See also:

• WRESTLING (O. Eng. wrcestlian)

WRESTLING (O. Eng. wrcestlian)  , a See also:

• SPORT (a contracted or shortened form of "disport," to amuse, divert oneself, O. Fr. se dis porter or deporter, to leave off work, hence to play, Lat. dis-, away, and portare, to carry; the origin of the meaning lies in the notion of turning away from ser

sport in which two persons strive to throw each other to the ground . It is one of the most See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive and universal of See also:

• SPORTS
• SPORTS, THE BOOK OF

sports . Upon the walls of the See also:

• TEMPLE
• TEMPLE, FREDERICK (1821-1902)
• TEMPLE, RICHARD
• TEMPLE, SIR RICHARD, BART
• TEMPLE, SIR WILLIAM, BART

temple-tombs of Beni See also:

• HASAN

Hasan, near the See also:

• NILE
• NILE, BATTLE OF THE
• NILE, SOBAT

Nile, are sculptured many See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred scenes from See also:

• WRESTLING (O. Eng. wrcestlian)

wrestling matches, depicting practically all the holds and falls known at the See also:

• PRESENT

present See also:

• DAY (O. Eng. dreg, Ger. Tag; according to the New English Dictionary, " in no way related to the Lat. dies")
• DAY, JOHN (1574-1640?)
• DAY, THOMAS (1748-1789)

day, thus proving that wrestling was a highly See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed sport at least 3000 years before the See also:

• CHRISTIAN
• CHRISTIAN, WILLIAM (1608-1663)

Christian era . As the description of the bout between See also:

• ODYSSEUS (in Latin Ulixes, incorrectly written Ulysses)

Odysseus and See also:

• AJAX
• AJAX (Gr. Alas)

Ajax in the 23rd See also:

• BOOK

book of the Iliad, and the evolutions of the classic See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek wrestlers, See also:

• TALLY

tally with the sculptures of Beni Hasan and See also:

• NINEVEH (Heb. m}'?, in classical authors Nivos, Ninus; LXX. Ntsetni, Nnveun: Assyrian Nind or Ninua)

Nineveh, the sport may have been introduced into See also:

• GREECE

Greece from See also:

• EGYPT

Egypt or See also:

• ASIA

Asia . In See also:

• HOMER, WINSLOW (1836-191o)

Homer's celebrated description of the match between Ajax and Odysseus the two champions wore only a See also:

• GIRDLE (O. Eng. gyrdel, from gyrdan, to gird; cf. Ger. Gurtel, Dutch gordel, from giirten and gorden; "gird" and its doublet " girth " together with the other Teutonic cognates have been referred by some to the root ghar—to seize, enclose, seen in Gr. )(s

girdle, which was, however, not used in the classic Greek See also:

• GAMES, CLASSICAL

games . Neither Homer nor See also:

• EUSTATHIUS
• EUSTATHIUS, or EUMATHIUS

Eustathius, who also minutely depicted the See also:

• BATTLE

battle between Ajax and Odysseus, mentions the use of oil, which, however, was invariable at the Olympic games, where wrestling was introduced during the 18th See also:

• OLYMPIAD

Olympiad . The Greek wrestlers were, after the application of the oil, rubbed with See also:

• FINE

fine See also:

• SAND
• SAND, GEORGE (1804-1876)

sand, to afford a better hold . Wrestling was a very important See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch of athletics in the Greek games, since it formed the See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief event of the pentathlon, or quintuple games (see GAMES, CLASSICAL) . All holds were allowed, even strangling, butting and kicking . Crushing the fingers was used especially in the pancration, a See also:

• COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination of wrestling and See also:

• BOXING (M.E. box, a blow, probably from Dan. bask, a buffet)

boxing . Wrestlers were taught to be graceful in all their movements, in accordance with the Greek ideas of See also:

• AESTHETICS

aesthetics . There were two varieties of Greek wrestling, the irhXo 6p817, or upright wrestling, which was that generally practised, and the AXivbilwis (ccukwwts, lucta volutatoria) or squirming contest after the contestants had fallen, which continued until one acknowledged defeat .

It was this variety that was employed in the pancration . The upright wrestling was very similar to the See also:

• MODERN

modern catch-ascatch-can See also:

• STYLE
• STYLE (from Gr. a-6'1ms, a column; a different word from that used in literature, see below)

style . In this three falls out of five decided a match . A variation of this style was that in which one of the contestants stood within a small See also:

• RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

ring and resisted the efforts of his adversary to pull him out of it . Other See also:

• LOCAL

local varieties existed in the different provinces . The most celebrated wrestler of See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient times was See also:

• MILO
• MILO, TITUS ANNIUS

Milo of See also:

• CROTONA, CROTO

Crotona (c . 520 B.C.), who scored See also:

• THIRTY

thirty-two victories in the different See also:

• NATIONAL

national games, six of them at See also:

• OLYMPIA

Olympia . Greek athletic sports were introduced into See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome in the last See also:

• QUARTER (through Fr. from Lat. quartarius, fourth part)

quarter of the and See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century B.C., but it never attained to the popularity that it enjoyed in Greece . Among the See also:

• TEUTONIC
• TEUTONIC (GERMANIC) LANGUAGES

Teutonic peoples wrestling, at least as a method of fighting, was of course always known; how popular it had become as a sport during the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle ages is proved by the voluminous literature which appeared on the subject after the invention of See also:

• PRINTING (from Lat. imprimere, O. Fr. empreindre)

printing, the most celebrated See also:

• WORK

work being the Ringer-Kunst of See also:

• FABIAN [FABIANUS], SAINT (d. 250)

Fabian von Auerswald (1539) . Albrecht See also:

• DURER, ALBRECHT (1471-1528)

Durer made 119 drawings illustrating the different holds and falls in See also:

• VOGUE, EUGENE MELCHIOR, COMTE DE (1848- )

vogue in the 15th and 16th centuries . These singularly resembled those used in the Greek games, even to certain brutal tricks, which, however, were considered by the See also:

• GERMAN
• GERMAN, DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN

German masters as not geselliglich (friendly) and were not commonly used . Wrestling was adopted by the German Turnvereine as one of their exercises, but with the elimination of tripping and all holds below the hips .

At present the most popular style in See also:

• EUROPE

Europe is the so-called Graeco-See also:

• ROMAN

Roman . In See also:

• SWITZERLAND

Switzerland and some of the Tirolese valleys a See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind of wrestling flourishes under the name of Schwingen (swinging) . The wrestlers See also:

• WEAR

wear schwinghosen or wrestling-breeches, with stout belts, on which the holds are taken . The first See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man down loses the bout . In See also:

• STYRIA (German, Steiermark or Steyermark)

Styria, wrestlers stand firmly on both feet with right hands clasped . When the word is given each tries to push or pull the other from his stance, the slightest See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement of a See also:

• FOOT

foot sufficing to lose . The popularity of wrestling has survived in many See also:

• ASIATIC

Asiatic countries, particularly in See also:

• JAPAN

Japan, where the first match recorded took See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place in 23 B.C., the See also:

• VICTOR
• VICTOR, GAIUS JULIUS (4th cent. A.D.)
• VICTOR, SEXTUS AURELIUS

victor being Sukune, who has ever since been regarded as the tutelary deity of wrestlers . In the 8th century the See also:

• EMPEROR (Fr. empereur, from the Lat. imperator)

emperor Sh8mu made wrestling one of the features of the See also:

• ANNUAL

annual See also:

• HARVEST (A.S. hcerfest " autumn," O.H. Ger. herbist, possibly through an old Teutonic root representing Lat. car pere, " to pluck ")

harvest " Festival of the Five Grains," the victor being appointed See also:

• OFFICIAL (Late Lat. QJicialis, for class. Lat. apparitor, from officium, office, duty)

official See also:

• REFEREE

referee and presented with a See also:

• FAN (Lat. vannus; Fr. eventail)

fan bearing the See also:

• LEGEND (through the French from the med. Lat. legenda, things to be read, from legere, to read)

legend, " See also:

• PRINCE
• PRINCE (Lat. princeps, from primus capio, " I am the first to take "; Ital. principe, Fr. prince)

Prince of Lions." In 858 the See also:

• THRONE

throne of Japan was wrestled for by the two sons of the emperor Buntoku, and the victor, Koreshito, succeeded his See also:

• FATHER

father under the name of Seiwa . Imperial patronage of wrestling ceased in 1175, after the See also:

• WAR
• WAR (O. Eng. werre, Fr. guerre, of Teutonic origin; cf. O.H.G. werran, to confound)

war which resulted in the See also:

• ESTABLISHMENT (0. Fr. establissement, Fr. etablissement, late Norm. Fr. establishement, from O. Fr. establir, Fr. etablir, Lat. stabilire, to make stable)

establishment of the Shogunate, but continued to be a See also:

• PART

part of the training of the samurai or military See also:

• CASTE (through the Fr. from Span. and Port. casta, lineage, Lat. cast us, pure)

caste . About 1600, professional wrestling again See also:

• ROSE
• ROSE (Rosa)
• ROSE, GEORGE (1744-1818)
• ROSE, HUGH JAMES (1795—1838)
• ROSE, WILLIAM STEWART (1775-1843)

rose to importance, the best men being in the employ of the See also:

• GREAT

great daimios or feudal nobles . It was, nevertheless, still kept up by the samurai, and eventually developed into the See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar combination of wrestling and See also:

• SYSTEM

system of doing bodily injury called ju-jutsu (q.v.), which survives with wrestling as a See also:

• SEPARATE

separate though allied See also:

• ART

art . The national championships were re-established in 1624, when the celebrated Shiganosuke won the See also:

• HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

honour, and have continued to the present day .

The See also:

• JAPANESE

Japanese wrestlers, like those of See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India, See also:

• LAY

lay much stress upon See also:

• WEIGHT

weight and are generally men of great bulk, although surprisingly See also:

• LIGHT

light on their feet . They See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form a gild which is divided into several ranks, the highest being composed of the joshiyori, or elders, in whose hands the superintendence of the wrestling See also:

• SCHOOLS

schools and tournaments lies, and who in feudal times used to See also:

• RANK (O.Fr. rant or rent, mod. rang, generally connected with the O.E. and O.H.G. bring, a ring)

rank next to the samurai . The badges of the three highest ranks are See also:

• DAMASK

damask aprons richly embroidered . Every public wrestler must have passed through a thorough course of instruction under one of the joshiyori and have undergone numerous See also:

• PRACTICAL

practical tests . The wrestling takes place in a ring 12 ft. in See also:

• DIAMETER (from the Cr. &a, through, µErpov, measure)

diameter, the wrestlers being naked but for a See also:

• LOIN (through O. Fr. loigne or logne, mod. lunge, from Lat. Iambus)

loin-See also:

• CLOTH

cloth . At the command of the referee the two adversaries crouch with their hands on the ground and See also:

• WATCH (in O. Eng. wcecce, a keeping guard or watching, from wacian, to guard, watch, wacan, to wake)

watch for an opening . The method is very similar to that of the ancient Greeks and the modern catch-as-catch-can style, except that a wrestler who touches the ground with any part of his See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person except the feet, after the first hold has been taken, loses the bout . See also:

• INDIAN

Indian wrestling resembles that of Japan in the great See also:

• SIZE

size of its exponents or Pulwans, and the number and subtlety of its attacks, called penches . It is of the " loose " See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order, the men facing each other nude, except for a loin-cloth, and manoeuvring warily for a hold . Both shoulders placed on the ground simultaneously constitute a fall . In Great See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain wrestling was cultivated at a very See also:

• EARLY
• EARLY, JUBAL ANDERSON (1816-1894)

early See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age, both See also:

• SAXONS

Saxons and Celts having always been addicted to it, and See also:

• ENGLISH

English literature is full of references to the sport . On St See also:

• JAMES
• JAMES (Gr. 'IlrKw,l3or, the Heb. Ya`akob or Jacob)
• JAMES (JAMES FRANCIS EDWARD STUART) (1688-1766)
• JAMES, 2ND EARL OF DOUGLAS AND MAR(c. 1358–1388)
• JAMES, DAVID (1839-1893)
• JAMES, EPISTLE OF
• JAMES, GEORGE PAYNE RAINSFOP
• JAMES, HENRY (1843— )
• JAMES, JOHN ANGELL (1785-1859)
• JAMES, THOMAS (c. 1573–1629)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (1842–1910)
• JAMES, WILLIAM (d. 1827)

James's and St See also:

• BARTHOLOMEW, JOHN (1831-1893)
• BARTHOLOMEW, SAINT

Bartholomew's days See also:

• SPECIAL

special matches took place through-out See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England, those in See also:

• LONDON

London being held in St See also:

• GILES (GIL, GILLES), ST

Giles's See also:

• FIELD (a word common to many West German languages, cf. Ger. Feld, Dutch veld, possibly cognate with O.E. f olde, the earth, and ultimately with root of the Gr. irAaror, broad)
• FIELD, CYRUS WEST (1819-1892)
• FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (18o5-1894)
• FIELD, EUGENE (1850-1895)
• FIELD, FREDERICK (18o1—1885)
• FIELD, HENRY MARTYN (1822-1907)
• FIELD, JOHN (1782—1837)
• FIELD, MARSHALL (183 1906)
• FIELD, NATHAN (1587—1633)
• FIELD, STEPHEN JOHNSON (1816-1899)
• FIELD, WILLIAM VENTRIS FIELD, BARON (1813-1907)

Field, whence they were afterwards transferred to See also:

• CLERKENWELL

Clerkenwell .

The See also:

• LORD
• LORD (O. Eng. hldford, i.e. hldfweard, the warder or keeper of bread, hlIf, loaf; the word is not represented in any other Teutonic language)
• LORD, JOHN (1810-1894)

lord See also:

• MAYOR (Lat. major, greater)
• MAYOR, JOHN EYTON BICKERSTETH (1825– )

mayor and his sheriffs were often present on, these occasions, but the frequent brawls among the spectators eventually brought public matches into disrepute . English monarchs have not disdained to patronize the sport, and See also:

• HENRY
• HENRY (1129-1195)
• HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
• HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
• HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
• HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
• HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
• HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
• HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
• HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
• HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
• HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
• HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
• HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)

Henry VIII. is known to have been a powerful wrestler . It was inevitable, in a See also:

• COUNTRY (from the Mid. Eng. contre or contrie, and O. Fr. cuntree; Late Lat. contrata, showing the derivation from contra, opposite, over against, thus the tract of land which fronts the sight, cf. Ger. Gegend, neighbourhood)

country where the sport was so ancient and so universal, that different methods of wrestling should grow up . It is likely that the " loose " style, in which the contestants took any hold they could obtain, generally prevailed throughout Great Britain until the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of the 18th century, when the several local fashions became gradually coherent; but it was not until well into the 19th that their several rules were codified . Of these the " See also:

• CUMBERLAND
• CUMBERLAND, DUKES AND EARLS OF
• CUMBERLAND, RICHARD (1632-1718)
• CUMBERLAND, RICHARD (1732-1811)
• CUMBERLAND, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS

Cumberland and See also:

• WESTMORLAND
• WESTMORLAND, EARLS OF

Westmorland " style, which prevails principally in the N. of England (except See also:

• LANCASHIRE

Lancashire) and the S. of See also:

• SCOTLAND
• SCOTLAND, CHURCH OF
• SCOTLAND, EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF

Scotland, is the most important . In this the wrestlers stand See also:

• CHEST (Gr. Kiarl, Lat. cista, O. Eng. cist, test, &c.)

chest to chest, each grasping the other with locked hands See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round the See also:

• BODY

body with his See also:

• CHIN

chin on the other's right See also:

• SHOULDER (in O.E. sculder, cognate with Ger. Schulter, Dutch schouder, Swed. skuldra, &c; the root is unknown)

shoulder . The right See also:

• ARM (a common Teutonic word; the Indo-European root is ar, to join or fit; cf. the Lat. armus, shoulder, and the plural word arma, weapons, Gr. apphs, joint, and the reduplicated apapilKSV, to join)

arm is below and the See also:

• LEFT

left above the adversary's . When this hold has been firmly taken the See also:

• UMPIRE

umpire gives the word and the bout proceeds until one man touches the ground with any part of his person except his feet, or he fails to retain his hold, in either of which cases he loses . When both fall together the one who is underneath, or first touches the ground, loses . If both fall simultaneously See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side by side, it is a " See also:

• DOG

dog-fall," and the bout begins anew . The different manoeuvres used in See also:

• BRITISH

British wrestling to throw the adversary arecalled " chips," those most important in the " Cumberland and Westmorland " or " See also:

• NORTH
• NORTH, BARONS
• NORTH, MARIANNE (1830—1890)
• NORTH, ROGER (1653-1734)
• NORTH, SIR THOMAS (1535?-16o1?)

North Country " style being the " back-See also:

• HEEL

heel," in which a wrestler gets a See also:

• LEG
• LEG (a word of Scandinavian origin, from the Old Norwegian leggr, cf. Swed. lagg, Dan. laeg; the O. Eng. word was sceanca, shank)

leg behind his opponent's heel on the outside; the " outside stroke," in which after a sudden twist of his body to the left the opponent is struck with the left foot on the outside of his See also:

• ANKLE

ankle; the " hank," or lifting the opponent off the ground after a sudden turn, so that both fall together, but with the opponent underneath; the " inside click," a hank applied after jerking the opponent forward, the pressure then being straight back; the " outside click," a back-heel applied by a wrestler as he is on the point of being lifted from the ground—it prevents this and often results in over-setting the opponent; the " See also:

• CROSS

cross-buttock.," executed by getting one's See also:

• HIP

hip underneath the opponent's, throwing one's leg across both his, lifting and throwing him; the " buttock," in which one's hip is worked still further under that of the opponent, who is then thrown right over one's back; the "hipe " or " hype," executed by lifting the opponent, and, while swinging him to the right, placing the left See also:

• KNEE (O. E. cneow, a word common to Indo-European languages, cf. Ger. Knie, Fr. genou, Span. hinojo, Lat. genu, Gr. ybvv, Sansk. janu)

knee under his right leg and carrying it as high as possible before the throw; the " swinging hipe," in which the opponent is swung nearly or quite round before the hipe is applied; and the " See also:

• BREAST (a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. the Ger. Brust, possibly connected with an O. Sax. brustian, to bud)

breast-stroke," which is a sudden See also:

• DOUBLE
• DOUBLE (from the Mid. Eng. duble, the form which gives the present pronunciation, through the Old Er. duble, from Lat. duplus, twice as much)

double twist, first to one side and then to the other, followed by a throw . In the "See also:

• CORNWALL

Cornwall and See also:

• DEVON, EARLS OF

Devon" or "See also:

• WEST
• WEST, BENJAMIN (1738-1820)
• WEST, NICHOLAS (1461-1533)

West Country" style the men wrestle in stout, loosely cut See also:

• LINEN

linen jackets, the hold being anywhere above the See also:

• WAIST

waist or on any part of the jacket .

A bout is won by throwing the opponent on his back so that two shoulders and a hip, or two hips and a shoulder (three points), shall See also:

• TOUCH (derived through Fr. toucher from a common Teutonic and Indo-Germanic root, cf. " tug," " tuck," O. H. Ger. zucchen, to twitch or draw)

touch the ground simultaneously . This is a difficult See also:

• MATTER

matter, since ground wrestling is forbidden, and a man, when he feels himself falling, will usually turn and See also:

• LAND

land on his side or See also:

• FACE (from Lat. fades, derived either from facere, to make, or from a root fa-, meaning " appear "; cf. Gr. cbatvstv)

face . Many of the " chips " See also:

• COMMON

common to other styles are used here, the most celebrated being the " flying See also:

• MARE

mare," in which the opponent's left See also:

• WRIST

wrist is seized with one's right, one's back turned on him, his left See also:

• ELBOW

elbow grasped with the left See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand and he is then thrown over one's back, as in the buttock . Until comparatively recently there was a difference between the styles of Cornwall and Devon, the wrestlers of the latter See also:

• COUNTY (through Norm. Fr. comae, cf. O. Fr. cunte, conk', Mod. Fr. comae, from Lat. comitatus, cf. Ital. comitato, Prov. comtat; see COUNT)

county having worn heavily-soled shoes, with which it was legitimate to belabour the adversary's shins . In 1826 a memorable match took place between Polkinhorne, the Cornish See also:

• CHAMPION (Fr. champion, Late Lat. campio from campus; a field or open space, i.e. one " who takes the field " or fights; cf. Ger. Kampf, battle, and Kampfer, fighter)

champion, and the best wrestler of Devon, See also:

• ABRAHAM, or ABRAM (Hebrew for " father is high ")

Abraham Cann, who wore " kicking-boots of an appalling See also:

• PATTERN

pattern." Polkinhorne, however, encased his shins in See also:

• LEATHER (a word which appears in all Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Leder, Dutch leer or leder, Swed. leder, and in such Celtic forms as Welsh llader)
• LEATHER, ARTIFICIAL

leather, and the match was eventually See also:

• DRAWN

drawn . The " Lancashire " style, more generally known as " catchas-catch-can," is practised not only in Lancashire and the adjacent districts, but throughout See also:

• AMERICA

America, See also:

• AUSTRALIA

Australia, See also:

• TURKEY

Turkey and other countries . It is the legitimate descendant and representative of the ancient Greek sport and of the wrestling of the middle ages . A bout is won when both shoulders of one wrestler touch the See also:

• FLOOR (from O. Eng. flor, a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch vloer, and Ger. Flur, a field, in the feminine, and a floor, masculine)

floor together . No kicking, striking or other foul practices are allowed, but theoretically every hold is legitimate . Exceptions are, however, made of the so-called strangle-holds, which are sufficiently described by their designation, and any hold resulting in a dislocation or a fracture . This style contains practically all the manoeuvres known to other methods, and in its freedom and opportunity for a display of See also:

• STRATEGY

strategy, strength and skill, is the most preferable . A fall, though invariably begun See also:

• STANDING

standing, is nearly always completed on the ground (See also:

• MAT (O. Eng. meatt, from late Lat. mattes, whence Ital. mallet, Ger. and Dan. matte, Du. mat, &c.)

mat) .

The holds and " chips " are so numerous and complicated as to make anything but an elaborate description inadequate . The best book on the subject is the Handbook of Wrestling by See also:

• HUGH
• HUGH, ST

Hugh F . Leonard (1897) . In Scotland a combination of the Cumberland and catch-ascatch-can styles has attained some popularity, in which the wrestlers begin with the North Country hold, but continue the bout on the ground should the fall not be a clean one with two shoulders down . In See also:

• IRELAND
• IRELAND, CHURCH
• IRELAND, CHURCH OF
• IRELAND, JOHN (1761-1842)
• IRELAND, JOHN (1838- )
• IRELAND, WILLIAM HENRY (1777-1835)

Ireland the national style is called " See also:

• COLLAR

collar and elbow " (in America . "back-wrestling"), from the holds taken by the two hands . The man loses, any part of whose person, except the feet, touches the ground . The style mostly affected by the professional wrestlers of Europe at the present day is the Graeco-Roman (falsely so called, since it bears almost no resemblance to classic wrestling), which arose about 186o and is a product of the See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French wrestling schools . It is a very restricted style, as no tripping is allowed, nor any hold below the hips, the result being that the bouts, which are contested almost entirely prone on the mat, are usually tediously See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long . British and See also:

• AMERICAN

American wrestlers, being accustomed to their own styles, are naturally at a disadvantage when wrestling under Graeco-Roman rules .