From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
Mongolian wrestling
Mongolian wrestling or Naadam. Wrestling became a key factor when deciding
Үндэсний бөх the candidate rankings in imperial martial exams plus
????
outstanding wrestlers were entitled to high distinc-
tions.[2]
The Secret History of the Mongols (written in Mon-
golian in 1240 AD) in Chapter 4, Paragraph 140 records a
wrestling match between Buri the Wrestler and Belgutei
that took place in Eastern Mongolia on the Year of the
Monkey (1200 AD):
One day Genghis Khan had Buri Bokh and
Belgutei wrestle each other. Buri Bokh be-
longed to the Jurkhin tribe. Formerly Buri
Traditional Naadam festival in Mongolia, near Ulaanbaatar
Bokh was able to hold on to Belgutei by one
Also known as bökh, Khapsagay hand, drop him to the ground by one leg and
keep him immobile there on the ground. Buri
Focus Wrestling
Bokh was a nationally famous wrestler. How-
Country of origin Mongolia ever on this occasion when Buri Bokh and
Belgutei were made to wrestle with each oth-
Olympic sport No
er Buri Bokh fell on the ground despite being
an undefeated champion. Belgutei managed
wrestling,
Mongolian wrestling known as Bökh (Mongolian script:
with great effort to press Buri Bokh down at
????; Mongolian Cyrillic: Бөх or Үндэсний бөх), is the
the shoulder and proceeded to sit on his belt
folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mon-
area. He then glanced at Genghis Khan from
golia and other regions. Bökh means "durability".
the corner of his eye. Genghis Khan bit his
Wrestling is the most important of the Mongolian
lower lip. Belgutei understood the meaning of
culture’s historic "Three Manly Skills", that also include
this, held Buri Bokh firmly, jerked him at the
horsemanship and archery. Genghis Khan considered
chest and buttocks and broke his back. Buri
wrestling to be an important way to keep his army in
Bokh said with his back broken: “I never lost a
good physical shape and combat ready. The Manchu dy-
match to Belgutei. I fell purposefully to please
nasty (1646–1911) Imperial court held regular wrestling
the Khan out of fear but now I have lost my
events, mainly between Manchu and Mongol wrestlers.
life.” Having said this he died. Belgutei broke
There are several different versions, Mongolian (in the
his back, dragged him and then left his body.
country of Mongolia and in Tuva of Russia), Buryatian (in
The eldest of the seven sons of Kabul Khan
the Buryatia of Russia) and Inner Mongolian (in northern
was Okhinbarkhag. The second eldest was
China).
Bartanbaatar. Yesukhei Baatar (father of
Genghis Khan) was his son. The third son (of
History Kabul Khan) was Khutugt Monkhor. Buri Bokh
Cave paintings in the Bayankhongor Province of Mongo- was his son. Whenever Buri Bokh wrestled he
lia dating back to Neolithic age of 7000 BC show grap- far outperformed the sons of Bartanbaatar. He
pling of two naked men and surrounded by crowds. The was close friends with the brave sons of
art of Bökh appears on bronze plates discovered in the Barkhag. This was how the national wrestling
ruins of the Xiongnu empire (206 BC–220 AD). Originally, champion Buri had his back broken by
Bökh was a military sport intended to provide mainly Belgutei.
strength, stamina and skills training to troops. Genghis
A. Heikel of the Finnish expedition to Mongolia wrote
Khan (1206–1227)[1] and the all later Emperors of the
about a wrestling competition the expedition witnessed
Mongol Empire (1206–1368) and also the Emperors of lat-
during their ten-day stay in Urga (now Ulaanbaatar, cap-
er Khanates were keen to support the sport for this rea-
ital of Mongolia) from 27 July till 7 August 1891:
son so wrestling events were included in local festivals,
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
Level Name Place Date Participating Wrestlers
1 1st Nation Naadam Ulaanbaatar July,11-13 524 wrestlers, 1024 in big anniver-
wrestling sary year
2 2nd Aimag Naadam each 21 approximately July,8-10 or mid- 128 or 256 wrestlers
Wrestling Aimag dle July
3 3rd Sum Naadam each 329 early July 32 or 64 wrestlers
Wrestling Sum
"Now there took place an entire week of paintings of Urga. A 1967 Mongolian painting shows an
wrestling between Mongolian athletes. The old Urga wrestling match in detail, with the wrestlers
location was an open public square in front of wearing the same "Zodog" and "Shuudag" as they do in
a temple in the middle of the city. Thousands the present-day games (1924–present). The avarga (Titan)
of spectators had gathered all around. These Jambyn Sharavjamts (born 1876) was a famous champi-
were kept in order by police agents. Ladies on who gained recognition starting from when he was
of high rank were jostling their way through 18 years old and continued to compete with extraordi-
the midst of the crowd. Only one side of the nary success in state Naadams during the Qing dynasty
square was reserved for the lamas, who were period (until 1911), the Bogd Khan period (1911–1924)
dressed in shiny robes of red and yellow and and the People’s Republic of Mongolia (1924–1990). Shar-
sat with their legs crossed in long rows on avjamts was invited to take part in the state Naadam
both sides of a baldachin, under which was of 1945 (footage still exists) and succeeded in defeating
enthroned on an altar the "Gegen", that is to three wrestlers at the age of nearly 70. He retired from
say, the "God-Man" sent from Tibet. In front wrestling in 1951, during the 30th anniversary of the Peo-
of the throne stood two attendants with cere- ple’s Revolution with many decorations and medals in-
monial tiger-skins slung over their shoulders. cluding the Labor Achievement medal.
The champions advanced two at a time, com- On 17 September, 2011 the Mongolian National
ing out from opposite sides of the square, ac- Wrestling Match was held with the attendance of 6002
companied by their seconds. They had their wrestlers. Thus, it has become the largest wrestling com-
chests, legs and arms exposed and advanced petition in the world and is recorded in the Guinness
doing most comic dances, certainly to ensure Record Book.[4]
the elasticity of their muscles during the last
minute. As soon as one of the wrestlers
touched the ground, no matter how lightly,
Competitions
he was judged the loser of the bout. Then the Mongolian wrestling is the most popular national sport
victor proceeded to leap his way forward and and a vital cultural piece for all Mongols around the
prostrated himself before the god, offering his world. When a male child is born in a family, Mongols
thanks for the victory. After that he went to wish him to become a wrestler. There are many compe-
the judges to have his name written down, in titions that take place each year in Mongolia, west and
order to fight the next day with another oppo- south-eastern Russia and northern China. The biggest
nent who had equally brought down his own one is the National Naadam festival, takes place in Mon-
opponent that same day. The prizes given to golia between up to 1024 wrestlers.
the final "invincibles" consisted of goats and
sheep etc. Ten days later there was to take Mongolian National Naadam
place a horse race in a steppe close to Urga, In Mongolia, the Naadam ("Game" in English) take place
wherein a thousand racers would participate, in July each year. The biggest competition is National
but we couldn’t wait until then. These kinds Naadam competition in Ulaanbaatar that has the largest
of national festivals, which one could call the number of wrestlers and live radio and television broad-
Mongolian Olympics, take place every year, casts throughout the country. Naadam is divided into
but the ones which take place every three three classes based on the Mongolian administrative di-
years seem to be the most impressive."[3] visions.
For the Naadam of Ulaanbaatar, the matches are held
As can be seen from this text the Urga games (1778–1924) in a big stadium, while in countryside for smaller scale
took place at the old central square which would have Naadams the matches are generally held in a small stadi-
been located just to the north of present-day Sukhbaatar um or on an open grassy field; however they can also oc-
Square. The square can be seen on pre-revolutionary
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
Level Title Mongolian Cyrillic Provision
1 Nation Undefeatable Giant of Nation Улсын дархан аварга Win 5 times in Nation Naadam Wrestling
2 Nation Wide Giant of Nation Улсын даян аварга Win 4 times in Nation Naadam Wrestling
3 Nation Ocean Giant of Nation Улсын далай аварга Win 3 times in Nation Naadam Wrestling
4 Nation Giant of Nation Улсын аварга Win 2 times in Nation Naadam Wrestling
5 Nation Lion of Nation Улсын арслан Win in Nation Naadam Wrestling
6 Nation Garuda of Nation Улсын гарьд Runner-Up in Nation Naadam Wrestling
7 Nation Elephant of Nation Улсын заан Semi-final in Nation Naadam Wrestling
8 Nation Hawk of Nation Улсын харцага Quarter final in Nation Naadam Wrestling
9 Nation Falcon of Nation Улсын начин 1/8 final in Nation Naadam Wrestling
10 Aimag Lion of Aimag Аймгийн арслан Win in Aimag Naadam Wrestling
11 Aimag Elephant of Aimag Аймгийн заан Runner-Up in Aimag Naadam Wrestling
12 Aimag Falcon of Aimag Аймгийн начин Semi-final in Aimag Naadam Wrestling
13 Sum Elephant of Sum Сумын заан Win in Sum Naadam Wrestling
14 Sum Falcon of Sum Сумын начин Semi-final in Sum Naadam Wrestling
cur on a soft dirt area not littered with gravel. Since there shig, Khangai Region Danshig, Gobi Region Danshig, East
are no weight classes in the Naadam of Mongolia, a small Region Danshig Naadams happen every two years.
wrestler can compete against an opponent over twice
his size. Smallest wrestlers usually weigh around 70 kg, Altargan
while the biggest are over 160 kg, the median weight of a Buryat Mongols also celebrate their own Naadam each
competitor at the Naadam is around 115 kg. year with their own wrestling style. Competitors come
Traditionally the wrestlers were not randomly from different regions of Mongolia that has significant
matched through like a drawing. The host of the Naadam Buryat populations such as Dornod, Khentii, Selenge, Bul-
had the privilege to arrange these matches and would of- gan, Orkhon, also from Buryatia of Russia and from Inner
ten lend their favorites an advantage. Sometimes such Mongolia of China.
arrangements would result in serious disputes between In 2010 the festival took place in late July in Ulaan-
hosts and visiting wrestlers. Although the modern baatar, Mongolia. Wrestlers competed in two weight di-
wrestling codes since 1980 stipulate that a lot drawing visions -75 kg and +75 kg. For the lighter weight,
method be used, but this is usually only done at major B.Batozhargal of Buryatia got the title out of 32 wrestlers
cross-regional Naadams and championship matches. At and for the heavier division D.Tsogzoldorj of Mongolia
the grassroots level the traditional system is still used. (who has the National Nachin rank) got his third title in
Rank can only be attained during the Naadam festi- row for the past three years.
val. The number of rounds won by each wrestler deter-
mines rank. The lowest rank is the Falcon of Sum, given Pan-Mongol wrestling
to the top four wrestlers at the soum level Naadam in any
Since 2008, the associations of Mongol wrestling in Mon-
329 sums of Mongolia. Highest rank is "Giant." The rank
golia, Russia and China have started Mongol Wrestling
is held for life.
Tournament between all ethnic Mongols. Participants
If the wrestler achieves the same rank two years in a row
come from Mongolia, Tuva of Russia, Buryatia of Russia,
the rank is decorated. For example a second time winner
Kalmyk of Russia, Altai of Russia, Inner Mongolia of China
of the aimag level Naadam two years in a row would be-
and Xinjiang of China to compete with each other in
come a Hurts Arslan (Sharp Lion).
Khalkha Wrestling style. The first ever championship was
held in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia in 2008, where Chime-
Danshig Naadam dregzengiin Sanjaadamba, who has not gotten yet a na-
Danshig Naadams are smaller scale tournaments than the tion title, won the tournament. In 2009, it was held in
National naadam, usually with 256 or 128 competitors, Huhhot of Inner Mongolia and again Sanjaadamba won
organized once in a year or so in countrysides to cele- the championship, while still without a national title.
brate specific anniversaries of provinces or historic loca- The 2010 competition took place in 15–17 July at
tions. It is unique Naadam and is smaller scale than most Ulan-Ude of Buryatia, Russia. This time 2 weight cate-
provincial tournaments. For example, West Region Dan- gories have been created: -75 kg and +75 kg. In -75 kg
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
division about 45 wrestlers have competed and at the
5th round top 4 were: Ivan Garmaev (Buryatia),
Match rules
Kh.Munkhbayar (Mongolia), M.Batmunkh (Mongolia),
Seldys Mongush (Tuva). Eventually Seldys Mongush got
the title on the 6th round through Kh.Munkhbayar. For
the +75 kg division, there we’re about the same number
of competitors as in the lighter division. The top 2 where:
Ch. Sanjaadamba (Lion of the Army) and D.Ragchaa (Ele-
phant of the Nation). And again Sanjaadamba got the ti-
tle, who lost in the 3rd round of this year’s Naadam in
Mongolia, where he failed to get a National level title.
Other tournaments
A common Mongolian wrestling match with "zasuul" of each
wrestler looking on
The goal of a match is to get your opponent to touch his
upper body, knee or elbow to the ground. In the Inner
Mongolian version, any body part other than the feet
touching the ground signals defeat.[5] There are no
weight classes or time limits in a match. Especially in the
Mongolian Naadam, although there are no time limits for
a bout, it is generally understood that a match shouldn’t
take a very long time especially in the lower rounds. For
Bökhiin Örgöö, main arena of the Mongolian wrestling in example it used to take more than an hour or two for a
Ulaanbaatar bout to finish especially in the higher rounds with each
wrestler trying to get feel of the other. This lately result-
Each year during the Lunar New year holiday of Mon- ed in a policy that allows the zasuuls of the wrestlers to
golia, 256 wrestlers compete during the winter at the set up a fair grip positions between the wrestlers to finish
Wrestling Palace in Ulaanbaatar. No rank is given at this the bout faster if the match is seemed to be going slow.
competition, but it is considered the second most impor- Each wrestler wrestles once per round and the winner
tant tournament after the Naadam of Mongolia. Winners moves on to the next round the loser is eliminated from
of this New Year’s tournament often are likely to win the the competition.
summer Naadam. The technical rules between the Mongolian version
Best wrestlers from each 21 aimag of Mongolia hold and what is found in Inner Mongolia have some diver-
an annual team wrestling competition. Often teams from gence. In both versions a variety of throws, trips and lifts
Khangai region and north western region (Arkhangai, are employed to topple the opponent. The Inner Mon-
Uwurkhangai and Uws) win the title, but for the 2010 golians may not touch their opponent’s legs with their
competition the team from Govi-Altai aimag took the ti- hands, whereas, in Mongolia, grabbing your opponent’s
tle. legs is legal. In addition, striking, strangling or locking is
There are also smaller scale tournaments throughout illegal in both varieties.
the year that take place at the Wrestling Palace in Ulaan-
baatar, usually in October, November, May and June with Zasuul
64 or 128 wrestlers. "Zasuul," literally meaning a "fixer" of the wrestler is ba-
Government organizations or sometimes even big sically an on field guide and coach of the wrestler. In low-
companies also host smaller scale competitions between er round competitions when there are many wrestlers,
32 to 64 wrestlers to celebrate like anniversaries or spe- most wrestlers don’t have their own zasuuls. Successful
cial occasions. This really shows how important wrestlers and those that get to the higher rounds get
wrestling is to Mongolian lifestyle. their own zasuuls. Zasuuls’ role is to hold the hat of his
wrestler while he wrestles and give him basically an en-
couragement on the field. If the match is going slowly,
zasuuls for instance will slap the buttocks of his wrestler
to encourage him to engage his opponent faster. Zasuuls
4
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
are not technically coach in the literal sense. They are
usually an elder and a friend of the wrestler who is there
Outfit
on the field to serve as a guide and help set up a fair com- The outfit of the wrestler has been developed over the
petition. They don’t have to be a wrestler too. When the ages to reflect simplicity and mobility. The standard gear
match starts, the wrestlers are divided about evenly in- of a wrestler includes:
to left and right sides, and sometimes a zasuul will sing a
praise of his wrestler to open a challenge from that side Jodag
in the higher rounds, and the other side’s zasuul will al- A tight, collarless, heavy-duty short-sleeved jacket of red
so respond with his own praise of his wrestler. The poetic or blue color. Traditionally made of wool, modern
praise of a wrestler by his zasuul comes from the wrestler wrestlers have changed to looser materials such as cot-
with the highest rank on that side. ton and silk. The front is open, but tied at the back with
a simple string knot, thus exposing the wrestler’s chest.
Starting the match According to legend, on one occasion a wrestler defeated
Ordos, Alagshaa/Shalbur and Oirad wrestlers begin a all other combatants and ripped open the jodag to reveal
match locked together, while the Ujumchin, Halh and her breasts, showing to all she was a woman. From that
Hulunbuir styles start a bout without physical contact. day, the jodag had to reveal the wrestler’s chest.
Leg contact Shuudag
The Ujumchin and Hulunbuir styles permit no moves be- Small, tight-fitting briefs made of red or blue colored cot-
tween the legs and hands, whereas the Halh variant not ton cloth. These make the wrestler more mobile. Also,
only allows but requires grabbing the opponent’s legs. they prevent one’s rival from easily taking advantage of
long pants or to avoid material to trip upon.
Kicking
A Hulunbuir wrestler may kick his opponent directly in Gutal
the legs but that technique is not sanctioned by the other Leather boots, either in traditional style (with slightly
styles and banned in the official code. upturned toes), or commercial, Western style. The tradi-
tional style gutal are often reinforced around the sides
Falls with leather strings for the purpose of wrestling.
Definitions of a "fall" varies between regions: Inner Mongolian wrestlers may also wear a jangga, a
The Oirad in Xinjiang defines a fall as being when the necklace decorated with strands of colorful silk ribbons.
shoulder blades touch the ground, which is similarly to It is awarded to those who have gained considerable
the Turkish and International freestyle wrestling rules. renown through contests.
The Inner Mongol style, shared by Hulunbuir, Ordos and
Alagshaa/Shalbur styles, considers a fall to have oc- Dance
curred as soon as any part of the body above the knee (or
One of the defining features of bökh is a dance wrestlers
ankle) touches the ground. The Halh variant, however,
perform as they enter the contest field and exiting at the
allows a hand to touch the ground without losing a bout.
end.
Different locales have different dancing styles. In
Match courtesy Mongolia the wrestler imitates falcons or phoenix taking
Mongolian wrestling also has certain codes of conduct off (devee). In Inner Mongolia, the dance is supposed to
that concern more with good sportsmanship. For exam- be a mimicking of lions or tigers prancing (magshikh)--as
ple, when a wrestler’s clothes get loose or entangled, his represented by the Üjümchin version.
opponent is expected to stop attacking and help the for- Another major variation, popular among Mongols of
mer to re-arrange them—even though it might mean giv- Inner Mongolia’s northeastern Khülünbüir region, re-
ing up a good winning opportunity. Also, when one con- sembles deer bounding (kharailtaa). All considered, the
testant throws the other to the ground, he is supposed Üjümchin "magshikh" dance seems more strikingly
to help the latter get back on his feet, before he dances robust-looking, partly due to the wrestler’s dazzling ap-
his way out of the field. Whether winning or losing, good parel and partly the style of the dance itself. In contrast,
manners dictate that the two opponents shake hands and the phoenix style of Mongolia appears to exhibit a
salute each other and the audience, both prior to and af- greater degree of elegance.
ter a bout. Mongol wrestling dance has its original forms in
shamanistic rituals where people imitated movements of
various animals. Today, apart from its aesthetic value,
the dance is also regarded as a warm-up and cool-down
5
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
Name Top rank Wins Runner- Winning years
up
1 Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Er- Undefeatable 11 1 1988–1990, 1992–1999
dene Giant
2 Khorloogiin Bayanmönkh Undefeatable 10 2 1968, 1971–1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981–1982,
Giant 1987
3 Badamdorigiin Tüvdendorj Undefeatable 7 2 1939, 1941, 1945–1946, 1952–1954
Giant
4 Jigjidiin Mönkhbat Undefeatable 6 4 1963–1968, 1974
Giant
5 Dariin Damdin Undefeatable 5 5 1956–1960
Giant
6 Dashdorjiin Tserentogtokh Undefeatable 4 5 1978, 1980, 1983–1984
Giant
7 Sharaviin Batsuuri Undefeatable 2 2 1947–1948
Giant
8 Gelegjamtsiin Ösökhbayar Wide Giant 4 1 2002–2003, 2005, 2009
9 Agvaansamdangiin Sükhbat Wide Giant 3 - 2000–2001, 2004
10 Natsagiin Jamyan Wide Giant 2 1 1926–1927
Year Winner Runner up Semifinal
2011 Sukhbaataryn Mönkhbat Gunaajavyn Erkhembayar Jantsangyn Bat-Erdene
Makhgalyn Bayarjavkhlan
2010 Batjargalyn Ganbat Gelegjamtsiin Ösökhbayar
2009 Gelegjamtsiin Ösökhbayar Dorjpalamyn Gankhuyag
2008 Dorjpalamyn Gankhuyag Nyamdorjyn Ganbaatar
procedure before and after an intense fight. Good
wrestlers treat the dance with great earnest and are of- Semi finalists of Mongolian Wrestling in Naadam :
ten better dancers. See also: List of Semi finalists of Mongolian Wrestling in
Thanks to wrestling activists’ tireless and ingenious Naadam
efforts, this unique dance has become one of the integral
and indispensable aspect of the wrestling tradition as
a whole. In Inner Mongolia it has been, together with
See also
uriya, the costume, and the various rules, codified in the • Khuresh
first wrestling Competitions Rules finalized in the late • Sumo
1980s. • Ssireum
• Shuai Jiao
• Khmer Traditional Wrestling
Successful wrestlers • Leitai
Historically the most successful wrestler is recorded as • Gouren wikipedia FR Britton traditional wrestling
Namkhai who won the Naadam 19 times and 7 times fin-
ished second. He got his first Naadam win in 1895.
Only 19 wrestlers reached Giant rank in modern era
References
(since 1921). Badmaanyambuugiin Bat-Erdene is consid- [1] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/
ered to be the most successful wrestler in the modern era chronicle/archive/2005/03/27/TRGNHBUA801.DTL
with 11 championship wins. He also won Naadam for the [2] http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/en/
750th anniversary of the Secret History of the Mongols in 142Kaleidoscope302.html
1990.
Most successful wrestlers are:
6
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mongolian wrestling
[3] Inscriptions de l’Orkhon recueillis par l’expedition
Finnoise 1890 et publiees par la Societe Finno-
External links
Ourgienne. 1892, Helsinki, p. 4 • Mongolian National Wrestling in the Guinness Book
[4] http://www.infomongolia.com/ct/ci/1821 • gouren
[5] "The Maulers of Mongolia", Black Belt magazine,
July 1969
External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mongolian_wrestling&oldid=462549870"
Categories:
• Folk wrestling styles
• Sport in Mongolia
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