6. The Fula whip battle
via chacha.com
The Fulani of West Africa only become men after they have beaten another boy (literally and figuratively) in a battle of whips. Each competitor must, using a knife, sharpen a stick into a point. When the weapon is ready, he must face his challenger in a sort of duel. Each boy is given three blows. He who hits the hardest and winces the least is the victor, as determined by the overwhelming opinion of the crowd. The losing boy must do it over lest he wants to be stuck in boyhood.
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