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The sport of wrestling involves clinch and/or ground fighting, and has ancient roots. Participants compete for one or more of the following reasons: (1) as recreation or mere play, (2) as serious win-lose competition, (3) as a commercial, money-focused interest, or (4) to gain a higher moral and social status.

These are weapon-free competitions between two individuals, though the human body is utilized as an armory of sundry weapons. Many forms or "styles" eliminate striking, beating, kicking, and/or choking—because of the health risks, with brain damage being the primary risk (though blindness, deafness, or even death are possible). In addition, "weight classes" or divisions or frequently created to equalize the competitors, and often competitive intramural-"teams" are established according to such weight considerations. (The term in this context is distinct from its figurative use, as in "wrestling with a problem.")

The objective (-s) during competitions is predicated upon individual style, but frequently involves one or more of the following: (1) pinning shoulders of opponent to the ground with a required holding time—e.g, one second, (2) choking or pressuring a major joint to earn opponent's "submission"—or the "tapout" with the hand of the losing-opponent slapping-against the body of the submitted-to opponent, (3) maneuvering shoulders toward ground to earn points, (4) taking opponent from standing to ground for a match win (conclusion) or as points toward a point-earning win—called a "takedown." (5) escaping from opponent's control—an "escape," (6) gaining control from your controlling-opponent—a "reversal," (7) executing with precision an upper-body maneuver (non-leg attach), which first takes opponent off his feet, then brings him to the ground/mat—a "throw"—and especially a crowd-pleasing "superior-amplitude" throw.

Many commercial attempts continue in order to: (1) improve competitive aspects, (2) increase or decrease health risks, (3) involve or eliminate head-and-arms or legs, (3) include or exclude submission, blood, and death. Even a totally whimsical form of wrestling has evolved in the USA, referred to as "negative-wrestling," whereby schoolboy opponents work for the opposite of the "pin"—with one opponent attempting to pin himself, and the other opponent trying to keep a pin from occurring.

There are almost as many wrestling "styles" as there are national traditions. Styles include sumo in Japan and yağlı güreş (oiled wrestling) in Turkey. Wrestling is often categorized as one of the martial arts; its virile image and usefulness as military training doubtlessly helped generate such multi-cultural evolutions. Wrestling historically is possibly the oldest sport know to man—with ancient wall-paintings of man struggling versus man, and the story of Jacob wrestling an angel in the Book of Genesis.

Today, even modern Olympic competitions are including women-vs-women matches; furthermore, cross-gender matches remain the bling-bling "sport" of pubs and nightclubs—often in mud, gelatin (Jello), pudding, or even underwater fests.

In addition to its sporting nature, wrestling has often been utilized as the basis for popular spectacle, or theatrical drama. Circus shows worldwide have historically included sideshow-wrestling—even matches involving wagered monies or commodies. Such show-wrestling has continued to this day in "professional" wrestling spectaculars—choreographed for maximum visual (and even auditory) effects. Since the winner is determined in advance, the old circus-roadshow gambling on matches is (more often than not) obsolete—though Sumo, Shoot-Wrestling (also in Japan), and the most recent Ultimate/Extreme Fighting Championships (often in Las Vegas venues) include many of the commercial aspects dating to medieval carnivals, gypsy carriage-shows, or man verus animals (especially bears).

Sport wrestling

Most wrestling is an amateur sport but some forms, such as sumo, have long professional traditions.

The most widespread form internationally is amateur wrestling. Two styles are performed in the Olympic Games: Freestyle and Greco-Roman. A similar style, commonly called Collegiate or Folkstyle, is practiced in secondary schools, colleges, and younger age groups in the United States.

Other styles of sport wrestling include:

• catch wrestling
• hook wrestling
• sumo
• Pehlwani
• yağlı güreş
• glima
• Khuresh
• Bûno-Philippines
• Chiao-Ti (Swai Chiao)
• Devonshire style wrestling - Great Britain
• Dumog - Philippies
• Fianna - Ancient. Great Britain.A form of Celtic Wrestling.
• Gulat Banjang - Indonesia
• Koshti - Iran
• La Lucha Canaria - Ancient. Canary Islands, Spain
• Lucha Breton - France
• Mallayuddha - Ancient martial art,India.
• Muk'na - India
• Nabon (Naban) - Burma
• Okol - Indonesia
• Rangeln - Austria

Show wrestling

Historically, many spectators have been as interested in observing spectacular "fights" or competitions—as in finding out who was the better wrestler. This is not unlike the often vulgar gladiatorial "competitions" of ancient Rome—with death included, at the whim or political mindedness of an emperor and his "thumbs-up." Such theatrical winning often occurs with the full knowledge of the audience, and sometimes clandestinely.

Modern-day professional wrestling has its roots in early traveling carnivals, where showmen would challenge local spectators to compete with them in a ring and offer prizes to anybody who could beat them. These showmen were well-versed in methods of "hooking" their unknowing opponents into submission using painful holds. Also, the carnival director would often place one of his showmen in the audience to answer the challenge, and the two would provide a predetermined spectacle with the intent of providing an entertaining show for the spectators. This led to the scripted entertainment of tthe World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and other companies — which in a 1980s court decision that would have led to the same industry relgulations as for other professional sports, conceded the open secret that the "sport" was actually a highly physical theatrical performance.

Besides the United States, Mexico (Lucha-Libre) and Japan (Puroresu) have garnered the greatest percentage of spectator commercialism under the "professional" label.

See also

• Amateur Wrestling
• Arm Wrestling
• Circus Wrestling
• Collegiate Wrestling
• Freestyle Wrestling
• Greco-Roman wrestling
• Gypsy Wrestling
• Leg Wrestling
• Indian Wrestling
• Mud Wrestling
• Professional wrestling
• Sideshow Wrestling
• Thumb Wrestling
• Turkish Wrestling
• Ultimate Fighting

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