Collar and Elbow
Irish wrestling with a fixed grip on collar and elbow that may not be released. The restriction removes the heavier man's advantage; footwork and timing decide.
Quick Facts
IrelandCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Collar and Elbow
About Collar and Elbow
Irish collar and elbow wrestling is named for the grip it begins with and which may not be released throughout: one hand holds the opponent's collar, the other his elbow. That restriction is not a formality but the very point of the rules. A fixed grip takes away the advantage of the heavier or stronger man, because nobody can circle round, take a lower hold or lift by the legs. What remains is footwork, timing and the ability to break balance — which is why in this style a smaller wrestler beating a larger one was a common occurrence. It is fought standing; the aim is to put the opponent on both shoulder blades or to achieve a clear fall, and there is no groundwork. The style was widespread in nineteenth-century Ireland and travelled with emigration to the United States, where it took root above all in New England, especially Vermont, and became a common amusement at fairs and in army camps during the Civil War. Over the twentieth century it was pushed out by sport wrestling and professional wrestling; today it survives as a historical and folk discipline rather than a competitive sport. In the nineteenth-century United States professional matches for money were also held, and the best known wrestler of the day was John McMahon of Vermont, who performed in this style across the country.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.