El Fandi
El Fandi (born David Fandila Marín in Granada, Spain) is statistically one of the most skilled matadors in the world. Currently, he is ranked number one among all bullfighters in Spain. El Fandi was a member of Spain's national skiing team in his teenage years; however, there was a history of bullfighting in his family, and he had always loved bullfighting. He decided to attend the Jose Antonio Martín Municipal School for Bullfighting in Almería where he learned the skills and technique of bullfighting. He started his career as a "picador" in Santa Fe, near Granada and  debuted as a "matador" in 2000. Childhood. David Fandila Marín was born on June 13, 1981 in Granada, Spain, the son of Trinidad Marín and Juan Fandila, a "banderillero", or flagman. David’s mother was in danger during the pregnancy and was encouraged to terminate the pregnancy. However, she decided to ignore the advice and continued with the pregnancy.“It was a battle between David and Goliath,” Trinidad remembers, “that’s the reason I named him David.” David spent his childhood living in the Albayzín, a Moorish district in Granada. However, his parents soon moved to the Sierra Nevada Mountains  where they found a steady job serving as guards in a building. While living in this community, David and his brother, Juan Álvaro, spent time skiing in the mountains. They specialized in Alpine Skiing and Acrobatic Skiing, but were talented in many areas of the sport. The brothers joined the "Federación Española de Esquí" where they competed in competitions; David left with a national title. Background on Bullfighting. Each bullfight consists of 3 matadors and six bulls; each matador fights 2 bulls. Bullfights consist of 3 "tercios", or parts. In the first part, the matador fights with a cape while  the bull is provoked by the "picador" (a helper on horseback who holds a lance and pricks the muscles in the bulls neck. This is done to lowerer the bulls head so it is easier to handle The second part consists of placing banderillas or small flags with hooks on the end on the bull's back. Sometimes the matador himself will do this; however, usually it is done by the "banderilleros". The purpose of the banderillas is to correct any defects of the bull's charge, such as excessive hooking to one side. During the third round, the matador  returns with a cape and sword and kills the bull. If the matador makes a good kill, the public asks the president of the ring to reward the matador by waving bandanas or small fans. The reward is cutting the ears and/or tail of the bull; earning the tail is more prestigious than earning the ears. A higher reward is that of exiting the "plaza de toros" (bullring) through the front doors, which are called "puertas grandes". Bullfighting Beginnings. When he was four years old, David began to practice bullfighting using papers and rags in Pradollano Square. When he wanted  to practice with the "banderillas", he stuck forks in the sofa, pretending it was a bull. ‘El Fandi’ appeared for the first time in a "becerrada" (a bullfight with young bulls), in Armilla (Granada) on September 30, 1995. After a couple of these small bullfights, he made his first appearance as a "novillero" (bullfighting apprentice) on April 19, 1998 in Santa Fe (Granada). El Fandi faced many hardships early in his career, having to fight in many difficult bullrings, many of which were close to Madrid. However, thanks to his agents, Antonio Rodriguez and Manolo Martín, he started to become  a better bullfighter. In 1999, he was classified as one of the top "banderilleros" with 60 successful bullfights. Later in that year, he made his introduction to the world of bullfighting in the Monumental de Las Ventas in Madrid where he cut one ear from his second bull, thus earning his first prize. El Fandi finished his bullfights in 1999 successfully. On October 31, he killed six bulls and cut five ears. Around this time, Emilio Miranda Casas and Santiago López began to represent El Fandi in his career. Emilio Miranda was the well-known and prestigious manager of the  bullring in Granada. López was a retired "matador", or bullfighter, and an agent to bullfighters with a lot of experience and a good reputation. Both men believed David could be the great bullfighter Granada was waiting for; however, it would be a long road. David needed to improve his fundamentals, Santiago López worked hard with him. The year 2000 began with one goal in mind: El Fandi was going to become a "matador" in la "Feria del Corpus" (a weeklong fair in Granada honoring its city-saint, Corpus Christi). However, just before his "alternativa" (a bullfight in which the junior  bullfighter is presented to the crowd as a matador), he suffered a fracture in his right elbow in a bullfighting accident in Murcia. However, despite the fracture, El Fandi decided to fight and become a matador on June 18, 2000. That afternoon, while wearing protection on his right arm and fighting mainly with his left, El Fandi cut two ears and became a hero in Granada. Professional life. El Fandi was the subject of a documentary film entitled "The Matador" which received wide critical acclaim for its cinematography, editing, and musical score. The New York Times gave the film a  particularly glowing review. El Fandi killed 107 bulls in the 2005 season, and he is only the 13th bullfighter in the centuries of its history to have successfully completed over 100 corridas in one season. He also ran the 2008 New York City Marathon. His Cuadrilla. A "cuadrilla" is a bullfighter’s entourage. It is made up of the men who help him while in the ring and those who help with his public relations. Currently these men make up El Fandi’s "cuadrilla": In the media. A biographical movie titled 'The Matador' premieres at the South by Southwest Film  Festival in March 2008. The movie is directed by Stephen Higgins and Nina Gilden Seavey. For more information, see https://web.archive.org/web/20070416072847/http://www.elfandifilm.com/.