Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of fighting both playfully and as a combat sport, between two opponents without weapons who grab each other's body and/or clothing (grappling, as opposed to punching, striking, kicking, and pinching). (The term in this context is distinct from its figurative use, as in "wrestling with a problem".) The object is usually to pin the oponent to the ground or to apply a hold from which the opponent cannot get freed without breaking the rules.
There are almost as many wrestling styles as there are national traditions. Styles include sumo in Japan and yağlı güreş (oiled wrestling) in Turkey. Wrestling is often categorized as one of the martial arts; its virile image and usefulness as military training doubtlessly helped it to become and remain popular in many cultures. It is one of the oldest types of sport; there are wall-paintings more than 15,000 years old depicting men wrestling.
In addition to its sporting nature, wrestling is also a popular spectacle. This has led to a long tradition of show wrestling, in which fights are choreographed for greatest visual effect and the outcome usually determined in advance, including wrestlers at medieval carnivals and the modern Professional Wrestling.
Sport wrestling
Most wrestling is an amateur sport but some forms, such as sumo, have long professional traditions.
The most widespread form internationally is amateur wrestling. Two styles are performed in the Olympic Games: Freestyle and Greco-Roman. A similar style, commonly called Collegiate or Folkstyle, is practiced in secondary schools, colleges, and younger age groups in the United States.
Other styles of sport wrestling include:
Show wrestling
In all ages, people were just as interested in seeing spectacular fights as in finding out who was the better wrestler. Sometimes with the full knowledge of the audience, and sometimes cladestinely, wrestlers choreographed fights to attract larger audiences. Since outcomes of the fights are predetermined, this form of wrestling is a stage art, rather than a sport.
The most popular styles today include American Professional wrestling and its Mexican and Japanese off-shoots, Lucha Libre and Puroresu.
See also
| 
