Glima
 Glima wrestling | |
| Focus | Grappling |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Full-contact |
| Country of origin | Iceland |
| Creator | Unknown |
Glíma is an Old Norse word that covers several types of Scandinavian folk wrestling: Brókartök, Hryggspenna, and Lausatök.
History of Glíma
The original Norwegian settlers in Iceland took Viking wrestling with them[citation needed], and these combat systems[citation needed] have been used by the populace according to the Jónsbók law book from 1281.[citation needed] The oldest Icelandic competition in glima is Skjaldarglíma Ármann which was first held in 1888 and has been held almost every year since.[1] In 1905 the belt was introduced so that the wrestlers could have a better grip on each other. Before that they held on each other's trousers. In 1906 the first Íslandsglíman (Grettisbeltið) competition was held where the winners are named Glímukóngur. In the 1912 Summer Olympics there was a demonstration of glima. In 1987 glima was being taught in primary school in Iceland.[clarification needed][2]
Variants
Brokartök Glima
The Brokartök version is by far the most widespread in Iceland [citation needed] and Sweden and it is this version which is Iceland's national sport[citation needed]. Historically it was also the one put in highest esteem for favoring technique over strength. Each of the two wrestlers wears a special belt around the waist and separate, additional belts on the lower thighs of each leg, which connect to the main belt with vertical straps. A fixed grip is then taken with one hand in the belt and the other in the trousers at thigh height. From this position the glima-wrestler attempts to trip and throw his opponent. In this style of glima, a thrown wrestler may attempt to land on his feet and hands and if he succeeds in doing so he has not lost the fall. The winning condition in this type of glima is to make the opponent touch the ground with an area of the body between the elbow and the knee.[citation needed]
There are four points that differentiate it from other forms of wrestling:[citation needed]
- The opponents must always stand erect.
- The opponents step clockwise around each other (looks similar to a waltz). This is to create opportunities for offence and defence, and to prevent a stalemate
- It is not permitted to fall down on your opponent or to push him down in a forceful manner, as it is not considered sportsman-like.
- The opponents are supposed to look across each other's shoulders as much as possible because it is considered proper to wrestle by touch and feel rather than sight.
The core of the system are eight main brögð (techniques), which form the basic training for approximately 50 ways to execute a throw or takedown.
Surrounding glima is a code of honour called drengskapur that calls for fairness, respect for and caring about the security of one's training partners.
The word glíma is the Icelandic term for "wrestling" in general. The same word has also a wider meaning of "struggle".
Glíma is different from all other ethnic grips in three ways:
Upprétt staða
Pursuers shall remain upright. The positioning in many of the ethnic grips sports often resembles a setsquare but in Glíma that is called ousting or “bol” and is banned.
Stígandinn
Glíma involves steps, which involves contestants stepping forth and back like they are dancing in a clockwise motion. Stígandi is one of the characteristics of Glíma and designed to avoid a standstill and create opportunities for offence and attack.
Níð
It is forbidden in Glíma to tail your opponent to the floor or push your opponent down with force. That is considered to be unsportsmanlike and opposing the nature of Glíma as a sport for honorable sportsmen and women. Glíma sportsman or a sportswoman shall conquer his opponent with a Glíma grip so well implemented that it suffices in a “bylta”, which forces your opponent to fall to the ground without any further action. The concept “níð” does not exist in other ethnic grip sports.
Every year the best Glíma sportsmen and women compete for victory in the Íslandsglíma tournament. There they compete for the trophy “Grettisbelti”, which is the oldest and most prestigious trophy in Iceland. The Íslandsglíma first took place in Akureyri in the year of 1906 and the winner of the tournament is awarded with the Grettisbelti trophy and the title “Icelandic King of Glíma”. In the past decade women have also participated in the sport with good results. Their big tournament is called “Freyjuglíma” and the winner is crowned as the queen of Glíma.
Hryggspenna
Hryggspenna or Backhold wrestling, is more similar to other styles of wrestling and is considered to be more a test of strength than of technique. In Hryggspenna the opponents take hold of each other's upper body; whoever touches the ground with any part of the body except the feet has lost.
Lausatök
In Lausatök or Loose-Grip wrestling, the contestants may use the holds they wish. This style was banned in Iceland for a period of about 100 years before being taken up again recently, within the last generation.[citation needed]
It is much more aggressive and differs in many ways from other styles of Icelandic wrestling. Lausatök comes in two forms: A version for self-defence and a version for friendly competition. In either all kinds of wrestling techniques are allowed but in the friendly version they are still taught to be executed in a way so they won’t cause the opponent injury. In such a friendly match the winner is considered the one who is standing tall while the other is lying on the ground. This means that if both the opponents fall to the ground together the match will continue on the ground by the use of techniques to keep the other down while getting up. [citation needed]
Even more divergent from other forms of Icelandic wrestling is lausatök when trained purely for self-defence (There are several traing places in Scandinavia) that teach this. In such training the harmful and hurtful techniques or ways of executing the techniques, that are not accepted in other forms of Icelandic wrestling, are explored in as free and creative a way as possible while not injuring one's training-partners. [citation needed]
The Lausatök version is by far the most widespread in Norway and there are regular competitions in this form of Glima such as the Norwegian Glima Championship.[citation needed]
Organizations
The International Glima Association (IGA) is the global organisation uniting all people and groups interested in Glima.
The current president of IGA is Orri Bjornsson from Iceland.
The Norwegian Glima Association (Norges Glima Forbund) is the official organisation for Glima in Norway and is responsible for the Norwegian Glima Championship. The current president of the NGA is Tyr Neilsen. [1] [importance of example(s)?]
Glima championships
The most prominent prize in Icelandic glima has always been the Grettisbelti. This is the Icelandic open in Glima and has always drawn the best wrestlers of each era. The winner has for decades been called Glímukóngur "the Glima king".
The most prominent glima championship in Norway is the national Norwegian Glima Championship. There are many classes in this championship, but the title of Norwegian Glima Champion goes to the athlete who wins the open category.
The only "world championship" in Glima was a Hryggspenna competition held in Roskilde, Denmark in August 2008.
References
External links
- International Glima Association
- The Icelandic Wrestling Federation (Glímusamband Íslands)
- The Gripping History of Glima
- Glíma! Pathe Pictorial (1932) (youtube.com)
- Icelandic wrestling (1908) by Johannes Josefsson
- The Academy for Viking Martial Arts, a modern interpretation of Glima
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