'Wrestling' is the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of his opponent.
Physical techniques which embody the style of wrestling are
clinching,
holding,
locking, and
leverage. Avoiding potentially lethal techniques, wrestling has aspects of
ritual fighting, but its basic principles are closely related to those of military
hand-to-hand combat or
self-defence systems.
Many styles of wrestling are known all over the world and have long histories, and sport wrestling (particularly
amateur wrestling) has become an
Olympic sport.
History
Ancient
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel; illustration by
Gustave Doré (1855)
Middle and Far East
The
Epic of Gilgamesh in
Sumerian literature features its hero
Gilgamesh establishing his credibility as a leader after wrestling
Enkidu. Other sculptures and literature from ancient
Mesopotamia show that wrestling was held in popularity.
[1] One other early (probably circa 1500 BC) description of wrestling appears in the
Old Testament book of
Genesis 32:22-32. The passage depicts the patriarch
Jacob wrestling with the Angel, for which
Jacob was subsequently renamed ''
Israel''. (Israel translates to "wrestles (or strives) with God".)
[2]
The
Mahabharata, one of the major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, describes the encounter between the accomplished wrestlers of
Bhima and
Jarasandha; "grasping each other in various ways by means of their arms, and kicking each other with such violence as to affect the innermost nerves, they struck at each other's breasts with clenched fists. With bare arms as their only weapons roaring like clouds they grasped and struck each other like two mad elephants encountering each other with their trunks".
[3] The popular folk wrestling style of India performed on a mud surface called the ''akhara'' follows the Indian tradition.
Shuai Jiao, a wrestling style originating in
China, is arguably the most ancient of all Chinese martial arts, with a reported history of over 4,000 years. (The date may be legendary, but wrestling was reportedly used by the
Yellow Emperor during his fight against the rebel Chih Yiu and his army in 2697 BC.) During these matches, the combatants reportedly wore horned helmets that they used to gore their opponents while using a primitive form of
grappling. This early style of combat was first called Jiao Ti (butting with horns). Throughout the centuries, the hands and arms replaced the horns while the techniques increased and improved. The name Jiao Ti also changed over time, both through common usage and government decree.
[4]
Mediterranean
The first documented evidence of wrestling in
Egypt appeared circa 2300 BC, on the tomb of the Old Kingdom philosopher
Ptahhotep. During the period of the New Kingdom (2000-1085 BC), additional Egyptian artwork (often on friezes), depicted Egyptian and Nubian wrestlers competing. Carroll notes striking similarities between these ancient depictions and those of the modern
Nuba wrestlers.
[5] On the 406 wrestling pairs found in the Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan in the Nile valley, nearly all of the techniques seen in modern
freestyle wrestling could be found.
[6]
During the period of
Ancient Greece (about 1100 to 146 BC),
Greek wrestling was a popular form of
martial art in which points were awarded for pinning a competitor by stretching the opponent prone to the ground or touching his back to the ground, forcing a competitor to submit or by forcing a competitor out of bounds (arena).
[7] Three falls determined the winner. It was at least featured as a sport since the eighteenth
Olympiad in 704 BC. Wrestling is described in the earliest celebrated works of
Greek literature, the
Iliad and the
Odyssey.
[8] Wrestlers were also depicted in action on many vases, sculptures, and coins, as well as in other literature. Other cultures featured wrestling at royal or religious celebrations, but the ancient Greeks structured their style of wrestling as part of a touranment where a single winner emerged from a pool of competitors.
[6] Greek mythology celebrates the rise of
Zeus as ruler of the earth after a wrestling match with his father,
Kronos. Both
Herakles and
Theseus were famous for their wrestling against man and beast. Late Greek tradition also stated that
Plato was known for wrestling in the
Isthmian games.
[10]
This continued into the Hellenistic period.
Ptolemy II and
Ptolemy III of Egypt were both depicted in art as victorious wrestlers. After the Roman conquest of the Greeks,
Greek wrestling was absorbed by the Roman culture and became
Roman wrestling during the period of the
Roman Empire (510 BC to AD 500). Arabic literature depicted
Muhammad as a skilled wrestler, defeating a skeptic in a match at one point. By the eighth century, the Byzantine emperor
Basil I, according to court historians, won in wrestling against a boastful wrestler from
Bulgaria.
[10]
Middle Ages
In
1520 at the Field of the Cloth of Gold pageant,
Francis I of
France threw
Henry VIII of
England in a wrestling match.
[10] In Henry VIII's kingdom, folk wrestling in many places was widely popular and had a long history. In particular, the Lancashire style may have formed the basis for
Catch wrestling also known as "catch as catch can." The
Scots later formed a variant of this style, and the
Irish developed the "collar-and-elbow" style which later found its way into the
United States.
[13] The
French developed the modern
Greco-Roman style which was finalized by the 19th century and by then, wrestling was featured in many fairs and festivals.
[14]
Modern
Because of that and the rise of
gymnasiums and
athletic clubs, Greco-Roman wrestling and modern freestyle wrestling were soon regulated in formal competitions. On continental Europe, prize money was offered in large sums to the winners of Greco-Roman tournaments, and freestyle wrestling spread rapidly in the
British Isles and in the United States after the
American Civil War. Professional wrestling soon increased the popularity of Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling around the world with such competitors as
Georg Hackenschmidt,
Kara Ahmed,
Paul Pons,
Stanislaus Zbyszko,
William Muldoon, and
Frank Gotch.
[13][16] When the
Olympic games resurfaced at
Athens in
1896, Greco-Roman wrestling was introduced for the first time. After not being featured in the
1900 Olympics, sport wrestling was seen again in
1904 in
St. Louis; this time in freestyle competition. Since then, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling have both been featured, with women's freestyle added in the Summer Olympics of
2004. Since
1921, the
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) has regulated
amateur wrestling as an athletic discipline, while
professional wrestling has largely become infused with theatrics.
[13]
Etymology
The term ''wrestling'' is an
Old English word that
originated some time before 1100 A.D. It is perhaps the oldest word still in use in the English language to describe hand-to-hand combat.
[18] The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines wrestling as 'a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals struggle hand-to-hand with each attempting to subdue or unbalance the other'.
[19]
Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus does not support the usage of 'wrestling' (noun) and 'grappling' (noun) as synonymous.
[20]
International disciplines (Non-Folk Styles)
Wrestling disciplines defined by FILA, are broken down into two categories; International wrestling disciplines and
folk wrestling disciplines. According to the
International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, there are five current International wrestling disciplines acknowledged throughout the world. They are
Greco-Roman wrestling,
freestyle wrestling,
Sambo,
Grappling and
Beach wrestling.'
[21]
'
A Greco-Roman wrestling match in the United States
Greco-Roman
Main articles: Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman is an international discipline and an Olympic sport. "In Greco-Roman style, it is forbidden to hold the opponent below the belt, to make trips, and to actively use the legs in the execution of any action." Recent rule changes in Greco-Roman increase opportunities for and place greater emphasis on explosive, 'high amplitude' throws. One of the most well known Greco-Roman wrestlers from the
United States is
Rulon Gardner.
[22]
Freestyle
Main articles: Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is an international discipline and an Olympic sport. "In free style, it is allowed to hold the legs of the opponent, to make trips and to use actively legs on the execution of any action."
[23] It is thought to have originated from
English Catch wrestling, and is currently the international style in which women participate in competition.
Sambo
Main articles: Sambo (martial art)
Sambo is a martial art that originated in the
Soviet Union (particular
Russia) in the 20th century. It is an acronym for "self-defence without weapons" in
Russian and had its origins in the Soviet armed forces. Its influences are varied, with techniques borrowed from sports ranging from the two international styles of Greco-Roman and freestyle to
boxing,
judo,
jujitsu, European styles of
folk wrestling, and even
fencing. The rules for sport sambo are similar to those allowed in competitive judo, with a variety of
leglocks and with over 5,000 defense holds from the various national wrestling styles in the Soviet Union, while not allowing
chokeholds.
[24]
Grappling
Main articles: Submission Wrestling
"Grappling, also called
submission wrestling, refers to the gripping, handling, and controlling of an opponent without the use of striking, typically through the application of various grappling holds and counters to various hold attempts. Grappling can be used in both a standing position, where it is known as stand-up grappling, and on the ground, where it is known as ground grappling. Grappling is an essential part of both clinch fighting and ground fighting".
[25] Differing form the FILA definition,
grappling is also used to describe the skills used in
mixed martial arts competitions.
Female wrestling
Beach wrestling
Apparently in a bid to give wrestling greater appeal to television audiences, FILA adopted beach wrestling as an official discipline during 2004-2005. Beach wrestling is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 6 meters in diameter. There are only two weight categories, heavy and light. The objective is to throw your opponent or take your opponent to his or her back. The wrestlers wear swimsuits rather than special wrestling uniforms. Wrestlers may also wear spandex or athletic shorts.
[26][27]
Folk Style Disciplines
Main articles: Folk wrestling
Burumbators on the traditional Nadam festival in Mongolia, near Ulanbataar
Jiu-Jitsu practitioners working in a half guard
Yağlı güreş (Turkish oil wrestling) tournament in
Istanbul
There are almost as many
folk wrestling styles as there are national traditions, because folk wrestling describes a traditional form of wrestling unique to a culture or geographic region of the world. Folk wrestling styles are not recognized by
FILA internationally. The following list provides examples of wrestling systems that fall into this category.
Collegiate wrestling
Main articles: Collegiate wrestling
Two high school students competing in collegiate wrestling.
Collegiate wrestling (sometimes known as scholastic wrestling or folkstyle wrestling) is the commonly used name of wrestling practiced at the
college and
university level in the
United States. A very similar style is practiced at the
high school and
middle school levels, and also for younger participants. The term is used to distinguish the styles of wrestling used in other parts of the world, and for those of the
Olympic Games:
Greco-Roman wrestling, and
Freestyle wrestling. There are currently several organizations which oversee collegiate wrestling competition: Divisions I, II, and III, of the
NCAA,
NJCAA,
NAIA, and the
NCWA. Division I of the NCAA is considered the most prestigious and challenging level of competition. A school chooses which organization to join, although it may compete against teams from other levels and organizations during regular-season competition. The collegiate season starts in late October and culminates with the NCAA tournament held in March.
Professional Wrestling
Main articles: Professional Wrestling
The popularity of hand-to-hand competitions throughout history has at times created a demand for
staged wrestling matches. While professional wrestling featured undeniable feats of athleticism and performers often utilize traditional wrestling holds early in its history, today it is not true wrestling competition, as the wrestlers cooperate throughout the match and nearly all of the outcomes are predetermined.
As a martial art
Wrestling has gained respect among martial arts practitioners, especially with the advent of
mixed martial arts competition.
[28]
Early competitions (e.g.
UFC 4 &
5) saw wrestlers defeat stylists from more traditional, striking-oriented styles such as karate and kickboxing. Randy Couture (current UFC heavyweight champion) and Dan Henderson (current PRIDE champion in both the 183 and 205 pound divisions) both competed extensively in collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling before beginning their careers in mixed martial arts.
Other fighters coming from wrestling are: Matt Lindland, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Urijah Faber, Tyson Griffin, Kevin Randleman, Mark Kerr, Don Frye, Mark Coleman, Brian Vettel, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Jeff Monson, Matt Horwich.
Many other prominent and successful fighters began their training in various forms of wrestling, and fighters from non-wrestling backgrounds often pursue wrestling training to complement their other skills.
See also
★
Amateur wrestling
★
Arm wrestling
★
Grappling
★
List of famous amateur wrestlers
★
List of professional wrestlers
★
Mixed martial arts
★
Pankration
Notes
1. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, pp. 1189, 1193, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
2. Poliakoff, Michael B. "Jacob, Job, and Other Wrestlers," ''Journal of Sport History'', Summer 1984, v. 11:2, pp. 48-55.
3. The Mahabharata, SECTION XXIII, p. 51
4. http://www.kuoshu.co.uk; see also Peiser, Benny, "Western Theories about the Origins of Sport in Ancient China," ''Sports Historian'', May 1996, v. 16, 117-139.
5. Carroll, Scott T. "Wrestling in Ancient Nubia," ''Journal of Sport History,'' Summer 1988, v. 15:2, pp. 121-137. http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1988/JSH1502/jsh1502b.pdf]
6. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1189, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
7. Historical Pankration Wrestling
8. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, pp. 1189, 1191, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
9. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1189, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
10. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1193, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
11. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1193, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
12. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1193, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
13. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1190, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
14. Greco-Roman Wrestling
15. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1190, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
16. "Wrestling, Greco-Roman" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1194, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
17. "Wrestling, Freestyle" by Michael B. Poliakoff from ''Encyclopedia of World Sport: From Ancient Times to the Present'', Vol. 3, p. 1190, eds. David Levinson and Karen Christensen (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996).
18. Wrestling etymology
19. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
20. dictionary.reference.com American Psychological Association (APA):
wrestling. (n.d.). Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.3.1). Retrieved March 23, 2007, from Thesaurus.com
21. International Federation of Wrestling Styles
22. FILA-Greco-Roman definition
23. FILA-Freestyle definition
24. FILA-Sambo definition
25. FILA-Grappling definition
26. FILA beach wrestling rules[1]
27. Gary Mihoces, "Wrestling's New World Rises from Sand," ''USA Today'', July 11, 2005.[2]
28. Warriors of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, , Erich, Krauss, Citadel Press Inc.,, ,
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