Photo by Xinhua Agency

The Mongols came from the plains of the north and northwest of China. In 1206 this nomadic group united around a tribal prince named Temujin who took the name Genghis Khan which means “universal ruler”. The Mongols had no settled homes and did not grow any crops. Their families lived in portable felt dwellings, called yurts or gers, which were made of thick woolen cloth stretched over a wooden frame. These nomad warriors moved from place to place, hunting wild animals for food and seeking fresh grass for their horses, sheep and cows. Everyone traveled on horseback - Mongol children were taught to ride by the time they were five years old. Mongol men and women valued warrior skills, such as toughness, bravery and strength.
During long military campaigns when men were out women took care of homes and land, so they had to know how to fight, with weapon or without it. The Venetian merchant Marco Polo describes a Mongol princess named Ai-Yaruk, or “Bright Moon,” (she is known as Khutulun *) who refused to get married until she met a man that could throw her. It is likely that during his travels Polo really did see some Mongol women wrestling. Mongol wrestling is jacket wrestling and the ulterior motive is to gain reputation and / or property. Princess Ai-Yaruk, for instance, reportedly won thousands of horses during her bouts with luckless suitors.

Wrestling in the modern Inner Mongolia territory has a history of nearly 2,000 years. On the bronze plates unearthed from the ruins of the Hun of the early Han Dynasty, there are even motifs featuring wrestling. Originally, Mongolian wrestling Bokh was very much focused on its nature as a military sport, mainly for strength, stamina and skills training. The Yuan-Dynasty Emperors were keen supporters of the wrestling sport. Whenever there were important feasts, wrestlers were invited to add to the fun. And wrestling was a key item for deciding the candidate rankings in imperial martial exams. Outstanding wrestlers were entitled to high distinctions.

In old times, any wresting event included a female round. Till the 14th century there were also Mongol women warrior wrestlers such as Khutulun. Ancient Mongols thought that strong, healthy, fully productive and developed women are essential to maintain the nation. Then this practice ceased, probably due to Buddhism influence. While in Mongolia women stopped wrestling long ago, in Chinese Inner Mongolia they managed to preserve the sport. Currently, the biggest wrestling events in Inner Mongolia occur during the Naadam Fair (“Game Fair”), a festival of Mongolian ethnic group. Naadam Fair is the most important holiday of Mongolians. Nowadays, hundreds of female wrestlers come together at this annual folk festival held on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia - to pit their skills and strength against each other and to amuse numerous spectators.

Mongolian wrestling style Bokh (“strength, solidarity and durability” in Mongolian), which remains extremely popular until now, was born in the 11th centuryю This style consists of two sub-styles: Khalkas style Bohiin Barildaan, popular in the state of Mongolia and Bukh Barildah popular in the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia.

In fact, Bukh Barildah is a form of the traditional Mongolian wrestling Bokh (Bukh), extremely popular across Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in China, among local ethnic groups - Mongols and Buryats. Some other ethnic groups call this wrestling style differently: Validi, Tali, etc.

The technical rules in the Mongolian version and what is found in Inner Mongolia have some divergence. In both versions a variety of throws, trips and lifts are employed to topple the opponent. Wrestlers use specific technique - grabbing by a jacket (“jodag”) which is mandatory for wrestlers. The Inner Mongolians may not touch their opponent’s legs with their hands, whereas, in Mongolia, grabbing your opponent’s legs is legal. In addition, striking, strangling or locking is illegal in both varieties.

The wrestler's outfit is also different in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia itself. Wrestlers of the state of Mongolia wear a tight heavy-duty short-sleeved jacket “jodag” of red or blue color. Traditionally made of wool, modern wrestlers have changed to looser materials such as cotton and silk. Wrestlers in Mongolia must have the front open, but tied at the back with a simple string knot, thus exposing the wrestler's chest. According to a legend, on one occasion a wrestler defeated all other combatants and ripped open the jodag to reveal her breasts, showing to all she was a woman. From that day, the jodag had to reveal the wrestler's chest. In the state of Mongolia, wrestlers wear small tight-fitting briefs made of red and blue colored cotton cloth (“shuudag”) covering thighs and exposing the belly. In Inner Mongolia exposing chest is not mandatory (which suits women); wrestler's attire consists of leather jacket (“tseezhne”) lined with silver or copper circular plates, multicolored belts and loose trousers (“shalbyr”). Wrestlers of both styles wear leather boots with slightly upturned toes (“gutal”). Wrestlers who have gained considerable renown through contests may also wear a jangga, a necklace decorated with strands of colorful silk ribbons. Depending on the numbers of victories, wrestlers are awarded lifelong titles: Avraga (Giant), Arslan (Lion), Zaan (Elephant), etc.

Nowadays, wrestling is very popular in Inner Mongolia - among both men and women. Competitions are held in a simple and solemn manner. The number of participants in a wrestling match must be the power of 2, such as 32, 64, 128, etc. When the match begins, wrestlers wave their strong arms and dance into the site by imitating the movements of lions, deer and eagles. While women in the state of Mongolia do not participate in wrestling contests unless for tourist amusement, in Inner Mongolia their participation is on a large scale.

Bukh Barildah matches are typically conducted outdoors, except during extremely cold winters, when it is held indoors. Mongolian wrestlers are not paired by size or weight, and there’s no time limit for the match. A wrestler loses if and when he touches the ground with any part above his knees. The sport of wrestling requires good coordination between waist and leg movements. A wrestler is expected to fully display his strength and skills in the match.

The legendary grappling skills of Mongolian wrestlers have influenced Chinese Kung Fu practitioners and Russian Sambo.Sources

We present to our readers a translation of a text from a video made by a Japanese journalist and judo fan after the Grand Slam Tokyo 2013.This is a kind of reportage about how the Japanese Ono - a former judoka himself - came to Mongolia in order to find out what the secret of success is. Mongolian athletes. In recent years, judokas from Mongolia have amazed the whole world with an unexpected phenomenal increase in their level. The Japanese, as "legislators" and the forefathers of this and other martial arts, are simply puzzled by this. And one of them, sports journalist and judoka Ono, decided to find out for himself what is happening in Mongolia, why this country began to give the world invincible judo fighters ...

From the translator: As an author and translator, I want to add something about this. Once upon a time, the great man Oyama Masutatsu also thought the same way as this Ono and sought the roots of Karate in the Mongolian wrestling. The great Masutatsu Oyama said: "... Karate and sumo have the same roots. As a child, in Manchuria, I saw Mongolian wrestling competitions several times (it is similar to sumo wrestling). The movements of powerful wrestlers, their captures and sweeps, clearly showed that the roots of the Mongol wrestling in the ancient Chinese fistfight, from which karate comes from. Mongolian wrestling appeared in Japan during the Nara era. You can now read about this in the chronicle "Nippon seki" ... ". Sosorbaramyn Maidar, Mongolia.

Below you can see my story about how the Japanese Ono searches for the “secrets of Mongolian judo” in this video:

This is the 2013 Tokyo Grand Slam. In the hall is Marius Weiser (President International Federation judo - ARD). Japanese sports journalist Ono asks him only one question.

- What do you think, judokas of which countries are the strongest?

Judo has become a world sport. In many countries, the level of athletes is increasing from year to year. But today the best are from Mongolia.

The country he named first is Mongolia. And athletes from other countries agreed with his opinion:

About two years ago, the Mongols suddenly became stronger. They wrestle in a low position, like in freestyle wrestling.

Mongols are distinguished by their physical strength, they are powerful fighters. Many of them are still young, but they should not be underestimated.

The best fighters of other countries are shocked. Because the abilities of the Mongols are growing rapidly. This year they beat the Japanese and the Russians at the World Cup and won 68 medals. And at the Grand Slam of Tokyo, the Mongols gave four Japanese people a bitter experience ...

Trying to understand what is the source of the success of Mongolian athletes, this Japanese guy, Ono, specially came to the cold Ulaanbaatar.

Hello! Oh, it's really cold! In such difficult conditions as they train ... interesting. Recently, their fighting techniques have improved. Even in a direct fight, the level has grown a lot. As if they have something that the Japanese can never master. Therefore, I came myself, to find out at least something about this.

Ono arrived at the Central House of Sports in Ulaanbaatar directly from the airport.

It says "Judo" here.

So this is where Mongolian athletes train.

Oh, Big hall... And it's warm. It smells like it should smell in a judo hall.

Mongolian judokas are trained here. And they improve their performance here too. Every day, morning and evening, they train for two hours. But the most needed room is not in very good condition. Even the floor is not in proper condition. But the best athletes come out of this hall!

They are different from the Japanese judokas, who in Japan meet each other several times a year. Here the Mongolian judokas all gather under one roof. For example, this year's world champion Mөnkhbatyn Uranchimeg, silver medalist among men 60 kg Dashdavaagiin Amartүvshin are also here.

And the one that showed the level of Mongolian judo to the whole world at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing is the pride of his homeland, this guy, Naydangiin Tuvshinbayar. Then best athlete Japan, Suzuki Cage, lost to him. And Tuvshinbayar won the first Olympic gold medal for Mongolia.

Naydangiin Tuvshinbayar (in white kimono) is an Olympic champion in judo from Mongolia.

Thanks to the Tүvshinbayar gold medal, the number of judokas in Mongolia has increased dramatically. Only in the last five years - 10 times. Now judo in Mongolia is the number one sport, people of any age are interested in it. “I dream of getting gold at the Olympics,” “I want to become a famous judoka,” they say.

When there are many competitors, the level rises. But even so, judo is not an easy game, not everyone can fight on the Olympic tatami. Maybe this is the secret of training the Mongols? How did Mongolian judokas appear in Ono's eyes?

In Japan, athletes learn one technique that is convenient for themselves - thanks to which they are used to winning. And the Mongols can capture from anywhere and fight using different techniques. You think he fell - but he gets up and attacks again. Fight hard. Until they touch the tatami with their backs, they will fight to the last. This is their strength.

World Judo Champion in 2014 - Mankhbatyn Uranchimeg (in a white kimono).

Yes, exactly as Ono said - the Mongols will fight to the last, if their back does not touch the tatami. They also love to fight in close combat. They are different from Japanese judokas.

The Japanese first like to take a good position, and then they already think about winning or collect points. Why do the Mongols fight in this style? Ono decided to ask the coach.

The peculiarity of Mongolian judo is that we use the techniques of the Mongolian national "bukh barildaan". Most often, Mongolian top judokas first practiced the Mongolian national wrestling. This means that buh barildaan has the techniques and strength training needed for judo.

There are many similarities in Mongolian national wrestling and judo. But how are these two types of struggle related? Ono went to the training hall for the Mongolian national wrestling.

The first fights are like judo. Pulling underfoot is very similar. In the Mongolian national struggle, if your elbows, knees and back touch the floor or the ground, then you have lost. Not like on the tatami - there are no push techniques.

This is not like sumo, but judo. The Japanese asks those athletes who are engaged in both Mongolian wrestling and judo:

- Are there any techniques in Mongolian wrestling that can be used in judo?

Of course have. For example - somersault ...

Ono noticed what interested him.

- In Mongolian wrestling, there are no throws? And they don't like to attack from below to grab a leg?

We cannot use this here. Otherwise, the elbows touch the ground. And that means losing.

- You have strong legs. This helps not to fall.

- Understood. Many thanks.

Master Masutatsu Oyama was also looking for a “new breath” for karate - in Mongolia. Photo karate-wko.ru

reference

Masutatsu Oyama (Japanese 大 山 倍 達 O: Yama Masutatsu?), 1923-1994) - an outstanding master and teacher of karate, one of the most famous representatives of martial arts, owner of 10 dan, creator of the Kyokushin style, popularizer of karate in Japan and other countries, author of a large number of popular books about karate, organizer of national and world sporting events in karate. Having founded his own style, which quickly gained the fame of "the strongest karate", Oyama created and until his death in 1994 headed An international organization Kyokushinkai (IKO), which has several million members around the world.

In nomadic communities, where 30% of the population of Inner Mongolia lives, the ancient art of special wrestling, beh barildaan, has been preserved. This sport symbolizes high status, and for many men in the country, it becomes the main part of life - therefore, when a boy is born in a family, relatives pray that he becomes a fighter. Photographer Ken Hermann and art director Gemma Fletcher went to the steppe and captured Mongolian wrestlers for the Beh project.

I publish interesting travel stories about places I have not yet managed to get to myself. A joint heading with BigPicture.ru is published daily

1 According to the photographer, he is fascinated by Mongolia and has long wanted to go there: “When I found out about these wrestlers, I realized that this was the perfect excuse to travel. Gemma and I worked together on several projects, and a pretty good team came out of us. She is very creative, and I am technically savvy, these qualities complement each other well "

3 “We got to know our heroes a little, and one feature stands out in them - the movement between the past and the present. They are passionately devoted to the centuries-old tradition of wrestling and at the same time are interested in modern fashion and culture, although they live far from cities, without free access to the Internet. "

4 "The wrestlers move as if they were performing a dance, and their every gesture is carefully planned."

5 Even Genghis Khan forced his fighters to do physical exercises so that they are always ready for battle.

6 In the Mongolian wrestling, the fight takes place in open space, each wrestler has his own "second" - zasuul. The second protects the interests of the ward before the judges, monitors the fight, encourages the wrestler, holds his hat, and in case of victory raises his right hand up.

7 When the wrestlers enter the field, they reproduce the flight of the mythical bird Garuda: they wave their arms, squat, pat themselves on the thighs.

There are no weight categories in this fight. Previously, there were no time limits, but now they have been added.

9 The winner is the one who first touches the ground with any part of the body except the soles of the feet and hands. After the fight, he must pass under the winner's raised right hand as a sign that he admits defeat. The winner performs the traditional eagle dance.

10 More than 400 techniques are used in Mongolian wrestling. Trips are permitted, but tripping is prohibited.

11 Opponents wrestle in special costumes: they include national boots with curved toes - "Mongol gutal", shorts - "Shuudag", a shirt with an open chest - "zodog" and a headdress with the image of the "knot of happiness" - "ulziy".

12 In Mongolia, there is a legend about why wrestlers wear open shirts. As if once upon a time an invincible hero appeared in the steppe, who had no equal. The hero defeated all the strongest fighters, and then it turned out that he was not him at all, but a woman. Then one old man suggested wrestling in shorts and with open breasts - so that women "would not meddle in men's affairs."

13 From 11 to 13 July, the country hosts a national sports holiday - Nadom; from 512 to 1024 people participate in wrestling competitions. For nine or ten rounds, they fight in pairs, for elimination. For victories, special titles are awarded: "nach" ("falcon") - for a victory in five rounds, "kharzag" ("hawk") - for a victory in six rounds, "zaan" ("elephant") - for a victory in seven rounds , “Garuda” (“sacred bird”) - for winning in eight rounds. The winner in nine rounds is called "arslan" ("lion"), and in ten, when 1024 wrestlers are fighting, - "avraga" ("giant").

14 Since 2002, wrestling competitions have been held according to new rules: the time of the fight is limited, monetary penalties have appeared, bonuses for each victory have increased, the judges began to take into account the discipline and level of preparation of the wrestlers for the competition. If earlier titled wrestlers named their opponents themselves, now the commission is engaged in this.

15 The mass hobby for wrestling helps the development of other sports as well: classical and freestyle wrestling, sambo, judo, sumo.

16 Out of 69 yokozun, as they call greatest fighters Sumo, there are four non-Japanese in total, and two of them are Mongols.

The fight of the Buryats during the holidays. 1904 postcard (based on the first photograph of the Buryat struggle)

The first mention of wrestling occurs in "The Secret History of the Mongols"(): "Once at a feast Genghis Khan offered to fight Buri-Buke with Balgudey. "
Wrestling competitions were an integral part of the Buryat folk holidays Tailgan, sagaalgan and others, were part of wedding ceremony... The wrestlers' competitions reached a special scope at traditional games eryn gurban naadan(three games of husbands), which were arranged during various holidays and significant events. Beyond the fight bүhe barildaan, the participants competed in the races - mori urildaan and archery - surkharbaan (һүr harbalga) .
Grand Duke Nikolai Alexandrovich, future emperor Nicholas II as heir to the throne visited in June 1891 Transbaikal region and met with representatives of the Agin Buryats on the river Tour where traditional games were held in honor of the crown prince eryn gurban naadan ... This event is captured in the photo, which became the first photo of the Buryat struggle.

rules

A variety of techniques are used in the fight, various techniques as with grabs and without grips.
Mongolian wrestling has its own rituals, rules and specific features: before, fights were not limited in time (now time restrictions have been introduced), no weight categories, the fight takes place in an open space, the defeated one is the one who first touches the ground with any part of the body, except the soles of the feet and hands, each wrestler has his own second - "zasuul", after the fight, the defeated must pass under the winner's raised right hand as a sign that that he admits his defeat. The winner performs the traditional eagle dance.

Rank

On a national holiday - Nadome from 11 to 13 July, 512 to 1024 wrestlers are fighting. They fight in pairs, for elimination. Accordingly, there are from 9 to 10 rounds - "davaa". Depending on the passage of "davaa", special honorary titles are awarded:

Costume

The wrestlers are dressed in a special wrestling costume: national boots with bent toes - "Mongol gutal", short shorts - "Shuudag" and a kind of short shirt-vest with an open chest - "zodog".
V bukhe-barildaan(Buryat wrestling) before the fight, the wrestlers took off their clothes and wrestled barefoot in trousers with trousers rolled up on their hips. Such clothes are described in sources and are typical for