Wrestling

Wrestling is a martial art and combat sport that involves grappling with an opponent and trying to gain an advantage through throws, takedowns, and other techniques. It includes moves like clinch fighting, joint locks, pins, and various grappling holds. Many wrestling techniques are used in martial arts, combat sports, and even military training.

There are many different kinds of wrestling. The most famous type is professional wrestling, which is more like athletic theatre. But there are also serious competitive styles such as Greco-Roman, freestyle, judo, sumo, and many others. Wrestling has a long history, dating back to the ancient Olympic Games, where it was first held during the 18th Olympiad in 708 BC. Today, wrestling continues to be practiced around the world in many different forms.

Professional wrestling is different from the real competitive kinds of wrestling. For more information, see Professional wrestling. Other related topics can be found at Wrestling (disambiguation) and The Wrestler.

entertainment clinch fighting throws takedowns joint locks pins grappling holds martial arts combat sports military systems legitimate Greco-Roman freestyle judo sambo folkstyle catch shoot luta livre submission sumo pehlwani shuai jiao ancient Olympic Games Modern English Old English

History

Main articles: History of wrestling and History of professional wrestling

See also: History of physical training and fitness

Wrestling is one of the oldest combat sports, with origins dating back around 15,000 to 17,000 years ago, shown through cave drawings in France. Ancient Babylonian and Egyptian artworks show wrestlers using holds still known today. Stories about wrestling appear in the Old Testament and ancient Indian texts called the Vedas^[specify]. In the Book of Genesis, Patriarch Jacob is said to have wrestled with a divine being. The Iliad, which tells the story of the Trojan War, also mentions wrestling. Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata include references to martial arts, including wrestling. In China, the Yellow Emperor is said to have fought using a style called Shuai Jiao at the Battle of Zhoulu.

In Ancient Greece, wrestling was very important in stories, books, and philosophy. It was a main event in the ancient Olympic Games. The Ancient Romans adapted Greek wrestling but made it less harsh with new rules. Many famous thinkers and leaders, like Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, practiced or wrote about wrestling. During the Middle Ages, from the fifth to the fifteenth century, wrestling stayed popular, supported by royal families in places like England, France, and Japan.

Early British settlers brought wrestling to America, where it was also popular among Native Americans. Wrestling grew as a favorite activity at fairs, holidays, and military events. The first national wrestling tournament in the United States happened in New York City in 1888. Today, wrestling is an event in every modern Olympic Games, starting from the 1904 games in St. Louis, Missouri. The group that oversees wrestling worldwide, United World Wrestling, began in 1912 in Antwerp, Belgium. The first big wrestling competition for college students in the U.S. was held in 1928 in Ames, Iowa. The group that governs amateur wrestling in the U.S. was created in 1983 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

By country

• In Ancient Egypt, wrestling is shown in tomb writings and artwork from around 2300 BC to 1085 BC.
• In Ancient Greece, Greek wrestling was a common martial art from about 1100 BC to 146 BC.
• Oil wrestling is the national sport of Turkey and dates back to Central Asia.
• After the Romans took over the Greeks, Greek wrestling became part of Roman culture.
• Shuai jiao, a wrestling style from China, is said to be over 4,000 years old.
• Arabic stories show Muhammad as a skilled wrestler.
• The Byzantine emperor Basil I won a wrestling match against a wrestler from Bulgaria in the eighth century.
• In 1520, Francis I of France wrestled and won against Henry VIII of England.
• The Lancashire style of folk wrestling helped create Catch wrestling, also called "catch as catch can." Different places like Scotland and Ireland developed their own styles, which later became popular in the United States as folkstyle wrestling.
• A Frenchman helped organize wrestling into a professional sport, leading to Greco-Roman wrestling. This style became popular in fairs and festivals across Europe. Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling were later included in official competitions, helped by the growth of gyms and athletic clubs.
• Prize money for winning Greco-Roman tournaments started in Europe, and freestyle wrestling spread quickly in the United Kingdom and the United States in the late 1800s. Both styles became Olympic events, with women’s freestyle added in 2004.
• Celtic wrestling has a long history, with mentions in the Tailteann Games from between 1839 BC and 632 BC up until the 12th century AD. Different styles like Cornish wrestling and Gouren likely came from a shared roots.
• Since 1921, United World Wrestling (UWW) has managed amateur wrestling. Professional wrestling started as a real sport but later added dramatic elements while still needing real skill. Today, many countries send teams to the Olympics.
• In Switzerland, a local version of the German ringen, called schwingen, is a popular folk sport with local competitions called Schwingfest.

Mythology

Some of the earliest stories about wrestling come from myths.

• The Epic of Gilgamesh shows Gilgamesh proving himself as a leader by wrestling Enkidu.
• Greek mythology tells of Zeus becoming ruler after wrestling his father, Cronus. Heroes like Heracles and Theseus were known for wrestling.
• The Mahabharata describes a wrestling match between the heroes Bhima and Jarasandha.
• Rustam from the Shahnameh (Book Of Kings) is seen by Iranian wrestlers as the greatest wrestler ever.

Gallery

• Historical wrestling in art and photography

  Karajá ceramic statuette, wrestlers

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  Jacob Wrestling with the Angel illustration by Gustave Doré, 1855

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  Cornell wrestling meet in New York State Drill Hall, 1923

[Tibetan](/wiki/Tibetan_people) wrestlers, 1938

[Indian](/wiki/India) wrestler exercising near [Varanasi](/wiki/Varanasi), 1973

Wrestlers on Greek coin, 400–300 BC

Ancient Libyan mosaic of wrestling

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  A 1904 illustration of Abraham Lincoln wrestling

Wrestling match during [1908 Summer Olympics](/wiki/1908_Summer_Olympics)

Modern international disciplines

Wrestling has different styles, and some are part of the Olympic Games. There are three main Olympic styles: Greco-Roman wrestling, men's freestyle wrestling, and women's freestyle wrestling. Other styles include grappling, amateur pankration, belt wrestling alysh, pahlavani wrestling, beach wrestling, and African wrestling.

Greco-Roman wrestling

Main article: Greco-Roman wrestling

Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the two Olympic wrestling styles. It focuses on using the upper body for powerful throws. In this style, attacking below the belt is not allowed. Wrestlers can win by holding both of their opponent's shoulders on the mat, called a "fall". A famous Greco-Roman wrestler is Alexander Karelin from Russia.

Freestyle wrestling

Main article: Freestyle wrestling

Freestyle wrestling is another Olympic style for both men and women. Unlike Greco-Roman, freestyle allows using the legs for offense and defense. Points are scored based on throws, exposing an opponent's back, or passivity. Like Greco-Roman, a wrestler can win by holding both of their opponent's shoulders on the mat. This style is similar to American scholastic and collegiate wrestling, but places more importance on the size of the throws.

Submission wrestling

Main article: Submission wrestling

Submission wrestling uses techniques from many wrestling styles. There are two types: no-gi, where athletes wear shorts and a rashguard, and gi, where they wear a kimono. The goal is to take down and control the opponent on the ground, sometimes winning by chokes or joint locks.

Amateur pankration

Main article: Pankration

Pankration is an ancient martial art added to the Ancient Olympic Games in 648 BC. Modern amateur pankration is a type of mixed martial arts that uses both grappling and striking.

Alysh belt wrestling

Main article: Alysh

Alysh is a folk wrestling style from Central Asia. Wrestlers wear jackets, trousers, and thick belts, and must hold onto each other's belts during the match. It is also called 'belt wrestling alysh'.

Pahlavani wrestling

Main article: Pahlavani wrestling

Pahlavani wrestling comes from ancient Persia and was used to train warriors. It mixes martial arts, exercises, strength training, and music. Wrestlers wear pants that go below the knees and a belt, and can use any part of the body to throw or trip their opponent.

Beach wrestling

Main article: Beach wrestling

Beach wrestling was officially created in 2004. It is done in a sand circle, and wrestlers wear swimsuits, spandex, or athletic shorts. Points are scored by taking down the opponent, pushing them out of bounds, or getting them to lie on their back. Beach wrestling has been part of events like the Youth Olympic Games, Asian Games, and the 2019 World Beach Games.

Folk styles

Main article: Folk wrestling

Folk wrestling is a type of wrestling that is special to certain cultures or places. It is not managed by big groups that make the rules. Some examples include Cornish wrestling, Cumberland Wrestling, kurash from Uzbekistan, khuresh from Siberia, and ssireum from Korea.

These wrestling styles have their own rules and groups to organize competitions. Some of these styles have been practiced in many countries around the world.

Oil wrestling

Oil wrestling (Turkish: yağlı güreş), also called grease wrestling, is the national sport of Turkey. Wrestlers wear special pants called kispetler and put oil on themselves. Unlike other wrestling, they can win by holding a special part of the opponent’s pants. There is a big tournament called Kırkpınar that has been held every year since 1362.

American collegiate wrestling

Main article: Collegiate wrestling

Collegiate wrestling is popular in colleges and universities in the United States. It is also used in high schools and for younger students. This style is different from the wrestling seen in the Olympic Games. Some colleges offer scholarships for good wrestlers. The season starts in October or November and ends with a big championship in March.

Professional wrestling styles

Main article: Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling often happens in a raised ring, much like boxing. Though shown as real contests, the winners are usually chosen ahead of time to make the shows more fun. In the past, real wrestling skills were important, and some matches were genuine fights to settle disputes.

The history of professional wrestling began with catch-as-catch-can contests in the late 1800s. Americans liked a more open style called freestyle, while Europeans preferred the controlled Greco-Roman style. When American wrestlers started getting paid, professional wrestling was born. Early matches were like amateur ones but allowed more holds and had no time limits. Over time, wrestling became more theatrical.

Main article: Sports entertainment

Sports entertainment is a popular style, especially in the United States, with companies like WWE, AEW, TNA Wrestling, and ROH. These shows are very dramatic, with stories and feuds between wrestlers to make the events more exciting.

Main articles: Professional wrestling in the United Kingdom and Professional wrestling in France

In the United Kingdom and Europe, wrestling developed a different style with less storytelling and a more serious atmosphere. This style was very popular on television in the United Kingdom and France from the 1950s to the late 1980s but later lost ground to American-style wrestling.

Main article: Puroresu

Japanese wrestling, called puroresu, is treated more like a real sport than entertainment. It has fewer dramatic stories and feels more like a real competition. This style was influenced by European wrestlers in the 1970s.

Main article: Lucha libre

Mexican wrestling, lucha libre, uses special holds and aerial moves. Many wrestlers, called luchadores, start their careers wearing masks. Matches usually have three rounds with no time limit, and each wrestler has their own unique style.

Main article: Professional wrestling in Russia § Russian Empire

In the 19th century, wrestling shows in the Greco-Roman style were performed in circuses in France and later in Russia. Ivan Poddubny became a famous wrestler during this time.

Other styles

Judo

Main article: Judo

Judo is a type of wrestling that comes from jujitsu, a Japanese martial art. People who practice judo, called judoka, wear a special jacket and pants, known as a gi, along with a belt. The gi helps them hold onto their opponent to throw or control them. Judo can include some holds and moves that restrict movement, but these are usually not allowed for children. Judo is very popular in Japan and also in countries like France and Russia.

Sambo

Main article: Sambo (martial art)

Sambo is a martial art that began in the Soviet Union in the 20th century. The name Sambo stands for "self-defence without weapons" in Russian. It mixes techniques from many different fighting styles, including international wrestling, judo, jujitsu, traditional European wrestling, and even fencing. In competitions, sambo has rules similar to judo, with various holds and moves, but it does not allow certain choking techniques.

Wrestling in mixed martial arts

Main article: Mixed martial arts

The growing popularity of mixed martial arts has brought more attention to wrestling because it works well against other fighting styles. Many wrestling moves have been changed to fit mixed martial arts, and now many martial arts schools teach special wrestling classes for mixed martial arts. Wrestling is seen as one of the most important skills in mixed martial arts, along with Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing/muay Thai, and judo.

Shoot wrestling, a type related to catch and freestyle wrestling, is the basis for Shooto, an early mixed martial arts group started in 1985. Another mixed martial arts group, Pancrase, also used shoot wrestling and existed before the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Wrestling has helped create many champions in the UFC. Wrestlers like Dan Severn, Don Frye, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Mark Kerr, Kazushi Sakuraba, Pat Miletich, and Dan Henderson have won many early UFC tournaments and other big prizes. Ken Shamrock was the first to win the UFC Superfight Championship and the first King of Pancrase Openweight Championship in Japan. Other famous mixed martial arts fighters who started with wrestling include: