Ssireum
씨름Korean traditional wrestling, defined by the satba belt around waist and thigh. Both wrestlers hold it throughout, so the bout does not begin with a search for grips.
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South KoreaCharacter & Origin
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About Ssireum
Ssireum is Korean traditional wrestling, and its defining element is the belt known as the satba. It runs around the waist and around one thigh, and both wrestlers hold it throughout the bout — so the contest does not begin with a search for grips but immediately with weight and balance. Wrestling takes place in a sand ring, without strikes and without ground fighting. The winner is the one who makes his opponent touch the ground with any part of the body above the knee. Bouts are short, often only seconds, and they turn on the timing of a sweep, the pull on the belt and the ability to hold on at the moment the opponent redirects force. Wrestling of this kind is documented in Korea far back in time; a mural in the Gakjeochong tomb from the Goguryeo kingdom shows two wrestlers. Ssireum belonged to folk festivals, above all the spring Dano, and the winner was traditionally awarded an ox. Today there is a professional league with weight classes named after mountains and an overall title, Cheonha Jangsa — the strongest under heaven. In 2018 UNESCO inscribed ssireum on the list of intangible heritage, the very first entry submitted jointly by North and South Korea.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.