Pehlwani

This article is about a form of wrestling. For 2010 Indian film, seeKushti (film).For other uses, seePahlavan (disambiguation).

Pehlwani,also known asKushti,is a form ofwrestlingcontested in theIndian subcontinent.It was developed in 14th century by combining PersianKoshti pahlevaniwith influences from native IndianMalla-yuddha.The wordspehlwaniandkushtiderive from thePersiantermspahlavani(heroic) andkoshti(wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling. A practitioner of this sport is referred to as apehlwan(Persian word forhero) while teachers are known asustad(Persian word forteacherormaster).

Pehlwani

Pehlwani-style wrestling match inDavangere,Karnataka, India(2005).
Also known as	Kushti
Focus	Wrestling
Country of origin	Indian subcontinent
Famous practitioners	Dara Singh The Great Gama Bajrang Punia Vinesh Phogat Nathmal Pahalwan Deepak Punia Ravi Kumar Dahiya Harishchandra Birajdar Jatindra Charan Goho Sushil Kumar Narsingh Yadav Khashaba Jadhav
Parenthood	Koshti pahlevani Malla-yuddha
Descendant arts	Catch wrestling
Olympic sport	No

One of the most famous practitioners of Pehlwani wasThe Great Gama(Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt), who is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.Kodi Rammurthy Naiduwas another example.Brahmdev Mishra is another example of an Indian wrestler who was known for his technique and physique not only in India but all over the world.Pehlwani is one of the sports that influencedcatch wrestling,which in turn partially inspiredfolkstyle wrestling,freestyle wrestling,andmixed martial arts(MMA).

History

Theancient Indianform of wrestling is calledmalla-yuddha.Practiced at least since the 5th millennium BC,described in the 13th century treatiseMalla Purana,it was the precursor of modern Kushti.

In the 16th century, northernIndiawas conquered by the Central AsianMughals,who were ofTurko-Mongoldescent. Through the influence ofIranianandMongolian wrestling,given time, the localmalla-yuddhawas supplanted by Persian Koshti. Interestingly, the aspects of Malla-yuddha survived in the culture of the Akhad (wrestling academy): Students are expected to be vegetarian, cook, take care of the facility, and be celibate.

Hyderabadi Peahelwans preparing for Kushti (1870)

Babur,the first Mughal emperor, was a wrestler himself and could reportedly run very fast for a long distance while holding a man under each arm. Mughal-era wrestlers sometimes even worebagh nakaon one hand, in a variation callednaki ka kushtior "claw wrestling".

Illustration of two wrestlers (1825).

During the late 17th century, Ramadasa travelled the country encouraging Hindus to be physically active in homage to the great godHanuman.Maratharulers supported Kushti by offering large sums of prize money for tournament champions. It was said that everyMarathaboy at the time could wrestle and even women took up the sport. During the colonial period, local princes sustained the popularity of kushti by hosting matches and competitions. Wrestling was the favourite spectator sport of theJats,and were said to look forward to tournaments "with great anxiety". Every Jat prince or chief had a number of wrestling champions to compete for his entertainment. The greatest wrestling centres were said to beWestern Uttar Pradeshand thePanjab region.

Trained Sikhs in thePerakArmed Policedemonstrating Pehlawani wrestling, circa 1880–1890.

In 1909, a Bengali merchant named Abdul Jabbar Saudagar intended to unite the local youth and inspire them in the anti-British struggle against the colonists through a display of strength by holding a wrestling tournament. Known as Jabbar-er Boli Khela, this competition has continued through independence and the subsequentpartition.It is still held inBangladeshevery Boishakhi Mela (Bengali new year), accompanied by playing of the traditionalsanai(flute) anddabor(drum), and is one ofChittagong's oldest traditions.

In the more recent past, India had famous wrestlers of the class of theGreat Gama(of British India and later Pakistan, afterpartition) andGobar Goho.India reached its peak of glory in the IVAsian Games(later on called Jakarta Games) in 1962 when all the seven wrestlers were placed on the medal list and in between them they won 12 medals infreestyle wrestlingandGreco-Roman wrestling.A repetition of this performance was witnessed again when all the 8 wrestlers sent to theCommonwealth Gamesheld atKingston,Jamaica had the distinction of getting medals for the country. During the 60s, India was ranked among the first eight or nine wrestling nations of the world and hosted the world wrestling championships in New Delhi in 1967.

Pehlwans who compete in wrestling nowadays are also known tocross trainin the grappling aspects ofjudoandjujutsu.Legendary wrestlers from the bygone era likeKarl Gotchhave made tours toIndiato learn kushti and further hone their skills. Karl Gotch was even gifted a pair ofmugdar(heavy wooden clubs used for building the arm and shoulder muscles by South Asian wrestlers). The conditioning exercises of pehlwani have been incorporated into many of the conditioning aspects of bothcatch wrestlingandshoot wrestling,along with their derivative systems.

Training

Regimen

Although wrestling in the Indian subcontinent saw changes in the Mughal era and the colonial period, the training regimen has remained the same for over 150 years. Fledgling wrestlers may start as early as 6, but most begin formal training in their teens. They are sent to anakharaor traditional wrestling school where they are put under the apprenticeship of the local guru. Their only training attire is thekowpeenamor loincloth.

Vyayamor physical training is meant to build strength and develop muscle bulk and flexibility. Exercises that employ the wrestler's own bodyweight include theSurya Namaskara,shirshasana,and thedanda,which are also found in hathayoga,as well as thebethak.Sawari (fromPersiansavâri,meaning "the passenger" ) is the practice of using another person's body weight to add resistance to such exercises.

An old Indian pehlwan exercising withIndian clubsnearVaranasi.

Exercise regimens may employ the following weight training devices:

• Thenalis a hollow stone cylinder with a handle inside.
• Thegar nal(neck weight) is a circular stone ring worn around the neck to add resistance todandaandbethak.
• Thegada (mace)is a club associated withHanuman.An exercise gada is a heavy round stone attached to the end of a meter-long bamboo stick. Trophies take the form of gada made of silver and gold.
• Indian clubs,a pair ofmugdar.

Exercise regimens may also includedhakuliwhich involve twisting rotations, rope climbing, log pulling and running. Massage is regarded an integral part of a wrestler's exercise regimen.

A typical training day will go as follows:

• 3 AM: Wake up and perform press-ups (danda) and squats (bethak), as many as 4000. Run for 5 miles, followed by swimming and lifting stone and sandbags.
• 8 AM: Teachers watch as the trainees wrestle each other in earth pits continuously for 3 hours. This is around 25 matches in a row. Matches start with the senior wrestlers. The youngest go last.
• 11 AM: Wrestlers are given an oil massage before resting.
• 4 PM: After another massage, trainees wrestle each other for another 2 hours.
• 8 PM: The wrestler goes to sleep.

Diet

According to theSamkhyaschool of Hindu philosophy, everything in the universe—including people, activities, and foods—can be sorted into threegunas:sattva(calm/good),rajas(passionate/active), andtamas(dull/lethargic).

Ghee,amongst the most sattvic of foods consumed for wrestlers

As a vigorous activity, wrestling has an inherentlyrajasicnature, which pehlwan counteract through the consumption of sattvic foods. Milk andgheeare regarded as the most sattvic of foods and, along with almonds, constitute the holy trinity of thepehlwani khurak(fromPersianخوراک پهلوانیkhorâk-e pahlavâni), or diet. A common snack for pehlwan arechickpeasthat have been sprouted overnight in water and seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon; the water in which the chickpeas were sprouted is also regarded as nutritious. Various articles in the Indian wrestling monthlyBharatiya Kushtihave recommended the consumption of the following fruits: apples,wood-apples,bananas,figs,pomegranates,gooseberries,lemons, and watermelons. Orange juiceand green vegetables are also recommended for their sattvic nature. Many pehlwan eat meat due to its high protein content. Famed pehlwanDara Singhused to eat more than a pound of meat every day.

Ideally, wrestlers are supposed to avoid sour and excessively spiced foods such aschatniandacharas well aschaat.Mild seasoning with garlic, cumin, coriander, and turmeric is acceptable. The consumption of alcohol, tobacco, andpaanis strongly discouraged.

Techniques

It has been said that most of the moves found in the wrestling forms of other countries are present in kushti, and some are unique to the Indian subcontinent. These are primarily locks, throws, pins, and submission holds. Unlike its ancient ancestormalla-yuddha,kushti does not permit strikes or kicks during a match. Among the most favoured manoeuvres are thedhobi paat(shoulder throw) and thekasauta(strangle pin). Other moves include thebaharli,dhak,machli gotaand themultani.

Rules

Kushti in Bharatpur

Wrestling competitions known asdangalorkushti,are held in villages and as such are variable and flexible. The area is either a circular or square shape, measuring at least fourteen feet across. Rather than using modern mats, South Asian wrestlers train and compete on dirt floors. Before training, the floor is raked of any pebbles or stones. Buttermilk, oil, and red ochre are sprinkled to the ground, giving the dirt its red hue. Water is added every few days to keep it at the right consistency; soft enough to avoid injury but hard enough so as not to impede the wrestlers' movements. Every match is preceded by the wrestlers throwing a few handfuls of dirt from the floor on themselves and their opponent as a form of blessing. Despite the marked boundaries of the arena, competitors may go outside the ring during a match with no penalty. There are no rounds but the length of every bout is specified beforehand, usually about 25–30 minutes. If both competitors agree, the length of the match may be extended. Match extensions are typically around 10–15 minutes.Unlike mat-based wrestling, there is no point scoring system; a win is achieved by pinning the opponent's shoulders and hips to the ground simultaneously, although victory byknockout,stoppage orsubmissionis also possible. In some variations of the rules, pinning only the shoulders is sufficient. Bouts are overseen by a referee inside the ring and a panel of two judges watching from the outside.

Titles

The Great Gama,a formerRustam-e-Zaman

Official titles awarded to kushti champions are as follows. Note that the titleRustamis actually the name of an Iranian hero from theShahnamehepic.

• "Rustam-e-Hind":Champion of India.Dara Singhfrom Punjab, Sadika Gilgoo (Siddique Pehlwan), Krishan Kumar from Haryana,Muhammad ButaPehlwan,Imam Baksh Pehlwan,Hamida Pehlwan,Vishnupant Nagrale,Dadu ChouguleandHarishchandra Birajdar(Lion of India)from Maharashtra,Mangla RaifromUttar Pradeshand Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) held the Rustam-e-Hind title in the past. Vishnupant Nagrale was the first wrestler ever to hold this title.
• Rustum-e-Pakistan:Also spelled as Rustum-i-Pakistan. Pakistan Champion.
• Rustum-e-Punjab:Champion of Punjab, Pakistan.
• "Maharashtra Kesari":Lion of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Kesari is an Indian-style wrestling championship. Narsinh Yadav (three-time winner)
• "Rustam-e-Panjab":(also spelled Rustam-i-Panjab) Champion of Panjab, India. Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) Pehlwan Salwinder Singh Shinda was a six time Rustam-e-Panjab,.
• "Rustam-e-Zaman":World Champion.The Great Gamabecame known as Rustam-e-Zaman when he defeatedStanislaus Zbyszkoin 1910.
• "Bharat-Kesari":Best heavyweight wrestler in Hindi. Recent winners include Chandra Prakash Mishra (Gama Pahalwan),Krishan Kumar(1986), Rajeev Tomar (Railways), Pehlwan Shamsher Singh (Punjab Police) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (Punjab police).
• "Hind Kesari":Winner of 1969 Hind KesariHarishchandra Birajdar(Maharashtra)(Lion of India),Winner of 1986 Hind Kesari, Krishan Kumar (Bhaproda, Haryana), Winner of 2013 Hind Kesari, Amol Barate (Maharashtra);Winner of 2015 Hind Kesari, Sunil Salunkhe (Maharashtra),
• Amazon of Aligarh:This is an exclusive unofficial title given to a female wrestler,Hamida Banu,in the first half of the 20th century.

other

• Akhara
• Boli Khela
• Gatka
• Gatta Gusthi
• Inbuan
• Kabbadi
• List of Pehlwani wrestlers
• Malakhra
• Malla-yuddha
• Mongolian wrestling
• Mukna
• Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals
• Vajra-mushti
• Wrestling in India
• Wrestling in Pakistan
• Pehlivan
• Hyderabadi Pahalwan
• History of physical training and fitness

External links

• The Wrestler’s Body: Identity and Ideology in North India
• Pakistan's pehlwans wrestle to survive
• Pakistan Image Building: History of Kushti
• Dara Singh In The Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame
• Great Gama
• Upper Crust: Badam-Doodh & Kolhapuri Kusti!
• The Art of Pehlwani
• Fighting Scene in Indian Cinemas