Kokh
ԿոխArmenian national wrestling that begins with a dance to the sound of the zurna and dhol. A throw of the opponent onto the back wins, and grabbing the legs is forbidden according to Hetq.
Quick Facts
ArmeniaCharacter & 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 Kokh
About Kokh
Kokh is an Armenian national wrestling style that used to be part of weddings and festivities, where men showed off their strength. It has no founder, being a folk tradition, and the encyclopedia Martial Arts of the World calls it possibly one of the oldest forms of wrestling and a probable influence on the rise of sambo. The bout begins with music from the zurna, duduk and dhol, the wrestlers approach each other in a dance step until they touch, and the winner performs a victory dance after the bout and is expected to face all challengers. According to Hetq, the rules forbid strikes below the waist and grabbing the legs, and whoever throws the opponent onto his back wins. According to the federation, the rules are similar to freestyle wrestling, judo and sambo, and a bout lasts five minutes, according to the encyclopedia five to ten.
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The UNESCO International Center for Martial Arts distinguishes two regional forms: in Lori kokh the wrestlers wear the traditional robe chokha and push and pull the opponent by it, in Shirak kokh they wrestle shirtless in traditional trousers and may grab the opponent's legs. Yuzbashyan, by contrast, speaks of a Western Armenian and an Eastern Armenian variant. Today the sport is overseen by the Kokh Federation, led in 2017 by Greco-Roman world champion Vaghinak Galstyan, which that same year held the national adult championship in Vanadzor in eight weight categories. According to Hetq from 2018, the Ministry of Culture placed kokh on the list of intangible cultural heritage, and on Armenia's list for urgent safeguarding it is listed under number 16 among folk games, while it is not on the UNESCO list. In 2021 the Statistical Committee of Armenia recorded 126 kokh wrestlers and eight coaches in sports organizations.
History
Kokh, in Armenian ԿՈԽ, also spelled khokh, is according to the encyclopedia Martial Arts of the World possibly one of the oldest forms of wrestling and probably one of the influences that shaped sambo. It was often part of weddings and other festivities, where men showed off their strength and possibly attracted a future bride. We have not found the founder or the time of origin in the sources. The 1983 Soviet documentary Hamlet of Kamo from the Ekran studio shows kokh in village life, where boys take an entrance test for a kokh school. According to a numismatic reference, the Central Bank of Armenia issued a commemorative silver coin, The Art of Combat – Kokh, in 2012.
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According to Babayan and Nalbandyan (2017), there are efforts to create a firmly systematized kokh that preserves music and dance. According to the UNESCO International Center for Martial Arts, these efforts were slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2017 the Kokh Federation was led by Vaghinak Galstyan, 2001 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling and two-time Olympian, and it then held the national adult championship in Vanadzor. According to Hetq from November 2018, Armenia's Ministry of Culture placed kokh on the list of intangible cultural properties in hope of a later UNESCO inscription, which has not yet happened. On the 2023 list of Armenia's intangible heritage requiring urgent safeguarding, kokh is listed under number 16 among folk games.
How it differs
Kokh differs from freestyle wrestling, judo and sambo, which the federation says its rules resemble, in the music and dance framing the bout and in the ban on grabbing the legs reported by Hetq. The encyclopedia Martial Arts of the World considers it a probable influence on sambo's origin. The Lori and Shirak forms differ in clothing and in whether leg grabs are allowed.
Technique
The bout begins with music from the zurna, duduk and dhol, according to Hetq the wrestlers approach in a dance step until they touch, and after the bout the winner performs a victory dance. According to the UNESCO International Center for Martial Arts, the aim is to throw the opponent onto the mat without lifting and turning, according to Hetq whoever throws the opponent onto his back wins, and strikes below the waist and leg grabs are forbidden. The federation called the rules similar to freestyle wrestling, judo and sambo, a bout lasts five minutes according to it, five to ten according to the center, and the uniforms were modernized keeping national elements. We have not found a win on points in the sources. Two regional forms differ in clothing and grips: in Lori kokh the wrestlers wear the traditional robe chokha and push and pull the opponent by it, in Shirak kokh they wrestle shirtless in traditional trousers and may grab his legs, which contradicts the general ban reported by Hetq. Yuzbashyan distinguishes a Western and an Eastern Armenian variant and calls the participants dance wrestlers.
Training
We have not found a description of training in the sources. In 2017 Yuzbashyan studied the adaptation of the organism of dance wrestlers of all age categories to competition load in long-term preparation and set training tasks for it, but only an abstract is available. In 2021 the Statistical Committee of Armenia recorded ten kokh groups, eight coaches and 126 wrestlers in sports organizations, no women. According to the UNESCO International Center for Martial Arts, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly shrank kokh classes, and the passing of the tradition to the younger generation partly stopped.
Ranks and progression
Kokh has no ranks or titles. The adult national championship in Vanadzor in October 2017 was wrestled in eight weight categories and its results were meant to serve in forming the national team, and Yuzbashyan mentions measurement in various weight categories and age groups. We have not found the specific category limits.
Today
The Kokh Federation organizes bouts and seeks to preserve the sport and pass it on to future generations. In October 2017 it held the adult national championship in Vanadzor, where about a hundred athletes in eight weight categories were expected, and federation president Vaghinak Galstyan spoke of the goal of holding a kokh world championship. In 2021 the Statistical Committee of Armenia recorded, among non-Olympic sports, ten kokh groups, eight coaches and 126 wrestlers in state-supervised sports organizations. Kokh is on Armenia's list of intangible heritage requiring urgent safeguarding, run by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, and it is not on the UNESCO list.
Did you know
The 1983 Soviet documentary Hamlet of Kamo shows boys taking an entrance test for a kokh school. According to Hetq, the winner is to face all challengers. According to a numismatic reference, the 2012 commemorative silver coin The Art of Combat – Kokh has a face value of 1000 drams and a mintage of up to 5000 pieces.
Frequently asked questions
What is kokh?
Armenian national wrestling once part of weddings and festivities. It starts with music and dance, a throw onto the back wins, and according to Hetq grabbing the legs or striking below the waist is banned.
What forms does kokh take?
The UNESCO International Center for Martial Arts distinguishes Lori kokh in the chokha robe with pushing and pulling by the garment and Shirak kokh without a shirt, where the legs may be grabbed. Yuzbashyan speaks of a Western Armenian and an Eastern Armenian variant.
Is kokh protected as cultural heritage?
At the national level yes: it is on Armenia's list of intangible heritage requiring urgent safeguarding under number 16 among folk games. It is not inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.