Wrestling
A family of styles of takedowns, throws and control of the opponent on the ground without strikes. The Olympic Greco-Roman (since 1896) and freestyle (since 1904) are governed by the UWW.
Quick Facts
Character & 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.
Comparisons
Catalogs & Databases for Wrestling
About Wrestling
Wrestling is a family of styles in which the opponent is controlled, taken down and thrown without strikes. The international federation United World Wrestling (UWW) governs the Olympic styles and distinguishes from them folk wrestling tied to a culture or region, for example kurash, pehlwani, schwingen or ssireum. Tombs at Beni Hasan in Egypt from around 2000 BC depict hundreds of pairs of wrestlers, and wrestling was contested at the ancient Olympic Games from 708 BC. Sport wrestling has neither a founder nor a year of origin.
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The Greco-Roman style became established in the nineteenth century in Europe and is attributed to the French wrestler Jean Exbrayat. It forbids holds below the waist and work with the legs, and therefore rests on throws. Freestyle derived from catch-as-catch-can, popular in Britain and the USA, and allows attacks on the legs. In American schools and universities folkstyle is wrestled, which also scores an escape from the bottom, a reversal and time spent on top. Under the UWW rules a match of seniors lasts two periods of 3 minutes, and of competitors up to 17 years two times 2 minutes. Actions are scored with 1 to 5 points, the most for a throw of great amplitude, and the match ends by putting the opponent on the shoulders (a fall) or by technical superiority of 10 points in freestyle and 8 points in Greco-Roman style. The rules forbid kicks, headbutts, chokes, twisting the arms by more than 90 degrees and holds that threaten a fracture or dislocation. Wrestling has neither belts nor grades, and the path leads through age categories from age 14. Greco-Roman wrestling was at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, freestyle was added in 1904 and women’s freestyle in 2004. In February 2013 the IOC voted to remove wrestling from the programme, and in September of that year it reinstated it. A study by Kerr and colleagues from 2018 found 2.38 injuries per 1,000 practices and matches in American high school students and 9.28 in university wrestlers. After three deaths of university wrestlers during weight cutting in 1997, the NCAA banned, among other things, saunas and airtight suits.
History
Tombs at Beni Hasan in Egypt, from around 2000 BC, depict 220 and 122 pairs of wrestlers. Wrestling was part of the ancient Olympic Games from 708 BC, and from 648 BC so was pankration, which combined boxing and wrestling techniques. Under the London Prize Ring Rules (1838), bare-knuckle boxing allowed holds and throws, and wrestling was excluded from it only by the Queensberry Rules in 1867. Today's Olympic styles became established in the 19th century. Greco-Roman wrestling originated in Europe and is attributed to the Frenchman Jean Exbrayat, while the name Greco-Roman is attributed to the Italian wrestler Basilio Bartoletti. Freestyle derives from catch-as-catch-can, which spread in Great Britain and the USA in the late 19th century. George Hackenschmidt won the European title in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1898 and in 1905 became the first champion of the World Heavyweight Wrestling Championship. According to the IOC, the international federation became independent in 1912 as the International Ring Verband, bore the name FILA from 1953 and has been called United World Wrestling (UWW) since 2014.
Technique
Greco-Roman wrestling forbids holds below the waist and active use of the legs, so it rests on throws. Freestyle allows attacks on the legs in attack and defence. Under the UWW rules, 1 point is awarded for a reversal or an escape from a hold, 2 points for control from behind or a throw, 4 points for a lift with landing and 5 points for a throw of great amplitude. The match ends with a fall or with technical superiority of 8 points in Greco-Roman and 10 points in freestyle. For passivity the opponent receives a point. The UWW rules (2018, articles 48 and 51) forbid kicks, headbutts, chokes, the throat hold, twisting the arms beyond 90 degrees, the forearm lock, holds threatening a fracture or dislocation, pulling hair and ears, twisting fingers, stretching the spine and holding the singlet. American folkstyle (NCAA) awards 3 points for a takedown, 2 for a reversal, 1 for an escape, 2 to 4 for a near fall and 1 point for riding time.
Training
We have not been able to document the structure of ordinary wrestling training in the sources. A review in Sports Medicine (2002) reports a VO2max of around 53 to 56 ml/kg/min in national and international wrestlers, and successful wrestlers had higher strength than less successful ones, most of all in the upper body and in anaerobic power. This is a description of selected top athletes, not of the benefit of training. Kerr and colleagues (Journal of Athletic Training, 2018) found 2.38 injuries per 1,000 practices and matches in American high school students and 9.28 in university wrestlers, more in competition than in training. Most often these were the knees, shoulders, head and face, and concussion made up 5.9 to 15.9% of injuries. After the deaths of three university wrestlers during rapid weight loss in 1997, the NCAA banned saunas, airtight suits and laxatives.
Ranks and progression
Wrestling has neither belts nor technical grades. The path leads through age categories, which the UWW rules (2026) define as follows: U15 14–15 years, U17 16–17, U20 18–20, U23 19–23, seniors from 20 and veterans over 35 years. The measure of progress is results in competitions, from national championships to world championships and the Olympic Games. In the USA the path leads through school and university wrestling in the folkstyle. The NCAA has held its championship since 1928, and the national body for the Olympic styles has been USA Wrestling since 1983. Dan Gable was an NCAA champion in 1968 and 1969 and in 1972 won Olympic gold in freestyle. The Dan Hodge Trophy for university wrestling bears the name of Dan Hodge, who won three NCAA titles from 1955 to 1957, all finals by fall, won Olympic silver in freestyle in 1956 and in 1958 won the Chicago Golden Gloves in boxing in the heavyweight division.
Who it suits
The youngest category of the UWW rules is U15 (14–15 years), and a match lasts two times 2 minutes for U15 and U17 and two times 3 minutes from U20, always with a 30-second break. We have not found a lower age limit below U15 or a statement from pediatricians. The Canadian adaptation of the UWW rules forbids suplay, salto, full nelson and west point ride in U15 and U17. In American high schools (NFHS, 2005) a backward suplay and a backward salto onto the head are forbidden, and the weight management programme allows a loss of at most 1.5% per week with body fat of at least 7% for boys and 12% for girls. The CDC reports for the 2005–06 school year 2.50 injuries per 1,000 exposures in high school wrestling, the second highest rate after American football. Women’s freestyle has been Olympic since 2004, and veterans compete from age 35. At a wrestling camp Belongia and colleagues (1991) found herpes gladiatorum in 60 of 175 wrestlers.
Competition
There are three UWW disciplines at the Olympic Games: Greco-Roman wrestling, men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. Greco-Roman wrestling was at the first modern Games in 1896, wrestling was absent in Paris in 1900, freestyle was added in 1904 in St. Louis and women’s freestyle in 2004. Aleksandr Karelin won Olympic gold in Greco-Roman wrestling in 1988, 1992 and 1996 and silver in 2000. The UWW counts official World Championships from 1921, men’s freestyle was added in 1951 and women’s in 1987. University wrestling of the NCAA has three periods with a total length of 7 minutes (3 + 2 + 2), high school wrestling three periods of 2 minutes.
Gear
The UWW rules prescribe a singlet of smooth fabric, and holding the opponent by the singlet is forbidden. With it go light and flexible wrestling shoes, which give grip and ankle support. In NCAA university wrestling, headgear with ear guards is mandatory because of the risk of cauliflower ear, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners use the same ear protection. We have not established an obligation for ear guards in the UWW rules.
Philosophy
Wrestling was part of the ancient as well as the first modern Olympic Games, and its international federation UWW explicitly embraces the Olympic tradition. The preamble to its ethics code confirms loyalty to the Olympic idea of Pierre de Coubertin and to the Olympic Charter. The organizers of the Athens Games in 1896 included Greco-Roman wrestling in the belief that it corresponded to wrestling in antiquity. The UWW Code of Ethics, as amended in January 2024, requires respect for the Olympic spirit, that is mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play. It stipulates respect for human dignity, rejects discrimination and all forms of harassment, and requires safety, well-being and medical care for wrestlers. It requires combating cheating and prohibits manipulation of competitions. It asks officials and referees for impartial, objective and independent decisions.
Styles and schools
There are two Olympic styles. In Greco-Roman wrestling, attacks and holds are made only with the arms and torso, and grabbing the opponent below the waist, tripping and actively using the legs are strictly forbidden. Freestyle grew out of the English catch-as-catch-can and allows the legs to be used for pushing, lifting and tripping, and the opponent to be held above and below the waist. Technical superiority ends the match at a difference of 8 points in Greco-Roman and 10 points in freestyle. Women wrestle freestyle, and only the double nelson is banned. According to a UWW Academy study, freestyle was chosen for women because Greco-Roman rests on upper-body strength. The women's World Championships were first held in 1987 in Norway with eight countries taking part, and in 2011 the number peaked at 62. UWW also governs other styles. Grappling allows the techniques of all wrestling styles with emphasis on ground fighting, joint locks and chokes, and is contested both with and without the kimono. Beach wrestling is done standing only, and junior wrestling lasts one three-minute period. The Beach Wrestling World Series has run since 2019. Under UWW, traditional belt wrestling alysh is also held, for example at the Asian Championships in Bishkek in April 2026.
Today
Olympic wrestling is governed by the UWW, based in Switzerland, and in the USA USA Wrestling and the university NCAA operate alongside it. In February 2013 the IOC voted to remove wrestling from the Olympic programme, and on 8 September 2013 it reinstated it at its 125th session. Professional wrestling has since the twenties moved towards pre-arranged matches and entertainment and is not the same as sport wrestling under the UWW. The wrestlers Dan Severn, Don Frye and Mark Coleman were among the pioneers of the first UFC events and developed the style of ground and pound. Daniel Cormier, Dan Henderson, Yoel Romero, Henry Cejudo and Randy Couture, among others, moved from Olympic wrestling to MMA. In ADCC grappling, Mark Kerr won the over 99 kg category in 1999 and 2000. Clarissa Chun started with judo and in 2008 became world champion in freestyle, and the Filipino Fernando Garcia competed at the 1964 Olympics in wrestling and at the 1972 Olympics in judo.
In culture
A Greek bowl by the painter Epiktetos from around 520 BC, kept in the Agora Museum in Athens, depicts wrestling men. The film Foxcatcher by director Bennett Miller, about the Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz and the heir John du Pont, competed at Cannes in 2014, and Miller won the award for best director there. The three-time Olympic champion Aleksandr Karelin became a politician and was a member of the Russian State Duma from 1999 to 2020.
Did you know
According to the IOC, some cave paintings of wrestlers are about 15,000 years old and show holds that are still used today. Greco-Roman wrestling has been permanently on the Olympic program since 1908, freestyle since 1920. According to the IOC, before the Paris 2024 Games the Soviet Union had won 116 medals in Olympic wrestling, 62 of them gold, and the USA 142 medals, 57 of them gold. Japanese women won 15 of the 24 possible Olympic gold medals in women's wrestling, and Saori Yoshida is a three-time Olympic champion and twelve-time world champion. Aleksandr Karelin was undefeated in international competition for 13 years, and the streak ended only when the American Rulon Gardner beat him in the final at the Sydney 2000 Games. His signature technique was lifting the opponent over his back (reverse body lift). George Hackenschmidt was undefeated as a professional until April 1908, when he lost to Frank Gotch. In the IOC vote on 8 September 2013 on a return to the Olympic Games, wrestling received 49 of 95 votes in the first round, baseball with softball 24 and squash 22. The president of the federation, Nenad Lalović, called it the most important day in the 3000-year history of wrestling.
Styles & Branches
An Olympic style of wrestling that prohibits holds below the waist and use of the legs. It comes from French wrestling of the 18th and 19th centuries, not from antiquity.
An Olympic wrestling style that allows leg holds and tripping. It derives from catch-as-catch-can and has been at the Games since 1904, for women since 2004.
British catch-as-catch-can wrestling from Lancashire traditions, won by pin (fall) or submission. Through Wigan and Karl Gotch it influenced Japanese shoot wrestling.
Swiss national wrestling in unbleached-fabric trousers on sawdust rings. The peak is the Eidgenössisches festival and the title Schwingerkönig.
Traditional Korean wrestling defined by the satba belt around the waist and thigh. Wrestlers grip the opponent's belt, so there is no search for a hold at the start.
Mongolian national wrestling, one of the three games of Naadam, inscribed by UNESCO since 2010. No weight categories or time limit, and touching the ground with anything but the feet loses.
Traditional wrestling of the Indian subcontinent, done in akharas in a clay pit. Per anthropologist Joseph Alter, a synthesis of Persian wrestling brought by the Mughals and Hindu tradition.
Central Asian wrestling in the yakhtak jacket, at home in Uzbekistan. Halal, yonbosh and chala throws score, levers and strangles are banned, and the commands stay in Uzbek.
Icelandic national wrestling in a belt with straps, wrestled upright. The rules were written down by Jón Jónsson in the eighteen-eighties.
Breton wrestling in a cloth shirt roched, won by a fall onto both shoulder blades. It is recognised intangible cultural heritage of France.
Canarian wrestling in a sand circle where whole teams compete. Wrestlers grip the trouser hem and win by making the opponent fall.
Irish folk wrestling on foot with a collar and elbow hold, which Irish immigrants brought to Vermont in the nineteenth century.
An Alpine folk wrestling style, barefoot on grass in white linen clothing. The winner presses the opponent onto both shoulder blades, and there are no weight categories.
Okinawan wrestling whose experience, according to Wikipedia, prepared early karate students. Today Okinawans compete in Okinawan sumo, called shima.
Folk wrestling from Cumbria in the backhold, which is kept throughout the match. The loser is the one who touches the ground with anything but the feet.
Kyrgyz belt wrestling. The belt grip may never be released during the bout, so the fight for grip disappears and what remains is the mechanics of the throw and balance.
Wrestling of the Upper Xingu peoples in Brazil, fought from the knees. Its main setting is the Kuarup funeral ceremony, where the host village faces its guests.
Tuvan national wrestling from Siberia, main contest of the Naadym festival. No weight classes, touching the ground loses, and wrestlers dance the eagle flight devig before and after a bout.
Traditional Cambodian wrestling in three rounds, accompanied by dance and drums. Phnom Penh Post reports its depiction on reliefs at Banteay Srei and Baphuon in Angkor.
Armenian 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.
Traditional wrestling of the Mizo people from India's Mizoram. It is fought in three rounds, and kicking, leaving the marked area or bending the knees is not allowed.
A Cantabrian folk wrestling style. It begins with a forearm grip and the rules differ from valley to valley, in Campoo one variant starts lying down.
Buryat national wrestling from the Mongolian bökh family. Bouts are fought standing, in a belt, without strikes, until a fall, and the pre-bout ritual includes an eagle dance.
Georgian national wrestling in the chokha jacket, combining combat with music and dance. On a UNESCO list since 2018.
Choukhe is a jacket wrestling style practised mainly by Kurds of northeastern Iran in Khorasan. Holds are only above the waist, and bouts are barefoot to drum and oboe.
Australian wrestling in a ring four and a half metres across. It is a modern reconstruction built on pre-colonial games.
Cornish national wrestling in jackets where only the cloth is gripped. A back wins, a fall on three or four points of the back, and there is no ground fighting.
Wrestling of Togo's Kabyè ethnic group, above all an initiation rite. Held every July in the Kara region, it carries young men from youth into adulthood.
Turkmen belt wrestling under UWW rules: three minutes, points for touching the ground with anything but the feet, classic and free style. Part of family celebrations.
Traditional Azerbaijani wrestling. In 2022 UNESCO inscribed the Azerbaijani Pehlevanliq culture, meaning games, sports and wrestling in the zorkhana.
Traditional Inuit wrestling in a firm grip behind the back. According to the Canadian federation, it is still practised in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Turkish traditional wrestling without oil, in pırpıt trousers, under the Turkish Traditional Wrestling Federation since 2022. No bridge, world championship since 2025.
Traditional wrestling of the Tenyimi tribes in Nagaland and Manipur. Wrestlers grip a waist belt, and whoever touches the ground with a body part above the knee loses.
Tatar belt wrestling with a grip on the kushak belt. First official competition in Kazan in 1928, a national-level sport in Russia since 2013, the peak of Sabantuy.
Senegal's national sport in three forms: traditional wrestling without punches (mbapatt), professional wrestling with punches and codified lutte africaine.
Wrestling of the Mongo people in Congo. Wrestlers paint their bodies with white leopard-like spots and fight to drums and singing.
A Galician folk wrestling style with a grip on work trousers called maón or a belt called faixa. Fifteen seconds of control over the opponent or a lead in points wins.
A wrestling style from León fought with a grip on a leather belt. Since 2017 it has been protected cultural heritage and the summer league fills the stands.
Wrestling of the vaqueiros from Marajó island in Brazilian Pará. Fought on sand or mud, a point is scored by soiling the opponent's back, a heritage of Pará state since 2022.
Umbrella term for West African traditional wrestling and the ECOWAS tournament format, which according to the organisation began in 1986.
Traditional wrestling of the Nigerian Igbo, tied to the harvest and the coming of age of men. It settled disputes and still belongs to Igbo community festivals.
Traditional wrestling from the Indian state of Manipur, associated with the Lai Haraoba festival. Sports Authority of India teaches it at two indigenous games centres.
Traditional wrestling of the Nuba from the Nuba Mountains in Sudan's South Kordofan. In Khartoum it became Sudanese wrestling, drawing thousands of spectators.
A United World Wrestling discipline on sand. Standing only, in a circle seven metres in diameter, one period of three minutes, the first wrestler with three points wins.
Kazakh national wrestling in the beren outfit, on the UNESCO list since 2016. A clean fall of the opponent onto the back wins, grabbing the legs is forbidden.
Traditional Sardinian wrestling in a fixed grip behind the back. The federation was founded in 1994 in Ollolai and CONI recognised it as a sport in 1997.
Scottish folk wrestling on foot in a firm hold around the back. The loser is the one who lets go of the hold or touches the ground with anything but the feet.
Moldovan national wrestling trânta. Opponents try to bring each other to the ground, and according to the daily Adevărul a bout lasts four minutes for juniors and six for adults.
Frequently asked questions
What is Greco-Roman wrestling?
Greco-Roman wrestling is an Olympic style in which attacks and holds use only the arms and upper body. Holds below the waist and active use of the legs are forbidden. According to Britannica, it arose in France in the early 19th century modeled on ancient depictions of wrestling.
What are the rules of Greco-Roman wrestling?
Seniors wrestle two periods of three minutes with a thirty-second break. Actions score 1, 2, 4 or 5 points according to their difficulty and danger to the opponent. The bout ends by pinning the opponent or by technical superiority of 8 points, otherwise the winner is the one with more points after both periods.
What is the difference between freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling?
Freestyle allows grabbing the opponent's legs, tripping and actively using the legs, while Greco-Roman forbids it. Technical superiority is 10 points in freestyle and 8 points in Greco-Roman. Women wrestle freestyle.
How do you say Greco-Roman wrestling in English?
In English, Greco-Roman wrestling is called Greco-Roman wrestling, and freestyle is called freestyle wrestling.
How old do you have to be to wrestle?
UWW rules start with the U15 category for ages 14 to 15, from age 13 with doctor and parental consent, and a bout lasts two times two minutes. In UWW grappling the youngest category is U13, for ages 12 to 13. We have not found the children's categories of national federations in the sources.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.