CORNISH WRESTLING

'Cornish wrestling' is a form of wrestling similar to judo, which has been established in Cornwall (South West of the UK) for several centuries. The referee is known as a 'stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage.
The wrestlers in the Cornish style both wear tough jackets enabling them to gain better grip on their opponent. All holds are taken upon the wrestlers jacket, grabbing of the wrists or fingers is forbidden as well as any holding below the waist. Although all holds are to be taken upon the jacket the flat of the hand is allowed to be used to push or deflect an opponent.
The objective of Cornish Wrestling is to throw your opponent and make him land as flat as possible on his back. Three Sticklers (referees) watch and control each bout whilst also recording down the score of points achieved in play. Four Pins are located on the back of a wrestler, two at the back of each shoulder and two either side just above the buttocks. If a wrestler manages to throw his opponent flat onto his back, simultaneously scoring with all 4 pins they score four points in that single throw and this is called a "Back" to which the bout is then finished and the throwing wrestler is the winner. The Sticklers will each raise their sticks when they perceive a Back has been achieved. If two sticklers raise their sticks but one does not a back is still awarded.
The Cornish Wrestling Association was formed in 1923 to standardise the rules and to promote Cornish Wrestling throughout Cornwall and indeed Worldwide.

Contents

History

Cornish Wrestling at the Royal Cornwall Show

See also

External links

History

Cornish wrestling has a long history, and Geoffrey of Monmouth suggests ''Historia Regum Britanniae'', of c. 1139 that Corineus wrestled a Cornish giant, Gogmagog.
Cornish wrestlers were more reliably reported to have fought at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The Cornish men who went into battle held a banner of two Cornish Wraslters in a hitch.
Cornish and Breton wrestlers have long taken part in inter-Celtic matches since at least 1402 and these still occasionally continue.
The Cornish Wrestling Association was formed in 1923.
Ashley Cawley (son of Gerry Cawley, a well known Champion Cornish Wrestler) is the current (2005) Heavy Weight Champion of Cornwall.
Ashley Cawley defended his title (Heavy-weight Champion of Cornwall) for the first time in 2006. The tournament was hosted at Lostwithiel on the 16th of July and the final of the tournament was a monumental bout between Ashley and Darrin Richardson lasting an hour long; Ashley finally beat Darrin on "first one to touch ground".
The following Sunday (23rd July) an Interceltic Tournament took place at Wadebrige, where a team of wrestlers from Brittany came over to Cornwall to challenge our Champions in relevant classes. Just a week on Ashley Cawley sitll bearing injuries from the Heavyweight Tournament took on his opponent from Brittany and won, becoming the Interceltic and Heavyweight Champion 2006.

Cornish Wrestling at the Royal Cornwall Show

The Cornish Wrestling Association (CWA) still feature annually at the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show. The Cornish Wrestling tent can be found in the Countryside area very near to the west entrance. In the Cornish Wrestling tent you will find an impressive display of Cornish Wrestling Trophies, belts, history, photos, books and DVDs. The Wrestlers perform demonstrations of their style in the Countryside ring, usually twice a day for each of the three days of the show. The demonstrations feature most of the throws and moves of the Cornish style and also feature demonstration bouts usually with a variety of wrestlers from youngsters, girls, lightweights and heavyweights.

See also

★ List of topics related to Cornwall

★ Gouren

External links

★ The Official Cornish Wrestling Association

★ About Cornish Wrestling

★ An article on early Cornish Wrestling from the Journal of Western Martial Art

★ Cornish Wrestling by the BBC

★ Another article, from a reconstructionist web site.

★ John McMahon, Nineteenth-century Irish wrestler