| Lancashire Wrestling | | | | 1923 to standardize the sport's rules, which state |
| An extremely violent form of wrestling in which | | | | that the grabbing or breaking of fingers is |
| only the deliberate breaking of bones is prohibited, | | | | forbidden and that players are not allowed to grab |
| Lancashire wrestling is considered to be the | | | | their opponent's legs, or indeed any part of the |
| founding art of catch wrestling and both | | | | body below the waist. A pure, four-pin throw-in |
| professional and amateur wrestling. The style | | | | which the player throws his opponent so that |
| probably evolved out of matches that took place | | | | both shoulder blades and buttocks hit the ground |
| during the 350-year Roman occupation of Britain; | | | | at the same time-is the classic winning technique. |
| the Romans felt the men of Albion (the Roman | | | | Cornish wrestling bouts can still be seen in the |
| name for Britain) were rough and did not respect | | | | south of England-and in some European countries- |
| the rules. One of the style's features was that | | | | demonstrated at local fairs. The most well-known |
| pins (whereby a wrestler holds his opponent to | | | | display of the sport takes place every year at |
| the ground for a prescribed period of time) were | | | | the Royal Cornwall Agricultural Show. A feature of |
| not deemed effective finishing techniques-because | | | | the system is that players often swear an oath |
| they relied on the discretion of the referee-so | | | | before the match begins, usually in the Cornish |
| forcing an opponent to submit became the norm. | | | | dialect. |
| | | | Catch Wrestling |
| Matches were always on a winner-takes-all basis | | | | Catch wrestling is derived from the Lancashire |
| and any money was given to the overall | | | | term "catch as catch can," meaning to "hold" an |
| champion. Matches would typically start with | | | | opponent, which was a forbidden rule in the |
| players standing about 1 1/2 ft (0.5 m) apart, | | | | Greco-Roman form of wrestling popular during the |
| facing each other, hands straight out and elbows | | | | Roman occupation of Britain. Catch players |
| bent in a typical wrestling posture. From here | | | | typically win a match through submission or a pin |
| short grips, takedowns, and tussles were | | | | down, and matches are usually determined by |
| employed. Once on the floor, the grapplers | | | | who wins two out of three bouts. |
| constantly moved around trying to apply a hold, a | | | | Notable practitioners |
| lock, or a choke, with waist holds and throws | | | | Catch wrestling has enjoyed much popularity in |
| common. | | | | the western world, with Abraham Lincoln, George |
| There were no rounds and no breaks and the | | | | Washington, and Teddy Roosevelt all notable |
| fight would typically continue until one of the | | | | former catch wrestlers. |
| fighters submitted. Given that matches could last | | | | Although the original form of the art does not |
| for long periods of time, training for Lancashire | | | | involve any strikes or kicks, it is believed to have |
| wrestling placed an emphasis on physical fitness | | | | been a major influence on today's mixed martial |
| and conditioning. | | | | arts movements. The mixed wrestling matches |
| Cornish Wrestling | | | | staged during the 20th century (particularly in the |
| Similar to judo, the object of Cornish wrestling is | | | | 1920s) spurred much legend, with the |
| to throw an opponent flat onto his back. The | | | | cross-cultural clashes between Japanese judo |
| sport achieved its greatest popularity in Cornwall, | | | | players and American wrestlers catching the |
| England, where, in the local dialect, the art is | | | | public's imagination. The art also had a significant |
| known as "wrasslin." | | | | influence on the evolution of international mixed |
| The Cornish Wrestling Association was formed in | | | | martial arts competitions. |