Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger BaitingRobinson, Jacob
History
Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting
Robinson, Jacob
Wrestlers; Wrestling
The wrestlers are lithe active young fellows, and enter the ring in
exuberant spirits. Before the actual commencement of the struggle at close
quarters, each resorts to a ridiculous ceremony, in order to propitiate
some powerful deity to whom they look for assistance to achieve success.
The act consists in simply touching the forehead with a small portion of
earth picked from the ground. On the conclusion of this preparatory
proceeding, they return to the edge of the ring, and go through a series of
manœuvres, which a stranger would look at with astonishment, and which
in reality can exercise no influence on the struggle. They jump about,
first on one leg, then the other, bounding backwards and forwards
repeatedly, with great agility. Loud bangs on the body follow, inflicted by
the hands with such violence as to make a noise that resounds all over the
ring. This is the opening play, followed by sham attacks, till an
opportunity presents for close work. With surprising quickness, the arms
are grasped high up towards the shoulders, and followed by violent butting
of head against head, accompanied by twisting and wrenching. Meanwhile one
of the two is thrown to the ground, where the struggle is continued amid
excited cheering, till one of the tawny coloured competitors is forced on
his back and securely held. This is seldom successful, until three or four
bouts have been fought out, and a clear back fall gained.
The following account of a great wrestling match between the Mysore hero
and the Punjaubee champion, was written by an Englishman in Madras:--
The Punjaubee champion is from North India. The Mysore
man has lately won a great match, and was highly elated
in consequence; while the Punjaubee had such confidence
in his powers, that he pledged himself to give up the
Sikh religion and turn Mahomedan if he lost the
match.... After waiting a few minutes the Punjaubee was
the first to put in an appearance; he walked up amidst
scrutinising glances and stood "within the ring." He
was a great big fellow, beautifully built, and
splendidly developed, with muscles standing out in
knots on the arms and legs. He was the same colour as
most Punjaubees--light brown; taken on the whole, he
was rather a handsome man.... His opponent was not long
in following him; he stood up, stripped, and stepped
into the sand. He, too, was remarkably well built, but
nearly black, and villainously ugly. He was not quite
up to the Punjaubee. His muscles were large, and he
looked the more wiry and active of the two; but the
Punjaubee was the bigger and looked the stronger.
They began by standing two or three yards apart, in an
inclined position, stooping towards each other, and
advancing as stealthily as cats, suddenly making a
snatch at each other's wrists and hands, and then
drawing back with inconceivable rapidity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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