Cornish wrestling is a form of
wrestling similar to
judo, which has been established in
Cornwall (South West of the UK) for several centuries.
The referee is known as a '
stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage. It is colloquially known as "
wrasslin" in Cornish dialect. The wrestlers in the Cornish style both wear
tough jackets enabling them to gain better grip on their opponent.
All holds are taken upon the wrestlers jacket, grabbing of the wrists or fingers is forbidden as well as any holding below the waist. Although all holds are to be taken upon the jacket the flat of the hand is allowed to be used to push or deflect an opponent.
The objective of Cornish Wrestling is to
throw your opponent and make him land as flat as possible
on his back. Three Sticklers (referees) watch and control each
bout whilst also recording down the
score of points achieved in play.
Four
Pins are located on the back of a wrestler, two at the back of each shoulder and two either side just above the buttocks. If a wrestler manages to throw his opponent flat onto his back, simultaneously scoring with all 4 pins they score four points in that single throw and this is called a "Back" to which the bout is then finished and the throwing wrestler is the winner. The Sticklers will each raise their sticks when they perceive a Back has been achieved. If two sticklers raise their sticks but one does not a back is still awarded.
The
Cornish Wrestling Association was formed in 1923 to standardise the rules and to promote Cornish Wrestling throughout Cornwall and indeed Worldwide. Cornish wrestling has a long history, and
Geoffrey of Monmouth suggests
Historia Regum Britanniae, of c. 1139 that Corineus wrestled a Cornish giant,
Gogmagog. The earliest written evidence for wrestling in the West Country comes from a 1590 poem entitled "
Poly-Olbion" by M
ichael Drayton, concerning the
Battle of Agincourt in 1415. It states that the Cornish men who accompanied
Henry V into battle held a banner of two
Cornish Wraslters in a hitch.
Cornish and Breton wrestlers have long taken part in
inter-Celtic matches since at least 1402 and these still occasionally continue.