Khuresh
Tuvan wrestling from Siberia. Whoever touches the ground with anything above the knee loses, and the wrestler dances the eagle's flight before and after.
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About Khuresh
Khuresh is Tuvan wrestling, the national sport of Tuva in southern Siberia. It is wrestled standing on grass or sand and there is a single rule: whoever touches the ground with anything above the knee loses. There is thus no need to put the opponent on his shoulder blades or hold him there — it is enough that he props himself on a hand, a knee or a hip. The whole character of the contest follows from that: the opponents hold each other's jacket and belt, work mainly with the hips and legs, and bouts tend to be short. Traditionally there are no weight classes, so men of very different size meet in one tournament. Yet khuresh is as much a rite as a sport. Before and after a bout the wrestler performs the devig, a dance imitating the flight of an eagle: he spreads his arms, circles the ring and sweeps his arms like wings. The loser passes beneath the winner's arm, by which the winner does him honour, and the winner finally scatters a handful of offering into the air. The costume consists of the short open-chested sodak jacket, short shodak trousers and soft boots. The main event is the summer Naadym festival, where the championship of Tuva is held and the best wrestlers receive honorific titles. The date of origin around 1200 is not documented.
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Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.