the more than 300 nationalities of the Soviet Union, and elements of Japa-
nese jûdô. Sport sambo allows throws, holds, leg and arm locks, and take-
downs. Combat variants also exist. Today, even after the demise of the So-
viet Union, sambo enjoys international popularity.
The United States developed its own systems of wrestling as well.
Many of the early English settlers brought with them their native systems
when they settled in the “New World,” including Cornish and Cumber-
land/Westmorland-style wrestling from England. In the nineteenth century,
catch-as-catch-can wrestling, originally from England, became popular in
America. Catch-as-catch-can was a combat/sport form of wrestling in
which most holds and throws/takedowns were allowed. In this respect,
catch-as-catch-can was similar to Greek wrestling at the height of its popu-
larity. Some have even compared it to pankration, although strikes were not
allowed. From this catch-as-catch-can tradition, in the later nineteenth cen-
tury and the beginning of the twentieth, professional wrestling became an
established sport in the country. Wrestlers such as Karl Gotch and
“Farmer” Burns often challenged all comers in matches in which partici-
pants would wrestle until one surrendered. Unfortunately, however, the
sport did not survive, and today the only representative from this “golden
Wrestling and Grappling: Europe 717One of the giants of the Cumberland style of wrestling, George Steadman (left), and Hex Clark during a match.
(Courtesy of Joe Svinth)