Many sports fans are interested in its development, features, history and where it came from. Greco-Roman wrestling was destined to originate in ancient Greece. Like many other modern sports. It was in this Mediterranean country that the history of Greco-Roman wrestling began. The Greeks attributed the invention of the struggle to the Olympic gods. This sport was included in the program of the Olympics back in 704 BC. e. The founder of the first rules is considered the famous Greek athlete Theseus. According to the first rules, to win the battle it was necessary to throw the opponent three times on the ground.
The history of Greco-Roman wrestling
Many famous Greeks (Plato, Pythagoras) were engaged in wrestling and participated in the Olympic Games. This species was considered an intellectual occupation. Many ancient Greek works mention the history of Greco-Roman wrestling. Many ancient statues and images of wrestlers have been preserved. Fighting was also used to train warriors. The Greeks were considered invincible masters of hand-to-hand combat. Special schools were created for professional athletes, where the traditions and history of Greco-Roman wrestling were studied.
Ancient Rome
After the conquest of Greece, the Romans took over from its inhabitants a massive enthusiasm for spectacular sports. To the usual struggle, they added fist fighting techniques. Gladiators used edged weapons in a duel. Tournament winners became truly folk idols. At the end of the IV century, the Olympics and gladiatorial fights ceased to exist. This was due to the widespread spread of Christianity in Europe. The new religion could well end the history of the Greco-Roman struggle.
French wrestling
Only at the end of the XVIII century in European countries began to revive this men's sport. It was called the French wrestling. The history of the development of Greco-Roman struggle is connected with it. After all, modern rules were invented by French experts. Athletes hold all the grapples with their hands, the winner is the one who first puts the opponent on both blades or scores 10 points. Points are given for a successful reception. A duel cannot end in a draw.
The fight is widespread in many countries. Famous fighters began performing in circus performances. Tournaments for professionals soon appeared. Athletes from different countries come to them. In 1986, the French struggle was included in the program of the revived Olympics and renamed Greco-Roman. It is also known as the classic fight. Since 1908, this species has been included in the program of all, without exception, Summer Olympics. Today, the International Wrestling Federation consists of 120 countries.
The fight in Russia
The history of Greco-Roman wrestling in Russia is interesting. In Russia, the struggle arose in ancient times. At the beginning of military battles, the custom was widespread when melee fights were held between wars. Often they decided the outcome of the whole battle. Festivities also could not do without a fight. Greco-Roman wrestling gained popularity in Russia at the end of the 19th century.
The first champion of the Russian Empire is A. Schmeling.
The first tournament was held in 1897 in St. Petersburg.
The following year, the representative of our country, Georg Gakkenshmidt won the European Championship. The first world champion from Russia in 1913 was George Bauman. The best fighter of the XX century by the International Wrestling Federation was recognized by Alexander Karelin. He became famous for the spectacular manner of conducting the fight. Crown reception of the Russian wrestler was the "reverse belt". For a clear victory, only two such throws were enough. Karelin three times became the champion of the summer Olympics.
Changes to the Rules
The rules of Greco-Roman wrestling were constantly changing. In the first tournaments, athletes were not punished for the passive conduct of the match. Also, fights were not limited in time. At the 1912 Olympics, wrestler Martin Klein defeated Finn A. Asikainen in 10 hours and 15 minutes.
The development of wrestling in Europe has led to the creation of many sports schools. Each of them has its own rules and traditions. If wrestlers from different schools met in a duel, the rules agreed in advance between them. This led to protracted competitions and difficulties in organizing them. As a result, it was decided to create uniform rules for the struggle. Their authors were the French Dublin, Regal and Kristol. These rules were used at the first Olympics of 1896. Soon, athletes began to be divided by their weight. There are currently ten weight categories. This creates a level playing field for all athletes. The hours-long fights of passively minded fighters at the beginning of the 20th century did not contribute to the development of the struggle. Only in 1924, the time of the fight was limited to 20 minutes. In 1956, the duration of the bout is limited to 12 minutes. In 1961, minute breaks were introduced in the middle of the fight. The fight lasted 10 minutes. The latest change limited the duration of the fight to 3 periods of 3 minutes. These changes were aimed at increasing the entertainment of the struggle.
Until 1971, fights were held on a square carpet with sides of 10 meters. In the same year, it was replaced by a round flooring with a diameter of 9 meters. In 1974, a working zone with a diameter of 7 meters was introduced. Reception performed in this area counts, even if it was completed outside the carpet. In 1965, a general system of judicial gestures was introduced, the score was announced during the bout, draws were canceled.
Interesting Facts
At the 1972 Olympics, the German Wilfred Dietrich made a "cast of the century." His rival was the American Teyler, who weighed 180 kg. Dietrich (weighing 120 kg) managed to throw the opponent with a deflection.
Greco-Roman wrestling is associated with great physical exertion. Therefore, training of primary schoolchildren is mainly aimed at developing general physical fitness. They begin active classes at the age of 12 years. It is worth noting that this type of struggle is the least traumatic in comparison with others. A separate type is women's wrestling.