The Exiles - Company of Medieval Martial Artists
Cornish Wrestling
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By David Stone
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Cornish wrestling originated, surprisingly enough in Cornwall, and is yet another regional variation of wrestling and should in no way be confused with Devonish, Lancaster or any of the other regional variations that exist in the UK. There are NO ground techniques in Cornish Wrestling. In sport, holds can only be made on the jackets worn by the competitors. There are about 14 tradional techniques. Also, in sport, if a competitor places his hand or knee on the ground while executing a throw, the throw does not count, therefore all throws must be executed from a standing position. This is significant for the martial aspects of this style. At the start of a match, the lapels of the jackets are twisted together and tucked under the left arm. the competitors then shake hands. This is the wrestlers' signal to each other that they are ready to start. As in Gouren the object is to "back" your opponent. In Cornish wrestling, "pins" refer to the shoulders and hips. A "back" is where three pins touch the ground directly after a throw. A fall where less than three pins touch, or when the "hitch" is broken must be wrestled over. A back ends the bout. The throwing techniques operate on the "double twist" principle where an wrestler's leg or head is twisted in one direction, and the rest of their body is pulled, or pushed in the opposite direction. (Using the jacket of course.) The throws are not really comparable to the throws in any mainstream style of wrestling. (I, for one get infuriated when this style gets compared to judo, because judo it aint!) As to the martial aspect: The manual of Cornish Wrestling, put out by the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies some years ago states: "...the thrower will genarally lose his balance and fall fractionally later than his opponent;" This is significant in a fighting situation. In sport, wrestlers endeaver to fall clear of their opponent to avoid injuring them, however, when someone crashes to the ground from a standing postion, with the full weight of their opponent on top of them, there is a strong possibility for injury. Mr. Colin Roberts, a cornishman who teaches these techniques, was asked about this, he actually said that Cornish wrestling evolved the way it did because it was safer to land on your back, and minimsed the chance of injury. However, it is also significant to note that wrestlers are taught to grip tight to their opponent's jacket when thrown, and not put their arm down to soften the impact of a throw, b/c of the possibility of landing on the arm, not only with your own full weight, but also with the full weight of your opponent. Imagine trying to finish a fight with an arm broken in this manner. The 14 Techniques of Cornish Wrestling Before the techniques are described it should be explained that the wrestling always starts by getting into a "hitch". That is, each wrestler takes a firm hold on the other's jacket at left shoulder and right underarm. This is considered a "proper" hitch, however any grip taken on the jacket after shaking hands is deemed fair. That is why some exponents will explain "This is a throw best done before the proper grips are taken". It is important to remember that Cornish wrestling is not just about the mastery of single techniques. The art is applying them, or combinations thereof while your opponent is doing his best to unbalance you. It is also important to remember that although there may only be about 14 or so techniques, there are many, many variations of them. (ie. there are several ways to do them. eg. the many varieties of sidestepping, footblocking and tripping would all be classified as a Heel or a Toe.) So considering all the variations and combinations, the wrestler has an infinite number of potential moves. 1. The Fore Hip is a move where the opponent's jacket is grasped and is rolled over the hip onto his back. 2. The Fore Crook is similar to the Grapvine. The right leg, say, is wound (or "crooked") around the opponent's left leg just above the ankle. Using your crooking leg, lift your opponent's leg to the rear and as high as possible to over balance him. A sharp pull on his jacket will send him to the ground. 3. The Back Crook starts from the same "crook" position of the previous move. This time the crooking leg is swept quickly forward. A push on the opponent's chest or shoulder will over balance him. 4. The Heel is a trip that can be executed from three positions:- · From ground level · At mid calf · Behind the knee. 5. The Sprag is a defensive wrestling move used when a wrestler is picked up by an opponent. One or both legs are wound around the legs of the offensive wrestler to prevent him from throwing you. The next two throws are considered "strong man" throws. 6. The Fore Heave involves placing say, your right hip directly against your opponent's right hip, and lifting him onto your hip. You have to grasp the jacket right near the hip, and swing his legs in an arc out in front of you and back behind your left side, dropping him onto his back. 7. The Under-heave involves changing your grip from the initial "hitch". You take you right hand off your opponent's left collar, pass it over his head from your left (his right) and grab the back of his jacket. If you are still with me, you take your left from under his right armpit, and grab his left lapel. From here, you lift him straight up, from his chest with the jacket. If his legs are lifted high enough, gravity does the rest.I am told that this throw is unique to Corno-Breton tradition, but I stand to be corrected. (I have done these throws in practice many times, but are yet to
use them in actual wrestling.) References:
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