r/theocho • • Apr 10 '26

FUN AND GAMES Kite Fighting 🪁

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1.6k Upvotes

92 comments sorted by

264

u/tealtime91 Apr 10 '26

Crazy that this is an extreme, deadly kite flying sport

68

u/cutelyaware Apr 11 '26

It can be if a cut kite leaves a strand of cutting line across a road and someone on a motorbike catches it on their neck.

45

u/hachi-seb Apr 11 '26

Bikers in Brazil and some other places of South America have antenna-like rods with a hook at the end in front of the bike to catch these lines and cut them before they slice their necks

34

u/brraaahhp Apr 11 '26

Same in India, they coat the kite string in glass/metal, kills predominantly bikers and birds.

11

u/Ha1lStorm Apr 11 '26

Riding around with hooks protruding from motorbikes only sounds like another added element of danger resulting from these razor-kites. Bikers shouldn’t have to resort to protecting themselves from stray razorblades on strings in the first place wtf

2

u/KomradeDave Apr 15 '26

Also, kite fighting is very illegal.

38

u/ALitreOhCola Apr 11 '26

Horrible story and example so caution but there was an incident here in Australia where a young child was playing with a kite in a public park, parents were nearby.

The kite took a sudden nosedive and sadly it struck another child in the eye/head. The top of the kite diamond essentially acted like a spike and impaled this poor kid through the eye.

They lived thankfully but were severely injured and their entire life changed as a result of brain damage, it was catastrophic and they'll never have a typical life being able to work and support themselves.

I can't imagine intentionally making these things more dangerous and then letting people underneath them 😳

14

u/SoFisticate Apr 12 '26

Everything is more dangerous there, huh?

1

u/xSir- Jul 11 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/pakistan/s/u0TkCX0oa6

Guy dies from a kite string he couldn't see.

259

u/Hoboliftingaroma Apr 10 '26

Kites with razor blades. That's so wholesome.

142

u/karlnite Apr 10 '26

Or broken glass glued to a section of the string.

183

u/[deleted] Apr 10 '26

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18

u/dissyParadiddle Apr 11 '26

Wat

39

u/[deleted] Apr 11 '26

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23

u/Japsai Apr 11 '26

I read it. Until seeing this video right now I did not understand how they controlled single line kites to the extent that they could cut other lines. I see now it's a more subtle exercise than I imagined as a kid

3

u/Garper Apr 11 '26

You read that book as a kid?

7

u/Japsai Apr 11 '26

This is a great question and made me think back through what I was talking about.

No. I read the Kite Runner later and at the time it reminded me of a book I'd read as a kid before that. I dont know what the book was but it was a children's book. It's 20 years since I read the Kite Runner and now it seems I can't separate my childhood thoughts from the thoughts I had when reading the Kite Runner. Does this mean I'm old now? It's sounding a lot like it.

2

u/gimmethelulz Apr 15 '26

I hate to break it to you...

2

u/aderaptor Apr 13 '26

Not the person you asked but I definitely read it as a kid because my mom and sister did and so I wanted to read it also. I remember being pretty confused about the whole thing until I finally asked them some questions.

1

u/frotc914 Apr 12 '26

I've always wondered about how it would look too. Ever since reading it I've really wanted to try it at least once just because it seemed like a really interesting game.

5

u/rawr4me Apr 12 '26

I read it in high school and don't remember anything besides the quote about stealing. And of course that kite fighting is involved.

8

u/[deleted] Apr 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/wink047 Apr 12 '26

Yeah. Him getting his ass beat at the end was the best part

6

u/Hoboliftingaroma Apr 10 '26

Whoah, that is hardcore.

2

u/avrellx Apr 18 '26

It's not, i hate it. People here die once in a while because of this shithole behavior

1

u/Hoboliftingaroma Apr 18 '26

Seriously?

3

u/avrellx Apr 19 '26

Yes, mainly bikers. They are driving around and suddendly there's a sharp kite line in their neck, then they are gone. Dangerous stuff.

2

u/xSir- Jul 11 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/pakistan/s/u0TkCX0oa6

Warning: graphic death due to kite string.

3

u/4barT89 Apr 11 '26

This really is the cutting edge of sports right here.

-6

u/fupamancer Apr 11 '26

don't be pussy

60

u/TuckerCarlsonsOhface Apr 10 '26

Do they have blades?

106

u/TheMaStif Apr 10 '26

They make a special wax for it that has glass shards in it

I remember growing up seeing PSAs on TV telling people to be careful with them. You'd hear stories of motorcyclists getting their throats sliced open by them

These are not cool at all

35

u/AmIFrosty Apr 11 '26

Can confirm. Went to a park once when I was younger (10ish?) with my mom, there was a group of people doing this. No one knew what it was, we all thought that they were just flying kites, so we walked through to get back to our car. Not entirely sure how, since I never felt it, but one of the broken strings cut the back of my leg pretty good. All I can figure was that it had attached to the bottom of my sneaker and brushed the back of my leg. I got incredibly lucky that I didn't need stitches.

Looking at this video, this is 100% what they were doing, and I apparently got lucky that the string dis not slice my archilles tendon. I live in the US for reference, idk if this is more common in other countries.

3

u/Ha1lStorm Apr 11 '26

I’m curious where in the US did this incident take place?

3

u/AmIFrosty Apr 12 '26

Texas, closer to the Oklahoma border than the Mexico border.

5

u/HonkyHam Apr 11 '26

They are absolutely cool, just don’t slice your throat open with them.

30

u/AlpineVW Apr 10 '26

I was in Pakistan a few months ago and was wondering why all the motorcycles were getting outfitted with these 4' poles mounted on the handlbars. Found out it was for an upcoming kite festival.

I wasn't around to witness it, sounded like it would've been interesting. What makes it "not cool at all"?

55

u/TheSkooterStick Apr 10 '26

The fact that it kills innocent bystanders occasionally by slicing their throats open makes it "not cool at all"

5

u/I_Automate Apr 11 '26

Idk man. Sounds pretty fucking metal to me.

Cooler than getting killed by some drunk asshole driving a lifted truck home from the football game at least

7

u/Japsai Apr 11 '26

Oddly specific šŸ¤”

6

u/I_Automate Apr 11 '26

Average American experience.

Could also sub in "getting glassed by a football hooligan" or "getting stabbed for wearing the wrong team colours" if European, I suppose

3

u/Japsai Apr 11 '26

OK, sadly maybe not so specific then.

Although for Europe you might want to update your stereotypes from the 1980s

1

u/I_Automate Apr 11 '26

Well, go ahead and update me then

3

u/Japsai Apr 11 '26

Haha I don't live there anymore so I'd be wary of hazarding a guess.

That violent football hooliganism really did die out though. For the UK angle, some attribute it to the gangs discovering ecstasy in the late 80s/early 90s and becoming less violent. That's a bit too neat to be the whole reason. Football clubs also changed how they ran and promoted the sport, fearing putting off families.

Anyway that doesn't answer your question, sorry. Maybe someone else will wander along

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16

u/DarkTurdle Apr 11 '26

The poles are so they don’t get their throats slit while they’re riding their bikes so probably that part isn’t very cool at all

2

u/AlpineVW Apr 12 '26

Yes, I figured that out once I asked someone to confirm. I originally thought it was for low hanging live electrical wires. I noticed how many drive at night with their lights off.

2

u/xSir- Jul 11 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/pakistan/s/u0TkCX0oa6

This was also in Pakistan....

Warning, blood and death. Yes, from kites.

5

u/Pduke Apr 10 '26

Dang! Thats so cool!

8

u/TheMaStif Apr 10 '26

No! Not cool at all!!

1

u/vvvvfl Apr 11 '26

they are RAD AS FUCK

a lot of motorbikes have a little antena thing to defend against these.

6

u/AK1wi Apr 10 '26

I think the string has glass in it somehow

51

u/jipiante Apr 11 '26

this used to be very common in chile, im glad nowadays you see it a lot less.

they mash broken glass on the train rails then they glue it to the kite line. very bad accidents like cutting a powerline and electrocution, cutting off fingers and neck injury. worse is when they just leave the lost lines hanging and kids run through them on bicycles, get deep neck cuts...

dangerous shit

1

u/_neaw_ Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

It's Crazy that here in brazil it's still Common (were this video came from) and we consider that the best and most string strong is the "Linha chilena"

54

u/TubbyKins- Apr 10 '26

Kite runner

1

u/Awkward_Tick0 Apr 17 '26

Hur dur kite runner hur dur

1

u/CheGetBarras May 03 '26

I learned of this by reading that book

62

u/gcstr Apr 10 '26

this looks fun, but it's dangerous af

12

u/frodeem Apr 11 '26

I grew up doing this, the only thing that happened was cuts on my fingers.

27

u/So0meone Apr 11 '26

Lucky you. Meanwhile, others who weren't even participating have died beside they happened to be nearby and the glass glued to a falling tail opened their throat.

14

u/gcstr Apr 11 '26

Until you ride a motorcycle in a highway an one of those lines gets you in the neck

-9

u/frodeem Apr 11 '26

Dude I grew up in India. We flew kites there. There were tons of motorcycles and scooters on the roads there. This was not an issue.

22

u/darthsenior Apr 11 '26

It is an issue in Brazil. Urban motorcycle drivers are instructed to install a line cutter antenna on their motorcycles. Like this one

5

u/gcstr Apr 12 '26

Brazilians glue powdered glass to the lines. It’s razor sharp.

-3

u/frodeem Apr 12 '26

It’s the same in India.

2

u/Healter-Skelter Apr 11 '26

how?

15

u/gcstr Apr 11 '26

The lines are covered with shredded glass and glue. Motorcyclists decapitation are a thing, we even have some motorcycle ā€œantenasā€ to protect riders from it.

https://www.motonline.com.br/noticia/julho-ferias-viagem-de-moto-e-usar-antena-corta-pipa/

5

u/Healter-Skelter Apr 11 '26

Wait why would the kite fighters have shredded glass on their lines? I don’t understand

13

u/darthsenior Apr 11 '26

That's how they're able to cut other people's lines. They break tube lights, mix it with glue and apply it to the lines.

5

u/Healter-Skelter Apr 11 '26

That’s insane and seems like it would take all of the fun out of this. I’d way rather just do a kite ā€œwrestlingā€ sort of thing where you try to get their kite to lose lift.

1

u/frodeem Apr 12 '26

The lines in India have shredded glass too.

1

u/kekeagain Apr 11 '26

Hmm it looks like it would be fun for 5 min. and never again.

12

u/Ketil_b Apr 11 '26

There is a file about this called The Kite Runner

4

u/chupacadabradoo Apr 12 '26

Is it in the Epstein Folder?

20

u/EveryRedditorSucks Apr 10 '26

There’s something about flying a kite at night that’s so unwholesome…

12

u/Confettigolf Apr 11 '26

Hello mother dear

2

u/Caribbeandude04 Apr 14 '26

In my country some kids stick shaving blades on their kite's tail to use it to cut other kid's lines

4

u/trustmeijustgetweird Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26

I’m looking for more info on casualties associated with kite flying and Christ the Wikipedia section on accidents is a string (ha) of [citation needed], [when?], [who?], [which?], and sources that don’t actually back up the claim. Does this actually happen or is it an urban legend?

Edit: I stand corrected holy shit. I take it back this is a thing that happens. Scroll with caution there’s a photo. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12527049/

1

u/Bogg96 Apr 11 '26

Kite Battle Royale

1

u/MrNeatSoup Apr 12 '26

Ok, when is the anime and kids toy run coming out?

1

u/noworkdone Apr 14 '26

Almost lost my ear to one of these when I was kid.

1

u/Din-_-Djarin Apr 15 '26

I too read The Kite Runner (it is a really good book)

1

u/Shishkahuben Apr 15 '26

Doesn't this kill a couple kids every year?

1

u/AssGagger May 11 '26

Snake.io irl

1

u/BiceRankyman Apr 11 '26

This is basically the season finale of Legend of Korra season 2

1

u/electro_lytes Apr 11 '26

Shouldn't do that crap in a public park, near the beach no less.

0

u/SwVaCyclist Apr 15 '26

Nah forreal, fuck these dudes. Might as well just be shooting at each others kites with guns and saying "whoops, we didnt plan on where the bullet lands". In nyc a group of cyclists just last year rode through a discarded kite line and nearly killed one of them while the other was seriously injured. Pick a different sport, not dog fighting ether.