Wrestling Wrestling is a body-contact sport in which two contestants attempt to pin each other's shoulders to a padded mat. They employ various holds and body maneuvers. Freestyle and Greco-Roman are to forms of the only two included in the Olympic Games. Freestyle wrestling comes from Greek wrestling.
The legs are used for balance and support but also in holding and lifting an opponent. Greco-Roman style does not allow any holds below the waist, and a wrestler's legs are not allowed to be used for any grips.
Wrestling technique has not changed very much, many maneuvers are as the were practiced centuries ago in ancient Egypt and China. In 704 BC, the 18th ancient Olympic Games included wrestling. Evidence of fixed matches due to bribes, cut short the popularity of the sport, and it lay dormant for hundreds of years. During the 19th century, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling regained popular interest.
David Bowie & Band @ Area2 Festival
Two U.S. Air Force members wrestling in a Greco-Ro...
Stephanie 31The Olympic Games took on more importance for amateurs and by 1924 included 7 freestyle and 6 Greco-Roman weight divisions.
In Olympic and international competitions wrestlers compete against each other of the same weight. There are ten weight classes that exist, from 48 kg (105.8 lb) to more than 100 kg (220.4 lb.). Wrestlers who compete must wear tight0fitting, one- piece leotards. A match is 3 rounds, each lasting 3 minutes, with 1 minute rest periods after each one. A match is one when an opponent's shoulders are pinned to the mat for a certain amount of time. Wrestlers are not allowed to pull hair, kick, punch, use head locks, bend an opponent's arm more than 90 degrees or use and holing that will endanger the physical shape of the opponent.
Sumo is the national wrestling of Japan. There are six major sumo tournaments each year. Sumo has no...