We’ve talked previously about gangs and their absurdly gross and violent methods of entry and today we’re going to take a look at 10 more as there is no shortage of gruesome gang rituals out there.
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The US government estimates that there are around 30,000 gangs operating in the United States alone and that’s without taking into consideration the number of gangs operating globally.
Each will have their own initiation rituals and ways for new recruits to prove themselves. Often these rookies can’t simply change their mind as taking an interest and then deciding not to join a gang does not sit well with members and in some cases failure to complete an initiation can result in the new recruit’s death.
So without further ado, let’s see if you have what it takes to be a gangster as we look at 10 more savage gang initiations.
1. Elite Boys: Piss Drinking
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Cambridge and Oxford University have a reputation for their exclusive clubs and elite societies and the rights that this recognition provides to its members. These people enjoy huge alumni networks and often land some of the best jobs in the country.
Not your typical gang, the members of these groups are of a high social class and would get absolutely battered by the other gangs on this list, but their initiation rituals can be likened to that of the Hell’s Angels.
To gain entry to these exclusive societies, as well as a healthy dose of public humiliation, recruits must eat and drink vile concoctions including the consumption of raw fish and having someone piss straight down their throat. What a classy bunch.
2. Chinese Triads: Drink Blood Or Die
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The Chinese Triads are one of the oldest criminal organisations in the world and date back around 3,000 years, covering Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and China. The Triads are renowned for their links to prostitution, gambling, extortion and money laundering. Membership is estimated at around 55,000 members, making it a pretty hefty group.
If you feel the Chinese Triads are the gang for you then first, there will be a ceremony and a chicken or goat is sacrificed. Following that, you will be required to drink a combination of wine and the blood of the sacrificed animal or your own blood. Finally, you pass beneath an arch of swords reciting the oath, ‘If a member of this society finds himself in difficulty, all will rush to his aid. If I, as a future member of this association, break this oath, the swords will descend and kill me.’
So not too bad in the grand scheme of things, but you better be sure you want to join because if you fail to drink the bloody beverage, you will be killed there and then.
3. London: Anything To Do With Knives
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Due to the lack of guns on UK streets, London gangsters have to be more creative with their violence and this often leads to a number of brutal slashings and stabbings.
To join a London gang, a choice is often presented to the hopeful member and they can choose between eating dog feces – or some similarly disgusting meal – or they can stab someone.
If you choose the former – whilst noble – you will be looked down upon by the gang as you failed to demonstrate capacity to be ruthless and as such will have little chances of promotion within the gang. Unfortunately this means a lot of new recruits will go for the option to stab someone so as to gain respect from gang members.
Also, don’t think that you won’t end up getting a knife jabbed into you as new recruits are sometimes stabbed by their own members as a test to join the gang. Excellent.
4. Mac Baller Brims: Assassination
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Small but mighty, the Mac Baller Brims operate in New York City as well as the prison system and have links to the Bloods. The gang’s main interests lie in the drug trade, however they will expend a lot of energy ruthlessly hunting down rival gang members.
There are two different methods favoured by the gang when initiating new recruits. A potential gang member may be given the classic beating by current members and be ‘jumped in’ or alternatively, be instructed to murder someone. Men as young as 14 have been tasked with assassination and this has led many to an early grave.
5. Ku Klux Klan: Burning A Crucifix
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Ah the Ku Klux Klan. Known for their passionate racial hatred towards black people and donning white pointy dresses, the KKK have been operating since 1865. As the world becomes more and more progressive, the KKK unfortunately still manages to maintain members who continue to spread hate.
To join this gang of fools, one must simply burn a crucifix. It tickles me that Christian members of the KKK said they were just ‘lighting’ the cross, not destroying it. Like that’s the bit they should be worrying about rather than their abuse of black and minority individuals.
6. Mungiki: Bathing In Goats Blood
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From the Kikuyu language, Mungiki means ‘united people’ and makes up an ethnic sect in Kenya. The aim of the group is to reject all things Western in favour of traditional African culture.
On the surface that doesn’t sound all that bad – nothing wrong with a bit of freedom of speech and appreciating traditional values. Unfortunately, most of their activities involve anything from extortion to execution, making them a feared gang with violent members.
Recruits are generally young people from poor neighbourhoods who join voluntarily. The initiation ritual involves a hopeful member bathing in a mixture of goat’s blood, urine and tripe. Lovely.
Not the gang for you? Well you might not have a choice as the gang routinely practices kidnapping and forced recruitment. Damn.
7. Boko Haram: Killing Your Own Parents
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Technically a terrorist group but using similar tactics and methods to gangs, Boko Haram was founded in Nigeria more than a decade ago and operates in several African countries. Although many Jihadis willingly join the gang, Boko Haram is another group that practices kidnapping to add young recruits to the ranks.
The group are known as one of the deadliest and most violent gangs in the world and their initiation ritual is no exception and is probably the worst on this list. To join the gang, new members are taken back to their villages by the local leaders and are forced to slaughter their own parents.
It’s a terrifying and barbaric method of breaking the young person psychologically and is so cold that a lot of other gangs themselves would be disgusted by the tactics employed. Awful.
8. Texas Syndicate: Eliminate A Rival
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Primarily a prison-based gang, the Texas Syndicate was started in the 70s in California’s prison system and has since grown to include many members outside prison walls. The goal of the gang when formed was to provide more protection to Mexican-Americans in the California prison system. Many of these prisoners were from Texas, hence the name.
A classic initiation tactic is employed to join this gang with new recruits being instructed to kill a member of a rival gang. Very productive use of time here; they can recruit new members and eliminate rival gang members in one go. Smart.
9. The Roto Gang: Witness A Slaying
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Founded in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Roto Gang specialises in burglary and robbing wealthy residents of Randburg.
To join this crew, you will either be forced to participate or simply observe the beating, disembowelment and killing of a victim. Not so bad compared to some of the options on this list hey?
10. ISIS: Sexual Blackmail
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Another terrorist organisation, ISIS is an Islamic terrorist group known for its videos of beheadings and other executions.
ISIS practice a somewhat bizarre initiation that plays on societal taboos. The method, dubbed ‘marriage’ involves brutally violating men that they wish to join their ranks and filming the sexual acts.
They then threaten to show the footage to the person’s family. Destroying them in the eyes of the ones they love is often less terrifying for the victim than joining the group. So weirdly specific and shows how disturbing the group are as they have taken the time to tailor-make an initiation perfect for the culture they are operating in.
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Another gruesome list of initiations and even more terrifying are the cases of forced recruitment with unwilling members.
Gangs provide a community for certain individuals in society where moral principles are blurred or non-existent. As such, many violent and twisted people find themselves at home in these gangs. This makes them all the more scary as being part of their gang is all some of these people live for and will readily die for their cause, taking innocent victims along with them.
For more of the same and if you missed it, check out our previous list of top 10 savage gang initiations. Almost as bad as these ones.
