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Pehlwani, (पहलवानी) also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian
Malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...
. The words ''pehlwani'' and ''kushti'' derive from the
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
terms ''pahlavani'' (heroic) and ''koshti'' (wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling. A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a ''pehlwan'' (Persian word for ''hero'') while teachers are known as
ustad Ustād or ostād (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian ) is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages such as Persian, , Azerbaijani, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Marat ...
(Persian word for ''teacher'' or ''master''). One of the most famous practitioners of Pehlwani was The Great Gama (Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt), who is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Kodi Rammurthy Naidu was another example. Brahmdev Mishra was also a great example of Indian wrestler who was known for his technique and physique not only in India but all over the world. Pehlwani is one among the sports that influenced catch wrestling, which in turn partially inspired folkstyle wrestling,
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestli ...
, and mixed martial arts (MMA).


History

The ancient Indian form of wrestling is called
malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...
. Practiced at least since the 5th millennium BC, described in the 13th century treatise Malla Purana, it was the precursor of modern Kushti. In the 16th century, northern
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
was conquered by the Central Asian
Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
, who were of
Turko-Mongol The Turco-Mongol or Turko-Mongol tradition was an ethnocultural synthesis that arose in Asia during the 14th century, among the ruling elites of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate. The ruling Mongol elites of these Khanates eventually a ...
descent. Through the influence of Iranian and
Mongolian wrestling Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh (Mongolian script: ; Mongolian Cyrillic: Бөх or Үндэсний бөх), is the folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and other regions where touching the ground with anything other th ...
, given time, the local
malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...
was supplanted by Persian Koshti. Interestingly, the aspects of Malla-yuddha survived in the culture of the Akhad (wrestling academy): Students are expected to be vegetarian, cook, take care of the facility, and be celibate. Babur, the first Mughal emperor, was a wrestler himself and could reportedly run very fast for a long distance while holding a man under each arm. Mughal-era wrestlers sometimes even wore
bagh naka The bagh nakh, vagh nakh, or vagh nakhya ( mr, वाघनख / वाघनख्या, bn, বাঘনখ, hi, बाघ नख, ur, باگھ نکھ, lit. tiger claw) is a "fist-load, claw-like" dagger, originating from the Indian subcontin ...
on one hand, in a variation called ''naki ka kushti'' or "claw wrestling". During the late 17th century, Ramadasa travelled the country encouraging Hindus to be physically active in homage to the great god Hanuman. Maratha rulers supported Kushti by offering large sums of prize money for tournament champions. It was said that every Maratha boy at the time could wrestle and even women took up the sport. During the colonial period, local princes sustained the popularity of kushti by hosting matches and competitions. Wrestling was the favourite spectator sport of the Rajputs, and were said to look forward to tournaments "with great anxiety". Every Rajput prince or chief had a number of wrestling champions to compete for his entertainment. The greatest wrestling centres were said to be Uttar Pradesh and the Panjab. In 1909, a Bengali merchant named Abdul Jabbar Saudagar intended to unite the local youth and inspire them in the anti-British struggle against the colonists through a display of strength by holding a wrestling tournament. Known as Jabbar-er Boli Khela, this competition has continued through independence and the subsequent partition. It is still held in Bangladesh every Boishakhi Mela (Bengali new year), accompanied by playing of the traditional ''sanai'' (flute) and ''dabor'' (drum), and is one of Chittagong's oldest traditions. In the more recent past, India had famous wrestlers of the class of the Great Gama (of British India and later Pakistan, after partition) and Gobar Goho. India reached its peak of glory in the IV Asian Games (later on called Jakarta Games) in 1962 when all the seven wrestlers were placed on the medal list and in between them they won 12 medals in
freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestli ...
and Greco-Roman wrestling. A repetition of this performance was witnessed again when all the 8 wrestlers sent to the Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica had the distinction of getting medals for the country. During the 60s, India was ranked among the first eight or nine wrestling nations of the world and hosted the world wrestling championships in New Delhi in 1967. Pehlwans who compete in wrestling nowadays are also known to cross train in the grappling aspects of judo and jujutsu. Legendary wrestlers from the bygone era like
Karl Gotch Charles Istaz (August 3, 1924 – July 28, 2007) was a Belgian-born German-American professional wrestler and trainer, best known by his ring name Karl Gotch. In Japan, Gotch was known as the "God of Wrestling" due to his influence in shaping the ...
have made tours to
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
to learn kushti and further hone their skills. Karl Gotch was even gifted a pair of (heavy wooden clubs used for building the arm and shoulder muscles by South Asian wrestlers). The conditioning exercises of pehlwani have been incorporated into many of the conditioning aspects of both catch wrestling and shoot wrestling, along with their derivative systems.


Training


Regimen

Although wrestling in the Indian subcontinent saw changes in the Mughal era and the colonial period, the training regimen has remained the same for over 150 years. Fledgling wrestlers may start as early as 6, but most begin formal training in their teens. They are sent to an
akhara Akhara or Akhada ( Sanskrit and Hindi: अखाड़ा, shortened to ''khara'' Hindi: खाड़ा) is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artist ...
or traditional wrestling school where they are put under the apprenticeship of the local guru. Their only training attire is the
kowpeenam The kaupinam, kaupina, langot or lungooty () is a loincloth worn by men in the Indian subcontinent as underclothing, it is now commonly worn by South Asian ''pehlwano'' wrestlers while exercising or sparring in a ''Akhara#Dangal, dangal''. It is m ...
or loincloth. ''Vyayam'' or physical training is meant to build strength and develop muscle bulk and flexibility. Exercises that employ the wrestler's own bodyweight include the
Surya Namaskara Sun Salutation, also called Surya Namaskar(a) or Salute to the Sun (), is a practice in yoga as exercise incorporating a flow sequence of some twelve gracefully linked asanas. The asana sequence was first recorded as yoga in the early 20th centu ...
, shirshasana, and the
danda In Indic scripts, the daṇḍa (Sanskrit: दण्ड ' "stick") is a punctuation mark. The glyph consists of a single vertical stroke. Use The daṇḍa marks the end of a sentence or line, comparable to a full stop (period) as commonly u ...
, which are also found in hatha yoga, as well as the
bethak A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and ...
. Sawari (from
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
''savâri'', meaning "the passenger") is the practice of using another person's body weight to add resistance to such exercises. Exercise regimens may employ the following weight training devices: *The ''nal'' is a hollow stone cylinder with a handle inside. *The ''gar nal'' (neck weight) is a circular stone ring worn around the neck to add resistance to ''danda'' and ''bethak''. *The
gada (mace) The gada (Sanskrit: गदा ''gadā'', Kannada: ''ಗದೆ'', Telugu: ''గద'', Tamil: ''கதை'', Malay: ''gedak'', Old Tagalog: ''batuta'') is a mallet or blunt mace from the Indian subcontinent. Made either of wood or metal, it consis ...
is a club associated with Hanuman. An exercise gada is a heavy round stone attached to the end of a meter-long bamboo stick. Trophies take the form of gada made of silver and gold. * Indian clubs, a pair of . Exercise regimens may also include which involve twisting rotations, rope climbing, log pulling and running. Massage is regarded an integral part of a wrestler's exercise regimen. A typical training day will go as follows: * 3 AM: Wake up and perform press-ups (''danda'') and squats (''bethak''), as many as 4000. Run for 5 miles, followed by swimming and lifting stone and sandbags. * 8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3 hours. This is around 25 matches in a row. Matches start with the senior wrestlers. The youngest go last. * 11 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting. * 4 PM: After another massage, trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours. * 8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep.


Diet

According to the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy, everything in the universe—including people, activities, and foods—can be sorted into three gunas:
sattva Sattva ( Sanskrit: सत्त्व, meaning ''honesty'') is one of the three guṇas or "modes of existence" (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept understood by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.Jame ...
(calm/good),
rajas Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated Encycloped ...
(passionate/active), and tamas (dull/lethargic). As a vigorous activity, wrestling has an inherently
rajas Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated Encycloped ...
ic nature, which pehlwan counteract through the consumption of sattvic foods. Milk and ghee are regarded as the most sattvic of foods and, along with almonds, constitute the holy trinity of the ''pehlwani khurak'' (from
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
خوراک پهلوانی ''khorâk-e pahlavâni''), or diet. A common snack for pehlwan are chickpeas that have been sprouted overnight in water and seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon; the water in which the chickpeas were sprouted is also regarded as nutritious. Various articles in the Indian wrestling monthly ''Bharatiya Kushti'' have recommended the consumption of the following fruits: apples, wood-apples, bananas, figs, pomegranates, gooseberries, lemons, and watermelons. Orange juice and green vegetables are also recommended for their sattvic nature. Many pehlwan eat meat due to its high protein content. Famed pehlwan Dara Singh used to eat more than a pound of meat every day. Ideally, wrestlers are supposed to avoid sour and excessively spiced foods such as chatni and achar as well as
chaat Chaat, or chāt (IAST: ''cāṭ)'' () is a family of savoury snacks that originated in North India, typically served as an hors d'oeuvre or at roadside tracks from stalls or food carts across South Asia in North India, Pakistan, Nepal and B ...
. Mild seasoning with garlic, cumin, coriander, and turmeric is acceptable. The consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and paan is strongly discouraged.


Techniques

It has been said that most of the moves found in the wrestling forms of other countries are present in kushti, and some are unique to the Indian subcontinent. These are primarily locks, throws, pins, and submission holds. Unlike its ancient ancestor
malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...
, kushti does not permit strikes or kicks during a match. Among the most favoured manoeuvres are the ''dhobi paat'' (shoulder throw) and the ''kasauta'' (strangle pin). Other moves include the ''baharli'', ''dhak'', ''machli gota'' and the ''multani''.


Rules

Wrestling competitions known as ''dangal'' or ''kushti'', are held in villages and as such are variable and flexible. The area is either a circular or square shape, measuring at least fourteen feet across. Rather than using modern mats, South Asian wrestlers train and compete on dirt floors. Before training, the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. Buttermilk, oil, and red ochre are sprinkled to the ground, giving the dirt its red hue. Water is added every few days to keep it at the right consistency; soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not to impede the wrestlers' movements. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few handfuls of dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing. Despite the marked boundaries of the arena, competitors may go outside the ring during a match with no penalty. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified beforehand, usually about 25–30 minutes. If both competitors agree, the length of the match may be extended. Match extensions are typically around 10–15 minutes. Unlike mat-based wrestling, there is no point scoring system; a win is achieved by pinning the opponent's shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously, although victory by knockout, stoppage or
submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...
is also possible. In some variations of the rules, only pinning the shoulders down is enough. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two judges watching from the outside.


Titles

Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows. Note that the title
Rustam use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = Kabulistan , death_cause = With the conspiracy of his half-brother Shaghad, he fell into a wel ...
is actually the name of an Iranian hero from the ''
Shahnameh The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50 ...
'' epic. *"
Rustam-e-Hind Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt (22 May 1878 – 23 May 1960), commonly known as ''Rustam-e-Hind'' (Hindi-Urdu for ''Rostam of Hindostan'') and by the ring name The Great Gama, was a pehlwani wrestler and strongman in British India. In the earl ...
": Champion of India. Dara Singh from Punjab, Sadika Gilgoo (Siddique Pehlwan), Krishan Kumar from Haryana, Muhammad Buta Pehlwan, Imam Baksh Pehlwan, Hamida Pehlwan, Vishnupant Nagrale, Dadu Chougule and Harishchandra Birajdar (Lion of India) from Maharashtra, Mangla Rai from Uttar Pradesh and Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler ever to hold this title. *Rustum-e-Pakistan: Also spelled as Rustum-i-Pakistan. Pakistan Champion. *Rustum-e-Punjab: Champion of Punjab, Pakistan. *" Maharashtra Kesari": Lion of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style wrestling championship. Narsinh Yadav (three-time winner) *" Rustam-e-Panjab" : (also spelled Rustam-i-Panjab) Champion of Panjab, India. Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) Pehlwan Salwinder Singh Shinda was a six time Rustam-e-Panjab,. *" Rustam-e-Zamana": World Champion. The Great Gama became known as Rustam-e-Zamana when he defeated Stanislaus Zbyszko in 1910. *" Bharat-Kesari": Best heavyweight wrestler in Hindi. Recent winners include Chandra Prakash Mishra (Gama Pahalwan), Krishan Kumar(1986), Rajeev Tomar (Railways), Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (Punjab police). *"
Hind Kesari Hind Kesari is an Indian-style wrestling championship, established in 1958. It is affiliated to the Indian Style Wrestling Association of India (ISWAI). Hindi Kesari Title is a biggest Kushti Wrestling Title in India . In 2011, women were a ...
": Winner of 1969 Hind Kesari Harishchandra Birajdar (Maharashtra) (Lion of India); Winner of 2013 Hind Kesari, Amol Barate (Maharashtra); Winner of 2015 Hind Kesari, Sunil Salunkhe (Maharashtra)


See also

*
Akhara Akhara or Akhada ( Sanskrit and Hindi: अखाड़ा, shortened to ''khara'' Hindi: खाड़ा) is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artist ...
*
Boli Khela Boli Khela or Bali Khela ( bn, বলীখেলা) is a traditional form of wrestling in Bangladesh, particularly popular in the Chittagong area considered as a national game of the district. It is a form of combat sport involving grappling ...
* Gatka * Gatta Gusthi * Inbuan * Kabbadi * List of Pehlwani wrestlers * Malakhra *
Malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in India. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors of kushti. Indian ...
*
Mongolian wrestling Mongolian wrestling, known as Bökh (Mongolian script: ; Mongolian Cyrillic: Бөх or Үндэсний бөх), is the folk wrestling style of Mongols in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia and other regions where touching the ground with anything other th ...
*
Mukna Mukna is a form of folk wrestling from the north-east Indian state of Manipur. It is popular in Imphal, Thoubal and Bishnupur. The game is generally played on the last day of the Lai Haraoba festival and is an intrinsic part of the ceremonial fun ...
*
Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals Pahlevani and zourkhaneh rituals is the name inscribed by UNESCO for varzesh-e pahlavāni ( fa, آیین پهلوانی و زورخانه‌ای, "heroic sport") or varzesh-e bāstāni (; , "ancient sport"), a traditional system of athletics a ...
*
Vajra-mushti Vajra-musti (Sanskrit:, "thunder fist" or "diamond fist") refers to a "fist-load, knuckleduster-like" weapon and also a form of Indian wrestling in which the weapon is employed. The weapon is sometimes called ''Indra-musti'' which means Indra's f ...
* Wrestling in India * Wrestling in Pakistan * Pehlivan * Hyderabadi Pahalwan *
History of physical training and fitness Physical training has been present in human societies throughout history. Usually, it was performed for the purposes of preparing for physical competition or display, improving physical, emotional and mental health, and looking attractive. It ...


References


External links


The Wrestler’s Body: Identity and Ideology in North IndiaPakistan's pehlwans wrestle to surviveFighting Scene in Indian Cinemas
{{Indian martial arts Wrestling in India Wrestling in Pakistan Folk wrestling styles Traditional sports of India Traditional sports of Pakistan Sports originating in India Sports originating in South Asia Traditional sports of Bangladesh Sindhi games