Wrestling is part of the martial arts. The Sport of wrestling was the most popular event in the original Greek Games, and lists of Olympic wrestling winners have been recorded since 708 B.C. Today there are a wide range of styles with varying rules as Catch wrestling, Amateur wrestling, Arm wrestling, Collegiate wrestling, Freestyle wrestling, Submission wrestling, Beach wrestling etc.
A wrestling match consists of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over, or control of, the opponent. Physical techniques used, include clinching, holding, locking, application of leverage and takedowns.
In ancient Greece, wrestling occupied a prominent place in legend and literature; wrestling competition, brutal in many aspects, was the number one sport of the Olympic Games.
The ancient Romans borrowed heavily from Greek wrestling, but eliminated much of its brutality.
The 1st organized national wrestling tournament was held in New York City in 1888, while the 1st wrestling competition in the modern Olympic Games was held in 1904 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
FILA (International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles) was founded in 1912, in Antwerp, Belgium. The 1st NCAA Wrestling Championships were also held in 1912, in Ames, Iowa. USA Wrestling, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, became the national governing body of amateur wrestling in 1983. It conducts competitions for all age levels.
In 1908 Greco-roman wrestling was reinstated as an Olympic sport, free style was added to the Olympic Games in 1904.
In September 2001 the International Olympic Committee took the following 2 decisions on Wrestling:
- Women's Wrestling was included in the Olympic Games 2004 competition program, in 4 weight categories for the free style.
- The Reduction of the weight categories for men from sixteen to fourteen, in both Greco-roman and free style.
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