Villagers attack one another in brutal brawl... For GOOD LUCK

This is the mass street fight where thousands of villagers aim to 'spill as much blood as possible' - for luck.

A British joualist was punched as he watched the bizarre ritual - known as The Machu Tinku - which sees men and women dressed in colourful clothes punch each other to please the local goddess Pachamama so she will allow a fruitful harvest.  

The fighting takes place in Macha, in the Andes mountains, Bolivia, and is considered a sacred rite of the Quechua Indians.

The centuries-old event sees thousands of Quechan, descendants of the Incas, gather from across the Altiplano region, in Bolivia.

During the ritual, one village circles another before the violence erupts.

The photos, which feature in the second edition of Union Magazine, which is now on sale, present a close-up look at the fighters.

'It is an annual event where thousands gather and fight to spill as much blood as possible, so that local Goddess Pachamama will let next year's crops grow.'

Attempts to ban the Tinku by local authorities and the Catholic Church have all failed as thousands of villages continue the tradition each year.

Only 30 police officers, armed with batons and tear gas, are there to control the crowds.