basic wrestling throws. In addition, these creatures attempt to entangle the
limbs of their opponents. It is worth speculating that many of the basic
wrestling moves have been genetically imprinted in humans as instinctual
methods of self-defense. Certainly the human hand, with its opposable
thumb and four fingers, is ideally suited to grasping and holding.
Exactly when wrestling became a formal activity that was refined and
taught, rather than an improvised activity, is unknown. It is certain, how-
ever, that wrestling has been with human society since the earliest civiliza-
tions. Wrestling in any form is a struggle between opponents that demands
the ability not only to outmaneuver, but to outthink an opponent. Physical
strength, although important, has always been secondary to the ability to
move quickly and efficiently and to set up an opponent for a throw or hold.
It has been said that wrestling matches are more like games of chess than
combats, and successful wrestlers have always relied on their ability to
think several moves ahead.
In this entry, wrestling will be examined in three broad contexts: his-
torical, societal, and martial. The discussion of the historical aspect of
wrestling will examine, however briefly, the development of wrestling from
earliest times to the present. The treatment of the societal aspects will fo-
cus on specific types of wrestling by culture, a comparison of wrestling
styles of the world, and the particular rules and limits of these styles in re-
lation to European wrestling traditions. The discussion of the martial as-
pects of wrestling will examine wrestling as a martial art, as distinct from
a sport. The fact that wrestling is an effective method of self-defense is of-
ten overlooked in contemporary society. Considering the myriad of tech-
niques available to experienced wrestlers, including disarms and powerful
throws, wrestling should not be characterized simply as a sport.
Western combat traditions generally are conceived of as having their
origins in classical civilization. The Greeks and Romans dedicated
wrestling competitions to Zeus (Roman Jupiter), the king of the gods, at-
testing to the importance of the activity. Our knowledge of wrestling as a
formal activity, however, begins with the rise of civilization, and diverse
cultural influences emerge in contemporary wrestling.
The first written records of the activity come from the Near Eastern
civilizations of Babylon and Egypt, East Asia (China), and South Asia (In-
dia). Extensive descriptions of wrestling techniques in the surviving reli-
quaries of the Egyptian civilization date back at least to 1500 B.C.From
Egypt, in fact, there comes a clear “textbook” of wrestling and fighting
methods recovered from the tomb of Beni-Hassan. Various throws, holds,
and takedowns are clearly illustrated through pictographs and descriptions.
If, as thought by some scholars, this material was indeed conceived as a
textbook of wrestling and fighting, designed to pass on instructions to fu-712 Wrestling and Grappling: Europe