History Of Wrestling Essay Example For Students

History Of Wrestling Essay The forms of wrestling we know today as Greco-Roman, Folkstyle, and Freestyle found their origins in the lands on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. These lands are where the Ancient Greeks resided, and developed the art of wrestling. The Greeks influenced the styles and skills of wrestling of today. The sport of wrestling has been highly developed for over five thousand years, and it is believed to have begun part of the soldiers training, The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling stated. Proof of this lie on the walls of the tomb in Beni Hasan in the form of pictures. These pictures are about five thousand years old and show holds from both the standing positions and the ground positions. From that time to the present wrestling turned from military skill to a sport skill. (The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling,7-2)During this time wrestling was also developed in other cultures, like that of ancient Greeks. Wrestling to the Greeks was not only part of the soldiers training, but was also a part of everyday life. Youth did not only learn grammar, art of speech, and mathematics, but young men also went through physical training, which consist of dancing and the art of wrestling. The Greeks saw wrestling as a development of grace and an activity that demands a high skill and physical fitness. (The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling,7-3)Greek literature points out this skill of wrestling was used by gods and kings, as well as by soldiers and private citizens, in their efforts to overcome evil and brute force. Most of the heroes of Greek mythology were considered skillful wrestlers. Their view of skill most likely led to its introduction as a major sport in the Olympic Games in the year 704 B.C. (The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling,7-4)Wrestling was a major sport in most Greek festivals, including the Olympic Games. In these festivals sports other than wrestling, such as foot races, chariot-races, throwing of the discos and javelin, and boxing, were also included. These events with variations and additions made up the program of the athletic festivals of Greece through the whole history. The events of the Olympic Games survived even through the rise and the fall of the Roman Empire. With the conquering of the Greece by the Romans, th e Greek form of wrestling began to lose popularity, since, the Romans didnt have the same sense of grace and skill, stated The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling. The Romans were also not interested in brute strength and violence. (The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling,7-5) One last thing that brought the decline of Greek wrestling, is the participation of many more countries in the Olympics. This was due to The Romans allowing other countries in the Olympics. The Greek spectators became tired of seeing their local wrestling heroes being defeated by competitors from the East. The success of the Asian wrestlers and others help along the decline of Greek Wrestling. (The Ancient Greeks and The sport of Wrestling,7-5)Wrestling technique has changed very little, and many of the modern holds were derived from the sport as it was practiced in ancient Egypt, in 704, included wrestling. Evidence that matches were increasingly being fixed and competitors rigged, however, cut sh ort popularity of the sport, and it lay dormant for hundreds of years, stated the Concise Encyclopedia of Sports. (Concise Encyclopedia of Sports, 7-3)During the 19th century, Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling regained popular interest. Circuses and carnivals in the United States sponsored wrestling matches, and this activity led directly to the revival of wrestling. William Muldon was declared the first American Champion. Following World War I, fixed professional wrestling matches threatened to discredit wrestling, but the Federation International des Luttes Amateur founded in 1921, saved the sport. This governing body codified rules, set standards, and organized competitions for all amateur 7 freestyle and 6 Greco-Roman weight divisions, an increase from only having one weight division in the 1904 Olympics. (Concise Encyclopedia of Sports, 7-3) In the Olympic and international completions wrestlers compete against others approximately the same weight. Ten weight classifications exist from 15.8 pounds too more than 220.4 pounds. Competitors must wear tight-fitting one-piece singlets. The wrestling mat is a raised platform, 6-8 meters square. A match is scheduled for three rounds, each period lasting three minutes, with 1-minute rest periods between them. Matches are won either by pinning an opponents shoulders to the mat and holding them for one second or by accumulating the greater number of points during the match. A referee, judge, and a mat chairman decide on the awarding of penalty points. Wrestlers are not allowed to pull hair, kick, punch, grip the edge of the mat, use head locks, and bend an opponents arm more than 90 degrees or use any hold that may endanger the physical well-being of the opponent. (Sports and Games, 5-4)There are many different styles of wrestling. One of the most popular that is used in high school and college in the United States is folkstyle. This style developed in the United States as a modified form of the European Freestyle with variations influenced by the American Indian and early pioneers. In fact several history references indicated that both George Washington and Abe Lincoln were good Folkstyle wrestlers. (Rules of the Game, 4-2)Folkstyle concentrates on control and the execution of moves, with points awarded for successfully executing a move to gain control or escape your opponents control. The wrestler on top must constantly work towards a pin while the wrestler on bottom must continually try to escape or reverse. In some aspects, Folkstyle is similar to Freestyle terms of wrestling technique used, however the rules influence the selection of attacks and the conduct of the match. (Rules of the Game, 4-2) Another popular style of wrestling is Freestyle. Freestyle is used in the Olympic games. It is similar folkstyle wrestling in terms of technique, but the rules and scoring are different. Anyone who wrestles folkstyle can wrestler freestyle. Because of the rules there are additional moves that c an be don such as the gut wrench and leg lace. Matches are usually on five-minute period in the open and high school divisions and two periods with short break between for the younger age groups. Role of the Gods in the Iliad EssayAnother type of wrestling, called sambo, was recognized in 1964 by the International Federation of Amateur Wrestling. Developed in the Soviet Union in the 1930s, it is popular today in Russia and also in Bulgaria and Japan. Based on regional wrestling styles, sambo resembles both jujitsu and Greco-Roman. There are many different variations of the sport of wrestling but they all still carry the tradition that the early Greeks started many years ago. This tradition is hard work, discipline and grace. BibliographyBIBLIOGRAPHYBrosch, R. How Did Sports Begin? New York: David McKay company, Inc., 1970Carson, Ray. The Ancient Greeks and the Sport of Wrestling. New Jersey: Barnes and Co., 1974. Lewinson, David, Christensen, Karen. III Encyclopedia of World Sports. California: ABC-CLIO, Inc., 1996. Sports and Games. California: Sydney, 1997. The Consise Encyclopedia of Sports. USA: Grolier Incorporated, 1970. Rules of the Game. USA: Paddington Press LTD, 1974. Wrestling. Comptors Encyclopedia. 1995 ed. Sports and Games Essays