimms’ (a British ginger beverage) with just the right amount of fruit, but then he added what were unmistakably decaying vegetables. Worse still, as I stole a glance around the shady edges of his clinic, I noticed with alarm some discomforting labels on the scattered bottles. Brake fluid sat next to a carton of bleach, and many bore foreboding warnings of toxins within. Into the bucket these were merrily sent, and all the while the product looked less and less like Pimms’. He divided the one substance into two bottles, and gave me them one by one.

“Take this, and wash yourself with it. But do not drink it, whatever you do.” Then, reaching for the other bottle of the same: “This you must drink. All of it. But first pay me or it won’t work.”

Some men you can accuse of double standards. Witchdoctors you can’t, so I paid the fee and looked at my purchase. It was a full two-liter bottle, and it smelled formidable. The scent of decay and ferment quite overpowered the original fruit. What would Kamikladze do, I wondered, and therein lay the answer. If I was staying with Zulus, I would do as the Zulus did, even to the point of accepting their medicine over what I was used to. When in Rome, as they say.  The fact that Romans never had to drink brake fluid is perfectly immaterial.

The day of the stick fight I baptized myself as instructed. Stinking powerfully of putrid cabbage, I took up the next bottle, and sank a hearty few mouthfuls. It was vile stuff, as I expected, but I overcame the rebellion of my taste buds and forced it down. Closing my eyes, I tried 10 gulps in row, and made impressive headway down the bottle. About one liter in, my stomach started spasming, and with half a liter to go, I felt a disconcerting rumble. If I stopped now, I’d never finish, so breathing heavily through my nose I pressed on and finished the last dregs. It was all gone. For a moment my stomach sat quite still. A short moment.

It never feels good to vomit, but it is far worse when one is losing some damned expensive potion. It came out violently and angrily, and left me feeling pretty spent. I surveyed the vegetables sadly, as my stomach made strange noises of relief. When it comes down to it, it seems the sacred can be just as ugly as the profane. I had asked for strength for the competition; I could only hope that my opponent had got the same kind of strength, and that he too was staring at his own vomit in a village somewhere over the hills.

Mark's Account:
Day 5
Morning came quickly and as I got up off the floor breakfast arrived. It’s 6 a.m. and the temp outside is already blistering. At 9 a.m. we were to be down by the river to prove that we were men. The river is about a two-mile walk away and on arrival we were greeted by the village warriors all sitting around a fire. This a real big tradition. Basically, there is a piece of cooked meat placed into the middle of the field on a stick, and one man then chooses to go and claim that piece of meat. Everybody wants a piece of this meat, so you then have to go and challenge that person to a fight in order to have it. It was our opportunity to compete at full speed with the locals; yes, we did have padded sticks but it was hard all the same. We all stood our ground really well but for me -- I don’t feel switched on. There isn’t a hunger or desire to compete; my mind isn’t there.

On that evening Brad and I were taken to a witch doctor to receive magic potions to give us strength, speed and agility. Hmmmmmm, I think they are trying to tell us something. It was a very strange but comical experience. All the same, I don’t think I will be trying them.

Day 7
This is the final day before the competition. It was time for our final test: three fights each with a local champion without padded sticks at full speed but no head shots are allowed. This was a big deal as for the first time we could potentially get hurt. I felt good and pulled out the best three fights of my life. My mind was on the ball with concentration, I only got hit once and that was on my thigh. I have a perfect stick mark remaining there, too! Ouch! It hurt but this guy went easy on us. All the same I had achieved the Zulu stick fighter status; I was in their eyes a man. All six of us passed the test, but I received a glance and a shake of the hand in acknowledgment for my tough fight. I earned his respect!

After the fights, in interview, he pointed me and Jason out as the better fighters on the day. I had come from the back to be at the front! I definitely have nothing to prove now, but my confidence is growing …

Comments

[Ana]

I'm so proud of the guys!!! I was pretty scared for them when I saw blood dripping from one of the Zulu's head. That would have been it for me. ha. Well done guys

[AVGeek]

OKay, I'm not an athlete by any stretch of anyone's imagination, but this is becoming on of my favorite shows. Brazil was a good opener, and Zulu was a wonderful followup. Something tells me that I'll be sympathy breathing in Episode 3, so keep fighting the good fight . . . both literally and figuratively.
=D

[Ron]

I am a former soldier and current martial artist and I find the premise of the show is interesting, but I do not understand the selection of athletes. The majority of challenges appear to be combat (martial art) related but only one athlete is a martial artist and he seems to be more concerned about getting hurt than winning. Riding a bike, climbing mountains, and being strong do not translate to winning fights. To the viewer the declared winners appear to have lost the competition.

I hope if there is a second season, either combat athletes or better still soldiers (Rangers, Seals, Para Rescue, Force Recon, and/or Delta Force operatives) are selected. These men would have a much better chance of truly winning.

[Mark one of the six]

Ron i accept your comments but you have to realise there is so much more to the show than beating other up and the tribal people themselves. Yes i am sure soldiers and hardcore full contact martial artists would do so much better at the fighting but its more about culture difference and everyday people moving out of their comfort zones trying something new and adapting. If we watched army people on the show then you wouldnt have people being scared, and having problems adapting showing true emotion that the everyday worker could relate to experiencing etc. I think that would make for a boring show and uninteresting cause the average person would never relate to it. That being said we are all only human and i am sure your heart would have been racing going up agaisnt the Zulus in a full contact stick fight. As an ex martial artist my self i still feel that fear of getting hurt is a human instinct and reaction especially when its not your occupation or career. Further to that these tasks were unknown to the athletes before they got there so we didn't know what were letting ourselves in for other than to go on an amazing adventure!

[JackieP]

This show is not about beating ppl up.

[JackieP]

This show is not about beating ppl up.

[JackieP]

Congradulations Brad on your beautiful new baby girl! I bet she's gonna be strong like her Daddy! =D

[Christy]

Rajko is still hot. I love this show.

[Bass Man]

Go Brad! You monster!

[Lyntai]

I am in NO-WAY into physical fitness other than being married to a field hockey coach/player and martial artist....so I can appreciate and understand the mental, emotional and physical demands of the challenges. I LOVE the fact that these competitors can be anyone we know..it makes the show real to the viewer.... I am VERY addicted to the show and love that the point of view is still respectful to the cultures.

[Lyntai]

It would appear that Rajko is gaining a fan-base that has nothing to do with the show!! :)

Good luck with dealing with that after-effect once the show has wrapped up!! LOL

[Michelle]

First, Rajko is so beautiful, he melts my heart. For some reason I'm in love with his hawk nose, and more personally, his spirituality.

As to the competition, I am a soldier, having just reenlisted after a 14 year break. I am 40 years old and still tough enough but certainly out of training. This show gives me motivation and a sense of personal strength; watching these guys focus through their pain is a lesson not in athletics, but in mental endurance. Each one of these men is beautiful in their competitive nature, their mental focus and their open, curious natures.

Today I went jogging with my 20 year old daughter today up and down a 500 ft. foothill and when my body wanted to stop, I thought about Rajko running on feet that were complete blisters and I kept running.

So, thanks guys, you are inspiring and next year, when I'm in Iraq, I will be thinking about you and your intense spirits when things get tough.

[MichelleM]

I think Richard's blogs might be my favorite; definitely got a knack for writing! His positivity and outlook are so inspiring that I'm rooting for him to win at least ONE competition - perhaps the wonky Cricket match coming up?

He may not be the most confident (Jason is his own fanbase), the biggest (wouldn't want to run into Brad alone in a dark alley) or the apparent fan-favorite (Rajko, on the other hand...) but Richard has, perhaps, the most heart out of all the athletes. He never seems to be discouraged by his defeats - his response is always "Well, I lost to a good fighter, so it was a good loss" or something of the like. I love that; no self-pity or excuses. Just optimism.

Go Richard!

[Lyntai]

Ok, ok I've been thinking that perhaps Brad won the competition...as production would already be finished, he came home, celebrated, and hence baby number 2!!! But 9 months in post-production is way long!

In my country, the show is a bid hit...(I live on an island in the Caribbean called Trinidad - 10degrees north of Venezuela) and we appreciate the respect you show the people and you guys are open to integrate with these cultures.

This show is about personal growth and revelations, and the end is not really the prize, it's like life, it's the journey that matters - the experiences we have, what we discover and learn about ourselves, and in the end, this opportunity that you guys got will make your lives richer and stronger....Thank You guys and the Discovery Channel for allowing us the viewer, to be part of this life experience and seeing all these cultures....

[Yelica]

Hola mi nombre es Yelica y me ha fascinado el programa, realmente sorprendente lo que hicieron. Que envidia me da ver todo lo que ustedes conocieron.
Saludos desdes Chile y una abrazo muy fuerte para Richard.
Ojala que estén todos ustedes muy buen.