Wrestling is....

[bushido_man96]

Wrestling is....a Traditional Martial Art.

I just wanted to see where this would go.

Do you think I am right? Why?

Do you think I am wrong? Why?

[Kuma]

I'd say right. Here's my reasoning:

(1) Definitely the oldest of all the martial arts.

(2) Virtually every culture has some form of wrestling in one way, shape, or form.

(3) It's been used throughout the ages (and still in this day and age) as training for military members.

[tallgeese]

It's definalty a ma, for sure. I guess that classifying it as traditional would be about as good as any, unless you'd put the "sport" classifier on it depending on the format.

For instance, folk style would really have a sport feel to me. That dosn't make it bad, it just focuses on that aspect. Greco-Roman might be more of a trad ma given it's development.

Good point bushido man.

[ps1]

Certainly. I would also add that it's one of the few that can be practiced at full speed/strength in both practical use and when just sparring with a friend.

[bushido_man96]

Certainly. I would also add that it's one of the few that can be practiced at full speed/strength in both practical use and when just sparring with a friend.

I agree. And even though it is its sport nature that allows this to be true, the same can be said of both BJJ and Judo; both of which, I think, tend to garner the "traditional" title.

[NightOwl]

I'd say right. Here's my reasoning:

(1) Definitely the oldest of all the martial arts.

(2) Virtually every culture has some form of wrestling in one way, shape, or form.

(3) It's been used throughout the ages (and still in this day and age) as training for military members.

Wrestling is a bit too much of a loaded term for me. In general it refers to western grappling, which in turn usually means freestyle/folk wrestling in the US. This style of wrestling is old to be sure, but it was predated in the past century by catch wrestling. In fact when judo was formed, catch wrestling was the predominate grappling style in America (why they eventually took out the submissions and changed it to freestyle wrestling I don't know). The other style is Greco-Roman which is not from Ancient Greece but rather comes from France.

As for calling what everyone else has done throughout history as 'wrestling', I suppose you can but I'd prefer the term 'grappling'. Wrestling as we know it in the West is fairly recent, but grappling in its various forms (up to modern day wrestling) has been around forever.

As for wrestling (freestyle) being a traditional martial art or not, the term 'traditional' has a sort of warped meaning in martial art circles. In the truest sense of the word 'traditional', I would say it is since it has been along for so long. But nowadays when people say traditional they mean a way of training.

However this is of course a misleading label- traditionally many martial arts trained as 'modern' martial arts do (especially grappling styles). Add in that some martial arts which are often label traditional are actually fairly young (Aikido, Shotokan, TKD), and the 'traditional' martial art label is rather meaningless IMO.

[bushido_man96]

However this is of course a misleading label ["traditional"]- traditionally many martial arts trained as 'modern' martial arts do (especially grappling styles). Add in that some martial arts which are often label traditional are actually fairly young (Aikido, Shotokan, TKD), and the 'traditional' martial art label is rather meaningless IMO.

I could not agree with you more.

[sperki]

I suppose that even the term "martial" art could be up for debate. My understanding it that, technically, most of us practice fighting arts, unless it has or maybe had some direct military use. But a lot of what we call martial arts were fighting methods the lower classes (not the military) developed for self-protection. With that in mind I would say that wresting is certainly a martial art (you better know how to keep fighting after your spear breaks!) but Nightowl has be confused about what traditional is! I would have said yep, traditional martial art until I read that post.

[Kuma]

Ancient Egyptian wrestling. You can see lots of techniques still used today.

http://www.pyramidofman.com/blog/images/BeniHassanLarge.jpg

[pittbullJudoka]

Ye definately traditional. just look how long it's been in the summer games and look what Kuma dug up.