In the combat sports of wrestling and martial arts, competitors engage in clashes while following rules and trying to obtain the upper hand through various throws or techniques.
Different grappling methods are used in wrestling, including joint locks, pins, takedowns and throws, clinch fights, and other grappling grips. Martial arts, combat sports, and military systems have all used a variety of wrestling methods.
There are numerous competitive types of wrestling, including catch, shot, lute livre, submission, sumo, pehlwani, Shuai Jiao, freestyle, Greco-Roman, judo, sambo, and folk style. Another type is professional wrestling, which is more like athletic theater than true competition even if it used to be.
History of Wrestling
One of the first sports involving combat is wrestling. Wrestling's history may be traced back around 15,000 years, based on drawings discovered in French caves. Reliefs from Babylonia and Egypt show wrestlers employing a variety of holds that are recognized in the modern sport.
Wrestling had a significant role in Greek mythology, literature, and philosophy. The main sport of the ancient Olympic Games was wrestling, which was harsh in many ways. Greek wrestling was greatly followed by the ancient Romans, who changed the rules to reduce its harshness. Writing from the Ancient Greeks and Romans mentions wrestling.
Basic Wrestling Rules
There are five ways to score points in a wrestling match:
- Take Down (2 points)
If you bring your opponent to the mat and maintain control over him or her, you receive two points.
- Escape (1 point)
You score one point if you run or land in a neutral position when your opponent has you on the mat.
- Reversal (2 points)
When you come from underneath and take control of your opponent while they are on the mat, you score two points.
- Near Fall (2 or 3 points)
When you nearly but not quite pin your opponent, you receive near-fall points. When both shoulders are kept within four inches of the mat for two seconds, it is known to as a near fall.
- Penalty Points (1 or 2 points)
Illegal Holds: The referee may penalize you for several holds without previous notification.
Technical fouls include forcing your opponent off the mat or leaving the mat early to leave a match.
Schedule for Wrestling
5 Aug
- Men's Greco-Roman super heavyweight: quarterfinals, semifinals, round of sixteen
- Round of sixteen, semifinals, and quarterfinals for women's light heavyweight
6 Aug
- Women's light heavyweight (final and repetition)
- Men's Greco-Roman welterweight (Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Round of 16)
7 Aug
- Women's flyweight (final and repetition)
- Men's Greco-Roman lightweight: round of sixteen, semifinals, and quarterfinals
8 Aug
- Men's lightweight Greco-Roman (final and repetition)
- Middleweight men's Greco-Roman events (final and repetition)
9 Aug
- Men's bantamweight freestyle (final and repetition)
- Middleweight men's freestyle (repechage and final)
Best Countries for Wrestling
The United States leads the world with a total of 138 medals. Even though it hasn't participated since 1988, the Soviet Union still holds the record for the most total gold medals among all nations with 62.
Russia, which took part in the Olympics in 1908 and 1912 before returning in 1996, won the gold in every Olympics from 1996 to 2016, with Japan taking the lead when it hosted the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.