Wrestling

Popularity

History

Egypt: Beni Hasan reliefs: Egypt, c. 2400 BC
Crete: The Boxer Rhyton: Hagia Triada, Crete, c. 1600 BC.

Importance in culture

individualism
effort
strength
skill

frequent metaphors in speech
mythology
practical considerations

Basic Principles

skamma ("dug up part")
mud vs. dust
bouts, sections, falls (3 falls necessary to win)
definition of "fall"

vase painting (black figure, 6th c. BC, Athens) depicting referee checking to see if wrestler's shoulders have touched ground

Rules

no striking
choking, tripping legal
no finger breaking, eye gouging

Tactics and techniques

Extreme degree of technical sophistication
Pap. Ox. 466
range of complex moves on vase paintings

upright and ground wrestling

Upright

Leontiscus of Messana, Olympic victor in 456 and 452 BC
Moves

Archaic (6th century BC) Greek relief: bout begins - hand-to-hand grappling
black figure vase, 6th century BC, Athens: headlock
Hellenistic (3rd c. BC) sculpture: armlock

waist locks:

red figure vase, 5th century BC: standing waist lock; attacker prepares to throw opponent
red figure kylix, 5th cenutry BC: throw resulting from successful waist lock

red figure kylix, 5th century BC: over-shoulder throw

Ground wrestling

similar set of complicated moves.
various throws to try to get opponent onto his back.

This page last updated by Ben Dollar on October 1, 2000.