The Legend of the Tarantula
While the name Taranta comes from our family from Sāo Paulo, Brazil, the name is actually Italian, and translates to Tarantula.
The legend of the tarantula has its roots in Southern Italy, where it was believed that being bitten by a tarantula spider could cause a condition known as "tarantism." This condition was said to involve intense restlessness, anxiety, and a compulsion to dance wildly in an attempt to sweat out the spider's venom.
According to the legend, the only way to cure tarantism was through a specific type of music and dance called the "tarantella." The tarantella was a frenzied and energetic dance, often accompanied by music played on traditional instruments such as the tambourine and the accordion.
It was believed that each tarantula bite required a specific type of tarantella to cure, depending on the species of spider and the time of year. The music and dance were said to be so powerful that they could cure not only tarantism but also other illnesses and maladies.
Today, the tarantella dance is still performed in Italy and has become a cultural tradition associated with weddings and other celebrations. While the belief in tarantism has largely faded away, the legend of the tarantula and the power of the tarantella lives on as a fascinating piece of folklore
While we personally resonate with the name (partially because it's our own), we see a huge parallel between the legend of the tarantula and the sport of jiu jitsu. Jiu jitsu is both the spider and the dance. Once bitten by the art form, it becomes an obsessive madness that overtakes you, infecting every aspect of your life.
All you want to do is talk about jiu jitsu and train jiu jitsu. You're friends get tired of hearing about you rolling around on padded mats in your pajamas. They probably abandon you and now all of your friends are your brothers and sisters on the mats, your fellow infected.
While training can help ease the burden of the infatuation, there is only one known cure that many swear by (getting your blue belt), but this isn't always enough to break the grip of you.
At Taranta we have taken our jiu jitsu obsession to the next level, and have obsessed about everything on and off the mats. We have spent an insane amount of time making sure every aspect of our products are just right, from fit and feel, to focusing on American manufacturing.
Our current assortment of products is the best we can do based on our current experience and knowledge, but we will continue to innovate and level up our products and your experience.
