Wrestling Styles

Alysh is an upright belt wrestling style where competitors wear pants, jackets and belts, and must hold the belt grip  at all times. Their objective is to throw their opponents onto the mat. Throws are given scores between 1 and 6, based on what part of the opponent lands on the mat. The first player to win 6 points wins the match. Classic style Alysh allows no leg trips or techniques, while the freestyle version allows all leg techniques. 

Commonly known just as Cumberland Wrestling, it is an ancient and well-practiced backhold tradition in the English counties of Cumberland and Westmorland. It bears a very close resemblance to Scottish backhold, which is practiced just north of the border, for them to be classed under the joint heading North Country style. This backhold style has wrestlers grip behind each others back with right arm under opponents and left arm over opponents arm. With the chin resting on top of shoulder. A fall is lost if the grip is broken or any part of the body touches the ground. There is no ground work and bouts are best of three series.   

Native to Kazakhstan, Kuresi is a short sleeve jacketed style similar to judo with no ground work or grips below the belt. This style intensifies the human body, strengthens muscles, teaches tolerance, bravery and agility, It trains to think clearly and find a way out of problematic situations. It is also the national art of self-defense. Wrestlers gain the ability to use all the strength in their body. The goal is to throw the opponent to his back.

Bokh is native to Mongolia and other regions where touching the ground with anything other than a foot loses the match. bökh means "durability". Wrestling is the most important of the Mongolian culture's historic "Three Manly Skills", that also include horsemanship and archery . Gengis Khan considered wrestling to be an important way to keep his army in good physical shape and combat ready. The court of Qing Dynasty (1646–1911) held regular wrestling events, mainly between ethnic Manchu and Mongol wrestlers. There are several different versions, Mongolian, Buryatian (in the Buryatia of Russia) and Oirat an inner Mongolia. 

Native to Leon Spain, this belt style requires wrestlers wear shorts and a short shirt and use a leather belt 2 cm wide placed on the waist above the hip, so that it can be easily grasped by the opponent. If the opponent touches the ground with any part of the back, stomach or arms, a fall is achieved.  First to 2 falls wins. 

Native to Brittany France, the wrestlers compete barefoot in a soft  white shirt (roched) tied with a belt and black trousers (bragoù), and try to bring each other to the ground by griping the other's roched. A victory (lamm) is declared when the loser is on his back on the ground.  Victory is only achieved when both the opponents shoulder blades hit the ground at the same time, and before any other part of the body. 

Turkmen national wrestling goresh is a kind of wrestling with belts that has ancient roots. In historic sources state that not only men but also women of the ancestors of the Turkmen people, possessed techniques of wrestling. Famous wrestlers patronized the most talented students and taught them in order to prepare them to become palvans – masters of wrestling. Then that very palvans eventually passed on the accumulated experience to their students. Turkmen wrestling goresh, through the ages carefully transmitted from generation to generation, and have reached our days in its original form. In goresh wrestlers need to earn points by forcing the opponent to touch the mat with any part of the body except a foot. Siimilar to Alysh which you must maintain the belt grip for the duration of the bout. 

 Native to Turkey, Aba Gureshi uses free holds on the  clothes and body of an opponent. There are many leg  techniques of this wrestling and belt hold throws with the wrestling jacket or one leg and the belt. Bouts are held with traditional musical accompany of drums and wind instrument. Competitors wear short capes with the slots for hands or in jackets made of sheepskin (aba), The goal is  to throw his opponent on his back, holding him on his beltthis is one of the two Turkish styles practiced nationwide and sanctioned by the Turkish Wrestling Federation. Competitions are held on grass fields. Competitors wear baggy trousers (şalvar) or special trousers named pırpıt made sturdy fabric.  Among several local styles, Köprülü karakucak practised mainly in Çukurova has rules almost identical with Olympic freestyle. 

Ssireum has been the national sport of South Korea since the fourth century. In the modern form each contestant wears a belt (satba) that wraps around the waist and the thigh. The competition employs a series of techniques, which inflict little harm or injury to the opponent: opponents lock on to each other's belt, and one achieves victory by bringing any part of the opponent's body above the knee to the ground. The area for ssireum wrestling, called "syrym jang" - a massive, has a circle shape and raised above the ground, which allows spectators see better, what is happening. The depth of the sand layer is from 10 to 20 cm. Unlike sumo, pushing your opponent outside of the ring does not warrant a win, just a restart. 

Pahlavani (koshti) is a common name for the traditional wrestling in the ancient Persia and today Iran, which is the most esteemed sport in Iran and has a very ancient history. The wrestling is a part of the traditional complex of martial arts of the Persians. The nationwide style of wrestling in Iran is considered to be the koshti pahlavani or, as it is also called, the style of Zurkhane. The wrestling technique of koshti pahlavani is extremely diverse and represents one of the best examples of freestyle wrestling. Pants are worn that extend below of his knees and are sewn of a very sturdy cloth. The pants shouldn’t have any metal objects or buckles and must tie as to not come loose easily. 

Native to Uzbekistan, this jacket style, similar to judo, has three scoring points viz. Halal, Yambosh and Chala. The player who scores a Halal wins the bout. To score a Halal you need to throw your opponent on his back with full control, force and speed. The throw that is close to Halal is given Yambosh. Two Yambosh makes a Halal. The throw that is close to Yambosh is given Chala. No number of Chala can equal a Yambosh. There are three penalties in Kurash. Tambik, second penalty is Dakki and the third penalty is Girrom which means disqualification.

Kurash is the national wrestling of the Uzbek nation. In translation from the Uzbek "kurash" means "achieve the goal rightly".  

The national sport of Iceland originating from Norway and traces its history to the Vikings and the Norse, is a standing style with rules similar to Shuai Jiao and Bokh, and consists of three forms: 1) Hryggtök, the Backhold Grip; 2) Brokartök or the Pant-and-belt Grip that utilises a leather harness around the waist and thighs, which the wrestlers hold (making it a form of belt wrestling similar to Swiss Schwingen), and 3. Lausatok or Free-Grip is the most aggressive form of glima and contestants can use the holds they wish.

Native to Cornwall England, the wrestlers in the Cornish style wear tough jackets enabling them to gain better grip on their opponent. All holds are taken upon the other wrestler's jacket, grabbing of the wrists or fingers is forbidden as well as any holding below the waist. 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 flat on his back. Three sticklers (referees) watch and control each bout. 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, the bout is over. 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.

This backhold style is practiced in Sardinia and closely resembles Scottish and Cumberland backhold styles.

The wrestlers will stand facing each other one arm under the armpit and the other over the opponent's shoulder-arm; the right cheek touches the opposite one, one hand gripping the other wrist or even the other hand behind the opponent's back so as to tighten it firmly. No other form of grip is allowed. S'istrumpa means unbalancing the opponent by resorting to any leg, thrust, lifting from the ground, or tripping. The fight is interrupted when one of the two wrestlers falls to the ground.

 Scottish backhold is a style of fold wrestling originating in Scotland. The wrestlers grip each other around the waist at the back, with the right hand under the opponent's left arm and the chin resting on the opposite right shoulder. When the referee is sure that both wrestlers have taken a firm grip, he shouts "hold" and the bout starts. Should either wrestler break his hold or touch the ground with any part of his body except his feet, he loses. There is no ground work and the bouts are usually best of five falls. Traditional Kilts are usually worn in competitions. This style is very similar to Cumberland and Westmorland of England. 

Senegalese wrestling or simply Lutte avec frappe in Frech,  Laamb in Wolof,  is performed by the Serer people and now a national sport in Senegal and parts of Gambia, and is part of a larger West Africa form of traditional wrestling. The Senegalese form traditionally allows blows with the hands (frappe), the only one of the West African traditions to do so. As a larger confederation and championship around Lutte Traditionnelle has developed since the 1990s, Senegalese fighters now practice both forms, called officially Lutte Traditionnelle sans frappe (for the international version) and Lutte Traditionnelle avec frappe for the striking version.

Chidaoba is a Georgian traditional wrestling style. Its rules allow grappling above the waist while it is prohibited to grapple below the waist. Chidaoba allows exercising techniques using the legs, such as tripping, reaping, grappling, grapevines, beats, etc. Sambo borrowed many techniques from Georgian wrestling on standing position. Vasily Oschepkov and Anatoly Kharlampiev studied chidaoba. Chidaoba technique enriched free-style wrestling. Athletes wear a sleeveless jacket with a belt to allow grips for throwing techniques. 

Huka-huka is a Brazilian folk wrestling style of the indigenous people of Xingu,in the state of Mato Grosso. It is performed as a ritual fight during the ceremony of  Kuarup.

Huka-huka starts with theon their knees. It begins when the owner of the fight, a male chief, walks to the center of the arena and calls his opponents by name. The fighters kneel rotating clockwise in a circle facing the opponent, until they look at each other and cling, trying to lift the opponent and knock him to the ground. The fight is performed by either men and women.

Huka huka is being introduced, experimentally, in the formation of Sao Paulo States Military Police.. The fight is also being studied by MMA practitioners. 

Üzemchin Mongols  also written Ujumchin, are a subgroup of Mongols in  Inner Mongolia. They settle mainly in Sergelen, Bayantu'men, Choibalsan city of the Dornod Province and in Xilin Gol League of InnerMongolia. Some Üzemchins migrated there from Xilin Gol immediately after China was freed from the Japanese in 1945.

Oirats Mongolians are the westernmost group of the Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Although the Oirats originated in the eastern parts of Central Asia, the most prominent group today is located in  Kalmkia, a federal subject of Russia, where they are called Kalmyks.

Historically, the Oirats were composed of four major tribes: Dzungar, (Choros or Olots), Torghut, Dorbet and Khoshut. The minor tribes include: Khoid, Bayads, Myangad, Baatud.

Köräş, is one of the Turkic  terms for "wrestling" (from old turkic keriš, c.f. Turkish güreş) and specifically refers to a number of folk wrestling styles practiced in Central Asia. The wrestling is the main competition at the folk festival Sabantuy. Wrestlers (köräşçe(lär)) use towels to hold their opponents, and their goal is to throw their opponents off the feet. The first official All-USSR koresh championship took place in Kazan in 1928 and was followed by the first TASSR (Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic) national championship in 1949. Since 1956, regular Tatar Köräş competitions have been organised in honor of the national hero and poet Musa Calil.

Native to Tajikistan, this belted and jacketed style two men shake hands with both hands, pass through the right hand under the opponentʼs left hand and pull to oneself and try to turn down an opponent.In Tajikistan, during the national New Year Navruz, every village, community, town and city organize a new year open wrestling competition. Men of any profession (not only wrestlers) try and join the competition. According to traditions, children begin the competition, then youngsters continue and after them, the notable wrestlers compete with each other. If somebody is defeated in a village Navruzi wrestling competition, his brother competes with the same opponent to save the familyʼs pride.

Die Jiao : Chinese wrestling from Xinzhou, Northern Shanxi Province. Competitors wear only pants, without jacket, belt, or boots. Its primary techniques are the "48 Leg Takedowns", first codified in the Song Dynasty circa 1180. This form of wrestling was popular throughout Northern China  until the spread of Shuai Jiao, which is considered more advanced in its grappling and tripping techniques. It was colloquially known as "Mo Ni Qiu ", literally grabbing the mud Qiu, Qiu being a kind of catfish in Northern China.

Gi Ge  Chinese Belt Wrestling  practiced by YI Nationality  in Sichuan  and  Yunnan. "Gi Ge" literally means "Holding Waist". The three main rules are: no tripping using the legs; no grabbing the jacket or pants; no pushing or striking. Rules have now been changed to allow holding the legs.

“Almokabasah wrestling” is a form prevalent in the south  of the Sultanate of Oman, in the Governorate of Dhofar and parts of the Republic of Yemen governorate of Mahra and others. The match begins with both players wearing belts. Each of the 

players grabs the opponent from the 

belt and tries to throw him to the 

ground. Alabbasa wrestling is one of 

the most popular  games for men in the 

Governorate of Dhofar. Most of the 

matches are held in the form of a 

challenge and show of strength at events such as weddings and in any celebration or civil strife,  wrestlers follow the rules and the generally accepted laws, when the match ends, the loser and the winner shake hands 

with each other, and the loser accepts 

the loss with open arms and 

sportsmanship. This is a type of 

wrestling that is not based on violence, 

and aims at honest competition and the 

presentation of mind and experience 

over strength, size and societal 

cohesion is an integral part of the 

Omani culture of Dhofari. The word 

“Makabesah”, which in Arabic means 

pressed , when a person is thrown to the

ground a Jabaliya is called “ 

Minus or Shinas "Wrestling consists of 

several rounds, and wrestling takes 

place in two rounds in the event of 

victory, and in the event of a tie, one 

round is added to the resolution. There 

are techniques  that the wrestler must know in order to be able to win and they include types of off balance movements.  There are other defensive or counter moves and work to surprise the opponent very quickly to win. 

The match consists of two rounds and a tie breaker  if needed.

One of the two Turkish folk styles practiced nationwide and sanctioned by the Turkish Wrestling Federation. Karakucak competitions are held on grass fields. Competitors wear baggy trousers (şalvar) or special trousers named pırpıt made of canvas or other similarly sturdy fabric. Oiling the bodies and/or garments is strictly prohibited.  Apart from this, Karakucak rules resemble Turkish oil wrestling rules. Among several local styles, Köprülü karakucak practised mainly in Çukurova has rules almost identical with  freestyle wrestling. 

Native to Uganda, this is a backhold style that starts with a loose grip. Right arm under-hook begins the bout with wrestlers allowed to backhold lock. Bout ends when any part of the body touches the ground. Ekigwo Ggumbya is the most popular traditional sport in Uganda and historically it was used to create a platform for community interaction as well as identify strong men who would protect the Kabaka and the kingdom.

Yağlı güreş is the Turkish national sport where the wrestlers cover themselves with olive oil. Güreş is shared with other forms of wrestling practiced by Turkic speakers across Europe and Central Asia, such Tartar köräş. Known as pehlivan (meaning "hero" or "champion"), wear a type of hand-stitched leather pants  called a kisbet  or kispet, made of water buffalo hide or calfskin. Matches won by achieving an effective hold of the kisbet  to control his opponent called paça kazık. Originally, matches had no set duration but in 1975 the duration was capped at 40 and 30 minutes for the pehlivan category. 

The annual kirkpinar tournament, held in Edirne in Turkish Thrace since 1346, is the oldest continuously running, sanctioned sporting competition in the world. Festivals also take place in northern Greece in the Eastern Macedonia Serres region and Rhodope mountains. Also popular in Holland and Japan.

Popoko, the indigenous style of the Maori of the Cook Islands, is an ancient traditional form of wrestling on the island of Pukapuka. The young men don thick belts called maro that are woven from coconut fiber and in a ritualistic procession, annually they march from their villages to a communal meeting ground.

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