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Peter Sheldon traces the history of wrasslin’ and offers hope for one the most ancient of sports... The Cornish style of wrestling is believed to date back over 2,000 years and from early times the men of Cornwall established themselves a formidable reputation as fighters. At the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, where Cornish archers were crucial to the victory, the Cornish banner depicted two wrestlers in a hitch.  By the time of Henry VIII, Cornish wrestlers were universally renowned as great sportsmen. At the meeting between Henry VIII and Francis I of France at the Field of the Cloth of Gold in France, a team of Cornish wrestlers faced the champions of France. Godolphin, the chief wrestler, had received the Royal command direct to bring his men to uphold the King’s honour. This they did in grand style, humbling the French team and causing Henry to gloat so much that Francis personally challenged him to a wrestling match. The two monarchs actually clashed for a few moments before being separated by their courtiers.Cornish wrestling, or wrasslin’ as it is commonly known, continued unabated over the centuries prompted in part by the great rivalry between wrestlers from various Cornish towns and, especially, the rivalry between Cornwall and Devon. The style of wrestling of the Cornwall and Devon groups was similar but differing in certain aspects. The Cornish concentrated on the in-play or close-hug, relying mostly on the upper body, while the Devonshire wrestlers concentrated on tripping and kicking, known as out-play. The Cornish and Devonshire styles each contained elements of in-play and out-play but a preference for one or a prejudice against the other was held. The Devonshire style was thought of as brutal by the Cornish due to the fact that Devonshire matches often turned into punishing shin-kicking contests. Often shoes were worn in the Devonshire style to add more damage to the kicking techniques while the Cornish wrestlers stayed barefooted or wore socks. The last great Cornwall/Devon match took place in 1826 between the Cornish champion, James Polkinghorn and the Devonshire champion, Abraham Cann. The match took place at Morris Town, Devonport, in front of a crowd of 17,000. The two had fought each other many times but the result of this match has always been disputed though the best authorities pronounce it to have been a draw, perhaps a fair enough way to end a prolonged series. Twenty years later, Polkinghorn and Cann were to be sticklers at the national championships held in London, between another legendary Cornish wrestler, Thomas Gundry, and Chapple of Devon; which Gundry won. Cornish wrestling, in common with other ancient Celtic styles of wrestling such as Cumberland and Breton is a stand-up style with no mauling or holding on the ground, the object being to throw your opponent on to his back from the standing position. This stand-up style places the emphasis on skill rather than superior weight or strength. The wrestlers wear a jacket made of strong canvas material with short loose sleeves and tied across at the front by cords. This is strong enough to be pulled and twisted without tearing. The role of the jacket is of paramount importance as contestants are only permitted to grip on the jacket. You must not grip on your opponents flesh, though it is permitted to use the flat of the hand to manoeuvre and lift him. Use of hands is limited to above your opponent’s waist. The aim of wrestling in the Cornish style is to either back your opponent or to effect a win over him on points. A back is scored when a man has been thrown on his back so that at least three of his four pins hit the ground simultaneously. Pins are defined as the shoulders and the hips. A back will win a contest for a contestant and the bout is then over. If a back is not achieved during a contest the bout will be decided on points. Points are scored when a shoulder or hip hits the ground; one point for one pin down and two points for two pins down. If no points are scored during a contest a point will be awarded to the wrestler showing the most play. All throws must be made from the standing position and there must be no grappling on the ground. When any part of the body - other than the feet - touches the ground the hitch is broken and the wrestlers must shake hands and restart the contest. The handshake is a traditional formality that must take place before a contest begins, before each hitch and after the bout is over. In past times wrestling skills would have been passed on from father to son or friend to friend. However in the 1970s Brian Kendall, himself an experienced wrestler, published The Art of Cornish Wrestling in which he describes in words and pictures all the classical throws, holds and counter moves. This book has become the standard teaching manual and copies have been sold to many parts of the world; mostly where Cornish descendents are settled such as Australia, the USA and South Africa. Traditionally Cornish wrestling is practiced outdoors in any grassy area that is level and free from bumps, pits and any objects that could injure a wrestler. Today contestants are required to wrestle within a circle of 6 metres radius marked out on the ground with sand or saw dust. Outer rings of 8 and 9 metres radii delineate the area in which non- participants should not enter. Beyond the outer ring seating is provided for the spectators. Three sticklers, usually retired campaigners, who do indeed carry walking sticks, control wrestling contests. The job of the sticklers is to see fair play between the two contestants, decide which throw merits points or is a fair back or if a foul has been committed. Their decision is final and a two to one majority as to points or a back is sufficient to carry the day. If a contest goes to a points decision each card is individually totaled. In days gone by bouts could be very prolonged but now senior events are usually set for two ten minute rounds and, unless the bout has been ended by a back. Until comparatively recently each town and village had its own particular rules. In 1923, The Cornish Wrestling Association, which still exists to this day, was set up to establish formal contest rules as well as to promote and foster Cornish wrestling, co-ordinate fixtures and the registration of wrestlers and to promote and hold annual championships. There have been many fine Cornish wrestlers since the setting up of the CWA, probably the most notable of these being Francis Gregory. Considered by many to be the last of the great Cornish wrestlers, he was the youngest member of the squad that took part in a two-week long exhibition to promote Cornish wrestling at The London Palladium in the 1920s. He represented Cornwall as heavyweight champion against Brittany at the first seven Cornu-Breton tournaments, winning on every occasion - including victories over the famous Breton champions Scordia and Cadic. He later made his living as an all-in wrestler. Competitions had taken place between Cornish and Breton wrestlers over hundreds of years but in 1928 the first official Cornu-Breton Championships took place in Quimperle before a crowd of 10,000 spectators. Tournaments continued regularly up to the Second World War and intermittently afterwards until 1985. A mini Inter-Celtic tournament was held in Wadebridge, in 2004, with a return tournament in Plougras, Brittany last year. It is hoped to build on these events. No history of Cornish wrestling would be complete without mention of the famous wrestling families, the Chapmans, who dominated the scene during the 1930s and 1940s, the Hawkeys and the Warnes. Today the tradition of families of wrestlers continues with the Cawleys and the Frenches. With the decline of mining in Cornwall in the latter part of the 19th century, Cornish miners emigrated in large numbers. These men took with them the tradition of Cornish wrestling and tournaments soon became a feature of life in the mining areas of the USA, Australia and South Africa. However, change was in the air and the glory days of Cornish wrestling faded. In recent years Cornish wrestling has reached its lowest level of support with just a very small number of regular wrestlers. The sport has suffered from competition with better-promoted games, more glamorous martial art forms and also from a lack of funding. Amid warnings that the sport faced extinction unless greater interest could be generated, the CWA became affiliated to The British Wrestling Association in order to raise its profile and to benefit from the BWA s established strengths. Four members of the CWA have been trained as official Cornish wrestling coaches and their task is to establish training centres and attract and train the wrestlers of the future. As well as running championship events, the CWA arranges demonstrations at events such as the Royal Cornwall Show to raise public awareness of the sport. In addition to Brian Kendall’s The Art of Cornish Wrestling, would-be wrestlers can now buy a CWA-sponsored DVD or videotape called Cornish Wrestling to teach themselves the throws. Interest in Cornish wrestling is spreading beyond the boundaries of Cornwall and exponents of other forms of wrestling have discovered the discipline of Cornish wrestling and immersed themselves in this specialist art form. Competitors now travel hundreds of miles to take part in tournaments. The CWA is currently preparing a project to present to potential funding bodies in order that the sport can be promoted on a sound financial basis. The determination is there and with hard work and good fortune the sport will regain its former popularity and a facet of popular Cornish culture will be saved. A DVD called Cornish Wrestling is now available to promote Cornish wrestling from Cornish World at £7.50. For more information on Cornish wrestling training sessions, please call Susan Davy on 01209 820068. CORNISH WRASSLIN’ IN AUSTRALIA Between 1860 and 1890, tens of thousands of Cousin Jacks and Jennies migrated to mining centres such as Ballarat, Cobar, Broken Hill, Moonta and Kalgoorlie. Championships were held and inter-colonial challenges were arranged. Such was the case in 1890 when the Ballarat Champion met the Moonta Champion and fought in front of a crowd of 30,000. Although the names of these champions and the outcome have been lost to the ages, this certainly indicates that wrasslin’ was once a very significant event in Australian sporting history. Large purses were offered. In Kadina, in 1875, the host of the Prince of Wales Hotel donated a purse of £12 for a match; a significant sum in an era when the average monthly income was only £5. Why wrasslin’ became extinct in a sports-mad country such as Australia is a complex study. The influence of British culture was a major factor and sports such as rugby and cricket came to dominate Australian sporting life. Boxing came to be the major fighting spectacle in the 20th century and had a significant influence on the national psyche as a concept of unarmed combat. Competition pressures from other sports and the assimilation of Cornish culture within the mainstream of Aussie culture destroyed any enthusiasm for wrasslin’ and it died of natural attrition. However, all is not lost. Not long after emigrating to Australia in 1986, Colin Roberts soon connected with the Cornish Association of Victoria. A native of St Columb, Colin had strong wrasslin’ roots with his family long interested in the sport. His Uncle Bill and family were very involved with the Cornish Wrestling Association for many years and his Uncle Mike was one of only two champions at every weight division in the sport. Over in Australia, requests for lectures on Cornish wrestling soon led to requests for demonstrations of this long lost sport by the enthusiasts of Cornish culture and history. Soon Colin’s two boys were learning the art with great enthusiasm. An appearance on television while demonstrating at a Celtic folk festival encouraged others interested in Celtic styles of wrestling to come forward, requesting to be trained in the art. In 2000, the first National Cornish Wrestling Championship was held. Competitions have been held around Victoria and in South Australia ever since. However, it is fair to say that wrasslin’ is still very much a novelty sport with very little backing or structure although new enthusiasts continue to come forward. There are plans underway to obtain funding and bring the next generation of Cornish wrasslers forward. Educational sessions in schools and enquiries from members of the public suggest that there is a future for the sport in Australia. Colin’s dream is to obtain funding and visit Cornwall with a touring team to take on the Cornish at their own game, in what would be the first international Cornish Wrestling event. It could be the catalyst for a local revival of this exhilarating sport in the home of wrasslin’. Who knows, with some support and exposure we could bring on competitors from America, South Africa and other destinations of the Cornish diaspora, and take Wrasslin onto the world stage. Gavin Dickson October and Colin Roberts The Wrestler’s Oath Before tournaments, wrestlers line up and take the Wrestlers oath. War ow enor ha war enor ow bro, my a de mewled hep tratury na garowder, hag avel ol ow lelder my a ystyn ow luf dhe m contrary. Gans geryowow hendasow. Gwary whek yu gwary tek . (On my honour and the honour of my country, I swear to wrestle without treachery or brutality and in token of my sincerity I offer my hand to my opponent. In the words of my forefathers, good play is fair play.) Moves not permitted in Cornish wrestling include: Holding an opponent below the waist Striking with the foot above an opponents knee The cross collar (a choking action applied to the throat by crossing over the collars of the jacket and pulling tight ). The pressure of thumbs or knuckles on the throat. The crowbar (where the arm is passed inside an opponents jacket and is used as a lever across the throat ). Deliberately touching the ground with hand or knee to avoid being thrown. Gripping your opponent on wrists or fingers. Any play considered by the sticklers to be unfair. Foul or unfair moves will have marks charged against the transgressor and in extreme cases he will be disqualified. |