Two athletes enter the arena. They have powerful torsos and huge fists. Even in appearance, one can say that they are real heroes. Each of them has a bronze helmet on their heads, and thick bandages cover their ears to protect them from blows. The fighters do not have leather boxing gloves, but their arms are braided up to the elbows with belts made of thick bovine leather. There are hard knots and even lead plates on the belts. This makes the blows especially dangerous.
The fight could be fought until one of the rivals falls dead or admits himself defeated. Usually, the fighters did not retreat in front of each other and did not defend themselves: it was believed that it was unworthy of a man to evade blows. Defeat in battle was considered a shame. Therefore, the Spartans, who participated in all other competitions, never took part in fist fights. It was not always possible to count on victory, and the debt of honor did not allow the Spartan to admit he was defeated.
For many hours in a row, the soldiers stood under the scorching sun, exchanging blows. Any such blow could have knocked down a bull. But the athletes seemed to be petrified, they do not even show that they are in pain, that their consciousness is about to leave them. Victory often depended on the composure and fortitude of the fighter.
Almost not a single fist fight in Olympia ended well. The victors and the vanquished left the arena in bruises and bruises, with folded jaws and broken ribs.
Here is an epigram dedicated to the famous fist fighter of the time, Stratophone:
“Odysseus, when he returned after twenty years of absence to the fatherland, was recognized by his dog Argos. You, Stratophone, after four hours of fistfighting become unrecognizable not only for dogs, but for the whole city. And if you thought to look in the mirror, you would have cried out: "No, I'm not a Stratophone!"
The most famous fist fighters in ancient times were the strongmen from the city of Crotona. Thirteen winners have emerged from this city located in southern Italy Olympic Games... No wonder they said that the last of the Crotons is equal to the first among the other Greeks.
Milon of Crotonsky was especially famous for his strength - sixfold Olympic winner... He could, for example, take an apple in his palm, and “and one strong man could not open his fingers, despite the fact that he held the apple so gently that it remained intact. When Milo stood on the stone disc, there was no person who could move him, although the disc was oiled.
At that time, there was a custom: a statue was erected to the winners of the Olympic Games. They say that when the statue of Milo-on of Crotonsky was cast from bronze, the athlete himself put it on his shoulders, brought it to Altis and installed it on a pedestal.
Only one person could argue with Milo by force. It was the Thessalian Polydamus. He was also given a statue at Olympia, and his exploits were depicted on the bas-reliefs.
Somehow the Persian king Darius heard about the extraordinary power of Polydamas. He sent an embassy to Greece, which he ordered to bring the strong man to his palace. Polydamus came to Asia and there, in front of the king's eyes, one after another, he defeated the three most powerful giants from the army of Darius in a fist fight.
Famous people also took part in wrestling competitions and fist fights. the ancient world- scientists, writers. The famous philosopher Plato won the fight more than once. The great mathematician of antiquity Pythagoras, before becoming famous for his famous theorem, received recognition from his compatriots for courage and fortitude in fist fights.
The spectators filling the stadium at Olympia are not; have witnessed interesting spectacles. Wrestling and fistfights gave way to pankration. This was the name of the duel in which the techniques of wrestling and fist fighting were used. In its cruelty, pankration even surpassed fistfights. The victory in pankration was considered difficult, but the most honorable. But especially great honors were enjoyed by athletes who managed to win two victories at once: in a fist fight and in pankration. There were only a few such people in the history of the Olympic Games. Their names were entered into special lists and glorified throughout Greece.
One of the most famous fist fighters was the strong man Diagoras from Rhodes. In 464 BC, he was crowned with the victor's olive wreath. Diagora's three sons and two grandchildren have also won Olympic Games more than once.
When Diagoras was a deep old man, his sons again became famous for victories in fist fights and pankration. In the midst of the celebration, they went up to their father, crowned his gray head with palm branches and, lifting him on their shoulders, carried him through the parting crowd.
People shouted enthusiastically:
- Die, Diagoras, die! For you have nothing more to desire, unless you ascend to the gods on Olympus during your lifetime.
And the heart of the old athlete could not stand it: Diagoras died of happiness.
People who differ from the majority inevitably attract the attention of others, especially if they stand out physical strength.
Bogatyrs have always been held in high esteem by all peoples: defenders of their native land, fighters for truth, warriors of good. And the root of this word in Russian hints at a gift from above, from God.
HANS STEIER (Bavaria, 1849-1906), standing on two chairs, raised 16 pounds with his middle finger (threaded into a ring). His "live horizontal bar" was a success with the audience: with his straight arms, Steyer held a 70-pound barbell (31.7 kg) in front of him, on the bar of which he did gymnastic exercises his son, who weighed 90 pounds (40.8 kg).
Steyer was famous for his eccentricity. His cane weighed 40 pounds (18 kg), the snuff box, which he held in the palm of his hand, weighed 100 pounds (45 kg). Sometimes he put a top hat weighing 75 pounds (34 kg) on his head and, when he came to a cafe, left it on the table, then asked the waiter to bring his top hat (Recall: 1 pound Russian = 409 g; commercial pound = 453 g; 1 pood = 16.38 kg).
At the beginning of the 17th century, the athlete TOM TOFAN was very popular in England. Of medium height, proportionally folded, he easily tore stones weighing up to 24 pounds (393 kg) off the ground with his hands, tied an iron poker around his neck like a scarf, and in 1741, in a square crowded with spectators, lifted it with the help of shoulder straps. three barrels of water weighing 50 poods (819 kg).
In 1893, a competition for the title of "world champion in weight lifting" was held in New York. The strongest athletes of that time came to the competition. Louis Cyr came from Canada, and Evgeny Sandov came from Europe. American James Walter Kennedy twice lifted an iron core weighing 36 pounds 24.5 pounds (almost 601 kg), tearing it off the platform by 4 inches. None of the athletes could repeat this number. Set record turned out to be fatal for the 33-year-old athlete: he strained himself and after that was forced to perform only with a demonstration of muscles. The athlete died at 34.
SERGEY ELISEEV
The world record holder, Russian athlete Sergey Eliseev, took a 61 kg kettlebell in his right hand, lifted it up, then slowly lowered it on a straight arm to the side and held his hand with the kettlebell in a horizontal position for several seconds. Three times in a row he pulled out two loose two-pound weights with one hand.
IVAN PODDUBNY
Ivan Maksimovich Poddubny ("champion of champions", 1871-1949) had great physical strength. They say that on one outstretched arm, he could hold three people. Without training specifically in athletic numbers, he lifted the biceps - cleanly, without chitting - 120 kg! His wrestling career was very long - at 66 he was still on the carpet. Despite the fact that he met with the strongest wrestlers of his time, he died without ever having been on the shoulder blades. Total weight received medals - over 2 poods.
The huge success of the Estonian strongman world champion Georg Lurich was brought not only by records, but also by the harmony and beauty of the physique. He has posed more than once for such sculptors as Rodin and Adamson. The sculpture of the latter "Champion" won the first prize at the 1904 World Exhibition in America.
In the arena, Lurich showed the following numbers: standing on the wrestling bridge, he supported four men, and at that time he was holding a barbell of 7 pounds. He held five people on one hand, held two camels with his hands, pulling in opposite directions. He lifted a 105 kg barbell with his right hand and, holding it up, took a 34 kg weight from the floor with his left hand and lifted it up.
IVAN MIKHAILOVICH ZAIKIN (1880-1949)
The famous Russian athlete, wrestler, one of the first Russian pilots. Zaikin's athletic numbers caused a sensation. Foreign newspapers wrote: "Zaikin is the Chaliapin of Russian muscles." In 1908 Zaikin toured Paris. After the athlete's performance in front of the circus on a special platform, the chains broken by Zaikin, an iron beam bent on his shoulders, "bracelets" and "ties" tied by him from strip iron were displayed on a special platform. Some of these exhibits were acquired by the Parisian Cabinet of Curiosities and were displayed along with other curiosities. Zaikin carried a 25-pound anchor on his shoulders, lifted a long barbell on his shoulders, on which ten people sat, and began to rotate it ("live carousel"), an I-beam was bent on his shoulders.
GRIGORY KASHCHEEV
This man was of tremendous strength. Almost a fathom height (218 cm), Kashcheev, if he were a foreigner, would earn a lot of money, surpassing all foreign giants in power. In 1906, he met world-class wrestlers for the first time. He made friends with Zaikin, who helped him get to big arena... Soon Kashcheev put all the eminent strongmen on his shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Poddubny and Zaikin, he went to Paris for the World Championship. Our heroes returned to their homeland with victory. It seemed that Kashcheev's real wrestling career had begun, but he still gave up everything and returned to his village.
IVAN SHEMYAKIN (1877-1952)
In 1905, huge posters were displayed on the streets of Paris announcing that "The terrible Russian Cossack Shemyakin lifts six Japanese with one hand." The posters were wrong about one thing: although Ivan was dressed in a Cossack costume, he did not belong to this brave tribe. Actually, this was his first overseas tour, and it was a triumph. For several evenings in a row, along with athletic numbers, he demonstrated a power trick on a topical topic (after all, the Russian-Japanese war was in full swing), with one hand he lifted six uniformists dressed in Japanese suits.
Louis Cyr - The American Miracle, (1863-1912).
This strongest man on the American continent was striking in his size. With a height of 176 cm, he weighed 133 kg, chest volume 147 cm, biceps 55 cm. Curious is the case of 22-year-old Louis in Montreal, where he served as a policeman: once he brought two hooligans to the police station, holding them under his arms. After this incident, at the insistence of friends, he began to develop strength and perform with athletic numbers, in which he did not know competitors for a long time. He lifted 26 pounds (425.8 kg) to his knees with one hand, lifted a platform with 14 adult men on his shoulders. He held in front of him on outstretched arm for 5 seconds a weight of 143 pounds (64.8 kg).
FRENCH ATHLETE APOLLO (Louis Yuni) lifted five weights of 20 kg each with one hand. He lifted a barbell weighing 165 kg with a bar, 5 cm thick.Only 20 years after Apollo this bar (axle from the trolley) was able to lift the champion of the 1924 Olympic Games Charles Rigulo, who, by the way, holds the world record in snatch with his right hand - 116 kg ... In the famous "release from the cage" trick, Apollo pushed the thick rods apart with his hands and left the cage.
EVGENY SANDOV
Evgeny Sandov (Frederick Miller, 1867-1925) enjoyed immense popularity among the British. He was called "the magician of the pose" and "the strongest man". Weighing no more than 80 kg, he set a world record by squeezing 101.5 kg with one hand. I did a back somersault, holding 1.5 poods in each hand. Within four minutes, he could do 200 push-ups on his hands. In 1911, King George V of England awarded Sandow the title of professor of physical development.
A golden statuette depicting Sandova was presented to the winner
athletic competition in 1901 (now it is awarded to the winner of the "Mr. Olympia"). In 1930, one of his many books, "Bodybuilding", was published, giving the sport its name in all English-speaking countries.
ALEXANDER IVANOVICH ZASS
Russian athlete, better known as Samson, or Iron Samson.
Some of his accomplishments include:
Suspended from a crane with one foot, he held a metal beam with his teeth while he was moved to the top of the building with a crane. A 300-kg horse carried about half a kilometer. He carried the piano with the pianist and dancer on the lid. Lying with his bare back on a board studded with nails, he held a 500 kg stone on his chest, on which those who wished from the public beat them with sledgehammers. Passing the shin of one leg through the loop of the rope, fixed under the dome of the circus, he held in his teeth a platform with a piano and a pianist. I caught with my hands a 9-kilogram cannon that flew out of the circus cannon from 8 m. I tore it off the floor and held in my teeth a metal beam with assistants sitting at its ends. In the famous amusement ride "Projectile Man" I caught with my hands an assistant flying out of a circus cannon and describing a 12-meter trajectory over the arena. Tore apart the links of the chains with my fingers; hammering nails into 3-inch boards with his bare palm, and then pulling them out, grabbing the cap with his index finger.
GEORG GAKKENSHMIDT ("Russian Lion") - world champion in wrestling and world record holder in weightlifting, squeezed a barbell weighing 122 kg with one hand. He took 41 kg dumbbells in each hand and spread his straight arms horizontally to the sides. He squeezed a barbell weighing 145 kg on the wrestling bridge. With his arms crossed on his back, Gaak lifted 86 kg from a deep squat. Today this exercise is known as "gaak-exercise" or simply "gaak". Already 82, Gackenschmidt jumped over the rope stretched over the backs of two chairs, pushing off the floor with both legs at the same time.
JAKUBA CHEKHOVSKAYA
In 1913, at weightlifting competitions in Petrograd, in the former Mikhailovsky arena, athlete Yakub Chekhovskoy demonstrated a sensational power trick - he carried six soldiers of the Guards regiment in a circle on one arm, for which he was awarded an honorary "golden belt". This record number has not yet been repeated by any athlete in the world. Chekhovskoy himself demonstrated it constantly in his speeches. Other numbers of the athlete are no less surprising. Making the "bridge", Yakub Chekhovskoy was carrying ten people. A platform was installed on his chest, which housed a brass band of 30 musicians. On the shoulders of the athlete, 40 people bent an I-beam. 3 trucks with the public were driving through his chest. During his service in the hussar regiment he carried a horse weighing 400 kg on his shoulders.
PETER KRYLOV ("The King of Weights").
One of the strongest athletes at the beginning of our century. His love for the circus made him change the profession of navigator of the merchant marine to the profession of an athlete. The path of a young strong man was not easy. At first, he performed in booths, traveled to fairs in provincial cities, where several times a day not only showed athletic performances, but also wrestled on belts with amateurs from the public. Soon the name of Krylov becomes famous - he begins to perform in large circuses, where his performances are very popular. Along with the demonstration of power tricks, Krylov performed in French wrestling championships and won prizes, and in competitions for the best athletic figure he invariably received first prizes.
Peter Krylov has set several world records. In the "wrestling bridge" position, he squeezed 134 kg with both hands, 114.6 kg with his left hand. Press in a soldier's stance with the left hand of a two-pound kettlebell - 86 times in a row. He created a number of athletic numbers that have become widespread: bending the rail on the shoulders, driving a car over the body of an athlete. Was a passionate propagandist physical culture... He lectured on athletic sports.
NIKOLAY VAKHTUROV
Nizhny Novgorod hero.
"Nikolai Vakhturov! - and from the" parade ", smiling affectionately, the colossal figure of the Nizhny Novgorod hero appears ponderously. A reckless Russian fighter who breaks everyone who falls into his arms. Even a very restrained parterre bursts into applause, which turns into a real storm in the gallery, "wrote the Hercules magazine (1913) about him.
Sometimes Vakhturov demonstrated power tricks: he unbend horseshoes, carried a load weighing 24 pounds, and threw a two-pound weight over a railway carriage.
This is how the world champion, student of Ivan Poddubny, Nikolai Vakhturov, entered the history of Russian sports.
WILLIAMS MOHOR-ZNAMENSKY (Alexander Znamensky, 1877-1928), Moscow.
A professional circus athlete, performed record power numbers: he did somersaults with two-pudoviks in each hand, carried a grand piano with a taper on his back, held a platform with an orchestra on his chest, pressed 132 kg from a wrestling bridge, squeezed two two-pudoviks with his right hand, placing them one on top of the other. Contained a paid arena. He had an attractive appearance and a powerful figure: height 170 cm, weight 88 kg, rib cage 118cm, waist 82cm, neck 46, biceps 43, calves 40, thigh 61cm.
VLADISLAV PYTLYASINSKY (1863-1933), Petersburg, Warsaw.
A pupil of Kraevsky, he himself became a professional trainer - in 1898 he opened a paid athletic school in St. Petersburg, and in 1911 - in Odessa. Successfully performed in international championships wrestlers and athletes. He achieved high results for those times: he squeezed 98 kg with his right hand, pushed with two 115 kg without tying, pulled out two two-pound kettlebells with one hand, squatted with a weight of 175 kg. His measurements in 1903: height 184 cm, weight 105 kg, biceps 44 cm, neck 46, chest 128, thigh 69, calves 44 cm.
In 1807, in a battle with the Turks, Captain D.A. Lukin, nicknamed "Russian Hercules" in the Navy. Eyewitnesses describe his victory with 12 sailors over a crowd of several hundred people. He easily broke horseshoes, could hold pood kernels in outstretched hands, and pressed nails into the wall with his finger.
"Petersburg leaf" dated July 3, 1893, wrote about a certain Ivan Chekunov, who, in the presence of a crowd of people, freely lifted an anvil weighing 35 poods (560 kg).
Even then, fighters were known who won considerable fame in the German-speaking lands. One of these famous wrestlers was Master Ott. For outstanding services he was invited to his court by one of the Austrian margraves, and later he became an adviser to the German emperor Frederick II, who ruled from 1212 to 1250. Master Ott wrote the first manual on wrestling in Europe, in which wrestling techniques were presented separately from fencing ... More than a hundred years later (in 1388), a similar work by the master Hans Lichtenauer (13088) appeared.
Unfortunately, both of these books have not survived. We know about them from the "Fencing Book" by Hans Talgoffer (1443), who set out in detail the views of his predecessors and reprinted their illustrations. Analyzing Talgoffer's book, sports historian M.N. Lukashev writes: “The section“ Wrestling Art of Master Ott ”is very interesting for us. Like any other master of those times, Ott was undoubtedly good swordsman... However, it seems that he was reputed to be the most skillful in unarmed wrestling. The fighting technique was then very tough. In fact, any of her techniques could be used both in competitions and in battle.
The most popular wrestling was among the townspeople, especially the Germans. Competitions of burghers included fencing on different types weapons, archery, throwing stones, cross-country running, jumping over obstacles and, of course, wrestling! The rules of competitive wrestling were determined by the nature of the real fight. So, the one who fell to the ground was always recognized as defeated. The winner was considered the one who threw the opponent to the ground (and not necessarily on the shoulder blades) or made him refuse to continue the fight with a painful technique. Wrestling on the ground was excluded, but punches and kicks, including on the joints, were allowed. In a word, the same techniques were allowed as in a fencing duel.
In Talgoffer's "Fencing Book" there are 35 sheets of engravings showing the technique of performing painful holds, throws, as well as defenses against both. Painful techniques on the joints of the hands there are four options. This is the lever of the hand by pinching it in your elbow; bend your arms behind your back; eversion of the forearm during outside in the capture by the "knot". And also the lever of the elbow up in several varieties: on your arm, on your shoulder, when you grab the opponent's arm under the armpit. When it comes to shots, this is primarily the rear and front footpegs. Then there are two variants of the "mill", differing in the type of grip and the position of the opponent's body on the shoulders of the one who holds the reception. Also shown are throws with a grasp of the opponent's hands with one leg, a "mill" from the knee, strangulation with the elbow and stumbling to the ground. There is also a backward throw through oneself, with a leg resting on the opponent's groin, as well as a grip throw for both legs in front. Among the exemptions from grips there is such a technique as resting the palm on the chin.
Some techniques stand out for their exoticism ... If you wish, you can find flaws in other techniques. So, the grips used are not always appropriate. The most rational options have not yet been found pain levers on the joints. Compared to modern technical level a lot of struggle seems just naive. However, everything that is depicted and described in Talgoffer's book is by no means an invention of an idle mind. It accurately reflects the wrestling technique that was really used in that era. "
Following the works of Talgoffer, who, by the way, published the second edition of his book in 1459 and the third in 1467, the works of other authors began to appear. So, in 1511, in his own printing house in the city of Landegut (Lower Bavaria), a certain Hans Wurm published his book entitled "Struggle".
The "Book of Fencing" (Das Fechtbuch) by Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), the great German painter and graphic artist, the founder of the art of the German Renaissance, is also very interesting. This book, which exists in a single copy, was discovered more than two hundred years ago by Johann Büsching, a professor at the University of Breslau. Today it is kept in the Vienna National Museum. The book consists of 35 sheets with drawings (lightly painted over with watercolors) on both sides. Wrestling techniques are presented in it in 120 drawings, fencing techniques - in 80.
Dürer created this book in 1512, that is, a year after the book of Hans Wurm. The great German artist was able not only to paint, but also to wrestle and fence, he even successfully participated in competitions. When the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Maximilian I saw how skillful the artist was in duels, he invited Durer to capture on paper all the techniques of wrestling and fencing known to him. However, the technique of wrestling in Dürer's drawings is no different from that presented in the books of Talgoffer and Wurm. The same twisting of the arms, punches and kicks, painful effects on the joints, footrests and throws. Only the drawings are much better in quality.
27 years after Dürer's "fencing book" appeared the famous work "The Art of Wrestling. 85 Receptions ”by Fabian von Auerswald, published in the university town of Wittenberg. In his book, von Auerswald reports that in his youth he learned the technique of wrestling from the most famous masters who then stayed at the court of the Elector and taught the sons of his princely favor and other princes, counts and masters.
In 1570, the Strasbourg fencing teacher Joachim Mayer published a volume of a unique textbook on fencing entitled “ Detailed description noble art of fencing ". In addition to the technique of fencing itself (with a spear, halberd, sword, epee, saber and dagger), many fighting techniques are depicted and described on its pages. For example, the techniques of twisting the opponent's arms in order to disarm, as well as throws in a fight without weapons. Mayer himself was primarily a famous fencing master who promoted the Italian style, and he considered wrestling only as an auxiliary means, primarily in dagger fighting (here four-fifths of all techniques are somehow associated with painful grips). After Joachim Mayer, Hans Lebkammer, Paul Mayer and other representatives of the style of wrestling, which later received the name "German wrestling" in sports-historical literature, published their works. However, in the New Time, its popularity began to wane.
A certain interest in the medieval "German struggle" arose again in the middle of the 19th century. From about this time, manuals on self-defense began to be periodically published, for which the publishers drew material from medieval textbooks. So, in Berlin in 1887, the book by Fabian von Auerswald “The Art of Wrestling. Eighty-five receptions. " In 1901, Hans Talgoffer's Fencing Book was published in Prague in three volumes. In 1907, D. Lornkoffer published fighting techniques from the book of Albrecht Dürer in the form of an album of drawings.
Interesting fact: in 1925 a certain doctor Vogt in his book "Alte und neune Kampfkunst" (Old and New martial arts) published hundreds of images of medieval struggle that he discovered in the manuscripts and books of the Munich Library. Next to these drawings, he placed drawings of similar techniques from jujutsu. With his book, Dr. Vogt tried to prove that there were systems in Europe that were not inferior to the Japanese art of wrestling.
But if the medieval "free-style wrestling" disappeared, then the national varieties of belt wrestling continued and continue to exist. For example, in Switzerland. The German-speaking Swiss, prevailing in the northern, northeastern and central cantons, practice the "schwingen" ("al-pen schwingen", "schweizer schwingen") wrestling, much like the Icelandic "glima".
In Schwingen, before the start of the bout, the opponents grab each other with one hand by the belt and the other by the lower part of the short pants. During the fight, it is allowed to use the legs on the opponent's legs, throws over the thigh and some other techniques are used. To win, you need to force the opponent to touch the ground with your knees or throw him on his back or side. The time of the fight is not limited.
Among the French-speaking Swiss, who live mainly in the western and south-western cantons, there are two main types of wrestling: "la lutte suisse hbge" (Swiss freestyle wrestling) and "la lutte au calecon" (underpants wrestling). The first is a freestyle wrestling. Wrestlers go to the fight in trousers rolled up above the knees, or in special short pants. According to traditional rules, it is allowed to use a variety of throws with the legs, throws over the thigh, as well as to hold the belt, trousers and any part of the body (except for the face and genitals), including the legs. To win, you need to throw your opponent to the ground with his back down.
La lutte au calecon is a mixture of Schwingen and la lutte Suisse libre. With one hand, as in "Schwingen", the grip is done by the belt or tight leotards (pants) of the opponent, and with the other, as in "Free Swiss", it is allowed to act freely. However, kicking is prohibited. To win, you need to knock your opponent onto his shoulder blades. Freestyle wrestling is popular among the Italian-speaking Swiss, which allows grabs only above the waist and prohibits running boards, as well as throws with the legs.
In order for the reader to get an idea of the place occupied by popular wrestling in the life of the Swiss, we present an excerpt from one publication devoted to the competitions of the Alpine strongmen in the 19th century.
“The most enticing and interesting thing at these festivities is undoubtedly the struggle, purely national fun ... To spread this game among the people, it was introduced and made obligatory in all gymnastic meetings that, like a net, entangle Switzerland ...
In Appenzell, these exercises follow the dancing on summer days, but generally have the character of casual entertainment there, while in Entliebuch, Emmenthal, the Bernese Oberland and the Unterwald canton, special days are assigned for them, regardless of all other festivities, mostly in August. So, for example, they are celebrated at this time in Venernalt and in the great Scheideck at the foot of the Wetterhorn. The former are attended by the Grinderwald and Lauterbrunnians, and the latter are the Grinderwald and the inhabitants of the Gasli Valley. As far as possible, they try to choose some central point for these games so that the fighters of the neighboring valleys can also take part in the battle, because everyone is interested in who will ultimately win. The winners try in every possible way to retain the glory of victory for themselves: for the future time of games, and the defeated, on their part, neglect nothing to reward their defeat.
In addition to the burning interest generated by these games, there is another striking feature in them related to the nobility of the characters of the mountain dwellers. Indeed, in such fun, where pride is so much hurt, one is involuntarily surprised at the complete absence of hatred and anger between the fighters. The victors triumph without impudence, and the defeated submit to their fate without shame, and both of them can shake hands with each other as friendly at the end as at the beginning of the battle.
When the festival of fighters approaches, those wishing to take part in it begin to make some preparations in advance: they try to avoid all tedious work, take care of their bodies and eat the most strengthening foods. In the morning, on the very day of the holiday, the competitors of both parties gather in the inn, each chooses an opponent for himself, and everyone drinks and talks with inimitable goodness. At the appointed hour, the entire meeting performs accompanied by music at the head, the wrestlers walk in pairs, in front of them they carry prizes, and all this march to the appointed place, where a huge crowd of spectators is already awaiting. For the most part, such an area is chosen that would have the appearance of an amphitheater and was slightly covered with soft and small grass.
The court of experts, i.e. people who are quite experienced and perfectly aware of their business, have already taken their places, the rest of the audience has settled in a huge circle, in the center of which fighters are beginning to establish themselves. First of all, they throw off all the excess from their clothes and remain in the same shirt, stockings and pantaloons, over which they put on special short pants specially arranged for a fight, reaching only to the knees and made of very strong material. In this form, the wrestlers must converge in pairs, following in a certain order, and adhering to the rule that the weakest fight first, and then the strongest.
At the same time, some general rules adopted by all the inhabitants of the Alps. Before engaging in battle, opponents must shake hands with each other, as a sign that they have no enmity with each other, and that the fight will be waged in the most conscientious manner. The chest and collar of the shirt should be unbuttoned and should not constrain breathing at all, and the sleeves should be rolled up above the elbow so that all movements are as free as possible. According to the ancient custom, everyone should have the same costumes, most importantly they observe that there are no strings and laces, because during the struggle, especially if it continues for a long time and persistently, the slightest malfunction in clothing can decide victory in one direction or another.
Finally, the fight begins: the first pair of wrestlers enter the arena; their eyes burn with impatience and confidence in success. They grab each other, chest with chest, the right hand of one firmly grasps the waist of the other, and the left hooks on the bottom of his short pants. Sometimes they start the fight while standing, sometimes they kneel down, depending on how they find it more comfortable. It is strictly forbidden to use any illegal tricks and tricks - especially to smear the belt with lard, because this completely takes away the loyalty of the hand.
Experienced wrestlers drag each other around the arena for a long time, spin and push each other, waiting for the moment when it will be possible to deliver a decisive blow. At this time, they think of only one thing - to stay on their feet more firmly; their hands lie motionless, like stone, and at the end it is difficult to distinguish which of the two it belongs to; as soon as one gape in some way, the other immediately takes advantage of his blunder.
But sometimes it happens that both of them do not yield to each other for so long that they are completely exhausted in the struggle, sweat pours from them like hail, they barely catch their breath and, finally, both lie on the grass. Then they are given a glass of wine, which they drink together, then stand up, rub their hands with earth to make them harder, and the battle resumes with redoubled strength.
While the fighters are only trying their strength, the deepest silence reigns in the circle, but as soon as one of them is raised from the ground, as soon as they grappled with their feet and a desperate struggle ensued, the whole meeting comes to life, everyone is following the slightest details of the battle with extreme curiosity, and the party , betting for one of the fighters, encourages him with loud cries. Finally, one loses his balance, the opponent grabs him, lifts him, bends him and throws him to the ground, but even here the victory has not yet been decided, and we must start again, because for complete triumph it is necessary to stretch the opponent twice on his back. When one of the wrestlers sees that he is about to be knocked down, he gathers all his strength, all his dexterity, to fall on his stomach or on his side; and then he is not considered defeated. Rarely do such blows occur, as we witnessed in Scheideck, where one of the combatants lifted the other into the air, turned him over twice and then hit the ground with force ...
It often happens during these games that the strongest and most skilled fighters from both camps are the last to fight, and then the battle takes on a very special character, since then the honor of the whole country depends on the victory of one person. These two last opponents, equally terrible for each other, become defensive and content to prevent themselves from being defeated and thus make victory impossible for their opponent. As soon as they grab each other, they immediately calculate their position relative to each other, then bend their right knee and, to the point of impossibility, lean back with their torso. If even in this position one of them is still afraid of being lifted into the air, then he lies on his stomach and his opponent is forced to do the same. Then they begin to shake and squeeze each other, wriggling like snakes on the grass, expressing the extraordinary strength of the muscles, so that from the exertion and terrible efforts, their eyes become bloodshot and their whole face turns purple. If neither of these athletes can defeat the other, neither by perseverance, nor strength, nor cunning, then both of them rise from the ground, half-dead from fatigue and exhaustion, and exchange a friendly shake of the hand as a sign that they are worth each other ...
Other games of the same kind, if they do not have such a burning interest, are distinguished by a variety and in great use among young people on Sunday afternoons, in some villages where these games serve as entertainment in their free time. Usually several couples are fighting. The participants gather in a circle and jokes, witticisms and challenges are heard from among them, but no one has yet started to move. Finally, one separates from the crowd and steps into the arena: he undresses, takes off his shoes, puts on a jacket to fight and waits ... and looks around until one of those present descends in turn into the arena, and then begins fight.
The most interesting manifestations of these folk games are in Appenzell, in the Capuchin monastery, in the presence of the monks themselves. Once a year, in the fall, on the appointed day, healthy fellows appear at the doors of the monastery with various offerings, such as wine, fruits and firewood. As a reward for this, the Capuchins treat them to dinner, after which the tables are swept away, and the young people, instead of dessert, give something like a performance in which the main role is played by the struggle. The Capuchins, standing on benches and chairs, admire the various scenes of this impromptu theater, and at times their laughter reaches such proportions and becomes so infectious that the fighters themselves adhere to it and completely lose the ability to continue the battle. This "partie de plaisir" is so widespread in the country that not only young people take part in it, solving their little quarrels here, but also famous wrestlers, famous everywhere for their reputation. They, so to speak, throw the gauntlet of challenge to the one who first wants to pick up and measure their strength with them, and appoint him a date on a certain day in the monastery. " (9, p. 370-375)
Fingergakeln championships are still held in some places in Germany and Austria. Elise Reclus once described this type of wrestling in the following way: “This kind of competition can be found quite often in Tyrolean townships, especially during local holidays, or in places of worship, where many people gather on the days of fairs. The most common type of competition is the so-called "fingergakeln": two partners sit opposite each other at the table, then stretch out their right hands, bend the middle finger on this hand with a hook and hook it with the opponent's finger. As soon as one of the spectators gives a signal, the wrestlers begin to pull each other by the bent finger towards themselves. The goal of the match is to drag your opponent across the table. Sometimes in this struggle the nerve of the finger is torn and the finger remains bent for the rest of its life. "
The same Elise Reclus reports on yet another single combat common among the Tyrolean peasants: “In some areas of Tyrol, the competition consists in the fact that opponents put a rope around their necks, then lie down on the floor where a line is drawn, rest their hands and begin to pull each other. The winner in this fight is the one who will pull the opponent over the line to his side ... Sometimes the audience bets for the victory of one or another fighter. "
- Previous: About the traditional struggle of the German-speaking peoples
- Following: Warrior dances, games and exercises
In Russia, in the middle of the 19th century, in the tsar's office, there was the position of "Chief Observer physical development population ". The representatives of the Russian population who developed under such supervision are still surprising with this very development. For example, in weightlifting, those who “pulled” less than 100 kilograms had nothing to do in the Club of the Strong.
Today we will tell you about the seven most powerful men of Russia and the Union. We hope they will become a frank role model for you, or at least motivate you to go to the gym instead of the bar today.
1.Sergey Eliseev (1876 - 1938). Little weightlifter
World record holder, hereditary hero of small stature, he became famous by accident at a city holiday in Ufa - he won a belt wrestling tournament in multiple champion... The next day, three rams were brought to Eliseev's house as a magnanimous act of confession from the defeated ex-champion.
Trick. He took a 62 kg kettlebell in his right hand, lifted it up, then slowly lowered it on a straight arm to the side and held the hand with the kettlebell in a horizontal position for several seconds. Three times in a row he pulled out two loose two-pound weights with one hand. In the press with two hands, he lifted 145 kg and pushed 160.2 kg.
Source: wikipedia.org
2. Ivan Zaikin (1880 - 1949). Chaliapin Russian Muscles
World wrestling champion, weightlifting champion, circus artist. Foreign newspapers called him "The Chaliapin of Russian Muscles." His athletic numbers caused a sensation. In 1908 Zaikin toured Paris. After the athlete's performance in front of the circus, the chains broken by Zaikin, an iron beam bent on his shoulders, "bracelets" and "ties" tied by him from strip iron were exhibited in front of the circus. Some of these exhibits were acquired by the Parisian Cabinet of Curiosities and were displayed along with other curiosities.
Trick. Zaikin carried a 25-pound anchor on his shoulders, lifted a long barbell on his shoulders, on which ten people sat down, and began to rotate it (“live carousel”).
Source: wikipedia.org
3. Georg Gakkenschmidt (1878 - 1968). Leo, not human
World wrestling champion and world record holder in weightlifting. He trained since childhood: he jumped 4 m 90 cm in length, 1 m 40 cm in height from a place, ran 180 m in 26 s. To strengthen his legs, he practiced climbing a spiral staircase to the spire of the Church of Olivest with two-pound kettlebells. He got into sports by accident: Dr. Kraevsky - "the father of Russian athletics" - convinced him that "he can easily become the strongest man in the world."
In 1897, George broke into St. Petersburg, where he smashed the capital's heavyweights to smithereens. Training with Kraevsky, the strong man quickly takes all the first places in Russia (by the way, he ate everything he wanted, but drank only milk), and travels to Vienna. Further - Paris, London, Australia, Canada, America - and the title of the Russian lion and the Most powerful man of the late XIX - early XX centuries.
Trick. He squeezed a barbell weighing 122 kg with one hand. He took 41 kg dumbbells in each hand and spread his straight arms horizontally to the sides. He squeezed a barbell weighing 145 kg on the wrestling bridge. With arms crossed on his back, he lifted 86 kg from a deep squat. With a 50-pound barbell, I squatted 50 times.
Source: do4a.com
4. Grigory Kashcheev (present - Kosinsky, 1863 - 1914). Giant Downshifter
A hero from the village with an advantage in height - 2.18 m. At the village fair he defeated the visiting circus performer Besov, who immediately convinced him to go with him - “to show strength”.
“We arrive with Grisha in a remote, remote town. There we never saw people like us ... Kashcheev (Kosinsky's pseudonym) is shaggy, like a beast, and my surname is Devils ... We don't have a human look. They decided that we were werewolves ... Without saying a bad word, they lassoed us, took us out of the city and said: "If you don't leave our city kindly, then blame yourself."
In 1906, Grigory Kashcheev first met world-class wrestlers and became friends with Zaikin, who helped him enter the big arena. Soon Kashcheev put all the famous strongmen on his shoulder blades, and in 1908, together with Poddubny and Zaikin, he went to Paris for the World Championship, from where the strong men brought victory.
Trick. It would seem that now Kashcheev's real wrestling career has begun, but, abandoning the most profitable engagements, he dropped everything and went to his village to plow the land.
Source: sport-ru.com
5. Peter Krylov (1871 - 1933). King of weights
A Muscovite who changed his profession of navigator of the merchant fleet to the profession of an athlete. He went all the way from fairs and "booths of living wonders" to large circuses and championships in French wrestling. He's - attention! - was the permanent winner of competitions for the best athletic figure, taking as a child the example of the athlete Emil Foss, who entered the arena in silk tights and leopard skin. He began his first workouts at home with irons, which he tied to a floor mop.
Trick. Krylov set several world records. In the "wrestling bridge" position, he squeezed 134 kg with both hands, 114.6 kg with his left hand. Bench press in the "soldier's stance": with his left hand 86 times in a row lifted a two-pound weight. The ancestor of spectacular tricks, which were then repeated by other athletes, and today by paratroopers: bending the rail on the shoulders, driving a car over the body, raising a platform with a horse and rider. Showing athletic numbers, Krylov cheerfully commented on them. And his remarks have always been convincing. For example, when he smashed stones with his fist, he invariably addressed the audience with the following words: "Gentlemen, if you think that this issue is fake, then I can smash this stone with my fist on the head of anyone from the public." From practice, he could easily switch to theory ... and give a lecture on physical culture.
Source: wrestlingua.com
6.Alexander Zass (1888 - 1962). Samson Man
The father of Alexander Zass was just the person who could go to the circus against a visiting strongman and win a fight. It is not surprising that Alexander got into the circus and took up everything at once: aerial gymnastics, horse riding, wrestling. In 1914 broke out World War and Alexander was drafted into the army in the 180th Windavian Cavalry Regiment.
The audience did not understand much about the specifics weightlifting- shape, technique or exact weight. They were interested in more practical questions:
Can you carry the horse on your shoulders?
And break the chain with your chest?
And what about withstanding a car driving up your neck?
How about lifting the baby elephant up the stairs?
Each strongman tried to develop his own specialization in order to stand out.
John Holtum became famous for catching 23 kg cannonballs. (On the first try, he lost three fingers.)
Alexander Zass ("The Amazing Samson" or "Iron Samson") was famous for his masterly bending of steel bars. This talent is said to have helped him escape from Austrian captivity during the First World War. Once, Alexander Zass carried a horse wounded under him from the battlefield on his shoulders.
Sigmund Breitbart could hammer a railroad spike with his bare hands through five 2.5 cm thick oak planks. In his final show, he accidentally pushed the fasteners into his leg, resulting in fatal blood poisoning.
The spectacular performances have inspired many followers. The training systems that were developed and marketed by such famous strongmen as Evgeny Sandov formed the basis of modern bodybuilding, which now eliminates the exciting risk of death or self-harm.
The origins of bodybuilding in retro photography, 1890s-1940s:
1897. Russian wrestler Georg Gakkenschmidt pulls the rope.
1894. Eugene Sandov in the pose of a Greek statue, whose physique he called to imitate.
1896. Evgeny Sandov posing on a bicycle.
"My exercise is no less regular than sunrise."
Evgeny Sandov, 1924.
1893. Evgeny Sandov demonstrates his physique in the studio.
1900. Strongman Evgeny Sandov - the founder of modern bodybuilding.
1920. Galen Goch under the wheels of a car prepares for the World Strongman Championships in New York.
1925. Greek boxer and strongman Just Lessis bends an iron bar around his neck.
1925. Circus strongman Stefan demonstrates his strength by dragging a car through the streets of Berlin with his teeth.
1927. Edward Rees demonstrates his strength. He supports four actresses by hanging between two chairs.
1927 K. Attenborrow of the Royal Horse Guards was considered the strongest man in the British army. In the photo, he is holding a friend with one outstretched hand.
1935. Garry Swansea Pelta, 21, is a 21-year-old tailor named Welsh Strongest Man.
1927. Edward Rees holds the weight of two women with his teeth.
August 1, 1930. "Strong Boy" Lewis Clark shows his back muscles.
May 28, 1932. 14-year-old "Samson Boy" supports a 91-kg motorcycle and biker.
June 3, 1932. J. Rolleano carries the weight of a Citroen as it rides across his chest.
June 3, 1932. J. Rolleano pulls a truck with his teeth.
February 26, 1932. Tom Joyce declared himself the strongest man in Bristol. Here's how he demonstrates his power: four men pull on a rope wrapped around his neck.
August 1, 1934. "The most the strong man in the world ”Samson Brown lets the motorcycle ride over his body.
August 14, 1934. Joe Price nails the ad with a 23 kg hammer.
September 20, 1941. 60-year-old British soldier lifts 227 kg (two people plus a barbell).
March 18, 1935. London strongman George Challard allows a partner to bend a piece of iron around his neck.