| General Information |
Catch wrestling is a type of wrestling originating in the United Kingdom.In order to win the wrestlers typically have to pin down the opponent or get him to submit. Usually a match consists of three rounds from which at least two have to be won (Crudelli 2010: 251). |
| History/Development |
John Simmons wrote an article for the “Martial Arts World Report” shedding light on the history and different styles of catch wrestling in both Europe and America. Catch wrestling dates back to the early 19th century. Originally it wasn’t an organised system with a set of rules. Wrestlers of a different background usually met at fairs. For a long time, different rounds had different rules, honouring all the different traditions and keeping everybody happy. The rule set “catch-as-catch-can” allowed the widest range of techniques.Catch wrestling became also very popular and widespread in the United States. In the 1950’s pro wrestling became a popular item on television. (Simmons, 2019)Catch wrestling had a big influence on modern mixed martial arts styles (Crudelli 2010: 251; Team BJJ Hashashin 2015). Many styles also morphed into the freestyle wrestling that is now part of the Olympic Games (Simmons 2019). |
Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
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| Relevant Organisations |
- Catch Wrestling Association (CWA)
- International Catch Wrestling Federation (ICWF)
- World Submission Wrestling Federation (WSWF) |
| Additional Materials |
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| References |
- Crudelli, C. (2010). The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Skills from Around the World, p. 251.
- Simmons, J. (2019). “Here’s the catch, what’s catch wrestling really?” Martial Arts World Report
https://maworldreport.com/index.php/2019/07/21/heres-the-catch-what-is-catch-wrestling-really/
- Team BJJ Hashashin. (2015). Brief History of Catch Wrestling
https://medium.com/@harrysuke/brief-history-of-catch-wrestling-2fbb0f14c6a3 |
