wrestling The modern sportive form of wrestling, an individual weaponless combat activity, probably developed in prehistory from survival fighting, when it became convenient to replace death or serious injury with a more symbolic victory. There is considerable evidence that wrestling existed in all early civilizations, although it was in ancient Greece that it really developed into a sport, and was included in the Olympic Games in 704 bc.

There is not one form of wrestling which is common throughout the world, but several different styles, which can be categorized into three basic types: belt-and-jacket styles, in which the clothing of the wrestlers — belt, jacket, or trousers — is used for grips; catch-hold styles, in which the wrestlers are required to grip each other prior to, and usually throughout the contest; and loose styles, in which the wrestlers, who can take any grip, apart from on clothing, are separated prior to the contest.

Wrestling styles can also be categorized according to five basic criteria required for a win. Break-stance involves forcing an opponent to relinquish a position; toppling involves forcing an opponent to touch the ground with a part of the body apart from the feet; touch-fall involves forcing an opponent into a specified position, usually supine, for a brief period; pin-fall involves holding an opponent, once thrown, in a specified position for a certain period of time; and submission involves forcing an opponent to admit defeat.

There are a number of notable national and local styles of wrestling. Glima, from Iceland, and schwingen, from Switzerland, are both belt styles, requiring toppling for victory; kushti, from Iran, is a catch-hold style, requiring a supine touch-fall; yagli, from Turkey, is a loose style requiring a supine touch-fall; sumo, from Japan, is a loose style requiring toppling; Breton wrestling, from Brittany, is a jacket style requiring a touch-fall. In Britain there are two notable local styles. Cornish wrestling is a jacket style requiring a touch-fall; Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling is a catch-hold style requiring toppling.

In international competition, there are only three styles of wrestling recognized by the Federation Internationale des Luttes Amateurs (FILA). Both freestyle and Graeco-Roman wrestling, which are the only styles fought in the Olympic Games, are loose styles requiring a touch-fall for victory. They differ in that the former allows any fair hold, throw, or trip, whereas the latter does not permit wrestlers to hold below the hips, nor to grip with the legs. There are ten weight divisions in both styles for international competition; light flyweight, flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight, and super heavyweight. The third style recognized by FILA is a synthesis of styles native to the former Soviet Union called sambo; the word is composed of the first three letters of the word samozash-chita (self defence) and the initial letters of bez oruzhiya (without weapons). It is a combination of loose and jacket styles requiring a submission for victory.

There are two further styles of wrestling worthy of note. Inter-collegiate wrestling, which is practised only in American colleges, is broadly similar to the freestyle and Graeco-Roman styles, apart from the points system. Professional wrestling, based on freestyle, is more accurately defined as a form of entertainment, rather than a sport, owing to its ‘choreographed’ moves.

M. Tripp

Bibliography

Arlott, J. (1976). The Oxford companion to sports and games. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

See also boxing; martial arts; sport.