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Geographic popularity Wrestling is a major sport in the United States and Canada and most nations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. In the United States, however, there are several geographic pockets in the nation where the sport is particularly advanced, competitive and popular, including areas of California, Iowa, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Among these, many of the sport's best competitors have come from northeast Ohio, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania (especially the Lehigh Valley and Coal Regions of Pennsylvania). In Asia, it is particluarly prominent in traditional nomadic warrior cultures, such as the Turkic and Mongolian steppe peoples. The sport is also one of many athletic competitions in the Summer Olympic Games. Collegiate wrestling On the collegiate level, several universities are known for regularly having competitive wrestling teams, including Iowa State, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Minnesota, & Oklahoma State University. Styles There are almost as many wrestling styles as there are national traditions. Styles include Schwingen in Switzerland,Glima of Iceland, Shuai jiao of China,Böke in Outer and Inner Mongolia, Tuvan Khuresh, Ssireum in Korea, Native American wrestling, Pehlwani in Iran and India, Sumo, Judo in Japan and Yağlı güreş which is a type of "oiled" wrestling (common in Ancient Mediterranean cultures) still popular in Turkey. Wrestling is often categorized as one of the martial arts; its virile image and usefulness as military training helped generate such multi-cultural evolutions. Some evidence suggests that wrestling may be the oldest sport known to man. A large amount of early artwork, for example, depicts matches between two opponents. One of the most famous wresting matches appears in the book of Genesis where Jacob wrestles an angel and is renamed Israel for his struggle, which translates to "Wrestles (or struggles) with God". In addition to its sporting nature, wrestling has often been utilized as the basis for popular spectacle, or theatrical drama. Circus and similar shows worldwide have historically included sideshow wrestling matches involving monetary wagers and even people competing against animals (particularly bears or kangaroos). Such "show wrestling" has continued to this day in professional wrestling spectaculars – choreographed for maximum auditory and visual effects. Often the winner of commercial contests is determined in advance but some styles such as Sumo, freestyle wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts remain true sporting contests. Wrestling as military training Wrestling has historically been used by militaries as a part of training. Armies in China have used it for several thousand years. The most detailed description of wrestling used in actual warfare comes from the historian Procopius, writing of the Roman versus Persian war in the 6th Century A.D. The following is his remarkable account of two duels between a Roman wrestling teacher and two Persian professional soldiers (Procopius, History of the Wars I.XIII.29): "But one Persian, a young man, riding up very close to the Roman army, began to challenge all of them, calling for whoever wished to do battle with him. And no one of the whole army dared face the danger, except a certain Andreas, one of the personal attendants of Bouzes, not a soldier nor one who had ever practised at all the business of war, but a trainer of youths in charge of a certain wrestling school in Byzantium. Through this it came about that he was following the army, for he cared for the person of Bouzes in the bath; his birthplace was Byzantium. This man alone had the courage, without being ordered by Bouzes or anyone else, to go out of his own accord to meet the man in single combat. And he caught the barbarian while still considering how he should deliver his attack, and hit him with his spear on the right breast. And the Persian did not bear the blow delivered by a man of such exceptional strength, and fell from his horse to the earth. Then Andreas with a small knife slew him like a sacrificial animal as he lay on his back, and a mighty shout was raised both from the city wall and from the Roman army. But the Persians were deeply vexed at the outcome and sent forth another horseman for the same purpose, a manly fellow and well favoured as to bodily size, but not a youth, for some of the hair on his head already shewed grey. This horseman came up along the hostile army, and, brandishing vehemently the whip with which he was accustomed to strike his horse, he summoned to battle whoever among the Romans was willing. And when no one went out against him, Andreas, without attracting the notice of anyone, once more came forth, although he had been forbidden to do so by Hermogenes. So both rushed madly upon each other with their spears, and the weapons, driven against their corselets, were turned aside with mighty force, and the horses, striking together their heads, fell themselves and threw off their riders. And both the two men, falling very close to each other, made great haste to rise to their feet, but the Persian was not able to do this easily because his size was against him, while Andreas, anticipating him (for his practice in the wrestling school gave him this advantage), smote him as he was rising on his knee, and as he fell again to the ground dispatched him. Then a roar went up from the wall and from the Roman army as great, if not greater, than before; and the Persians broke their phalanx and withdrew to Ammodios, while the Romans, raising the pæan, went inside the fortifications; for already it was growing dark. Thus both armies passed that night." The main objectives of wrestling in military training are: Wrestling is a safe way to achieve the above goals since it does not use dangerous objects or weapons. Wrestling and mixed martial arts Wrestling has gained tremendous respect among martial arts practicioners, especially with the advent of mixed martial arts competition. Many fighters identify wrestling itself or Submission wrestling as their style of fighting. Wrestling forms the base of some of the most respected self-defense and mixed martial arts systems in the world, such as Shootfighting. See also | ||||||||||
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