Every girl decides how far to stretch the lip. It is achieved by putting progressively larger plates during several months. The diameter of a plate can be up to 12 centimeters. Plates are removed when eating.
Why local women wear such an unusual "ornament"? They are doing it as expression of becoming adult in social and biological sense.
The Mursi men, especially those single ones, find the ceremonial dueling or thagine highly important. The thagine is kind of martial arts using wooden poles and traditional protective clothing. Thagine events last for several days. Mursi people sometimes talk about the thagine as „war“ or kaman
The wooden pole or donga that is used in duels is some two meters long. The pole is cut from the kalochi tree which belongs to the genus Grewia. When attacking a man holds donga at its base with both hands. He can hit any part of the opponent's body but only with the shaft of donga, never with the point. Each fighter wears special clothing called tumoga. Its purpose is both protective and decorative.