Wikipedia

Gatta gusthi

For the film, seeGatta Kusthi.

Gatta gusthiis a form ofsubmission wrestlingpracticed inKerala,India. Competitions take place inside an open ground called agodha,often on beaches. Wrestlers, known asphayalvans,employ around 100 techniques. Once widely popular, the sport saw a decline with the rise offreestyle wrestlingandkaratein the late 1960s. Its freestyle version is known asgusthi.

Gatta gusthi
FreestylegusthiinMadurai
Highestgoverning bodyKerala State Wrestling Association
NicknamesIndian style wrestling
First played1900s
ClubsLess than 50
Characteristics
ContactYes
Team membersSingle competitors
Mixed-sexNo
TypeOutdoor
Presence
Country or regionKerala,India
OlympicNo

History

edit
Students training on a gymnastic bar inMalabarin 1905.

Gatta gusthi evolved into a prominent sporting event during the era of erstwhileCochinandTravancorekingdoms in present-dayKerala,withKochiemerging as a significant sports hub. Competitions were regularly organized across the state. The sport reached its peak between 1945 and 1970. Prominentphayalvans(wrestlers) during this period included Manacaud Narayana Pillai, Polachira Ramachandran, Kattuchira Pappudas, Shankar Singh, Kayamkulam Dhayanandhan, Electric Moideen Kunj, Aslam Basheer, Kollam Rasheed, Nickel Jamal, among others.[1]

Gatta gusthi was particularly in demand in Kochi,Kollam,andManacaud.[2]Kollam had three permanentgodhas(wrestling ring).[3]The first match inTravancorewas held in 1952.[4]Fort Kochibeach regularly hosted championship bouts until the early 1970.[5]Gatta gusthi remained a major sporting event in the state till the late 1960s.[6]It began fading after the arrival offreestyle wrestling.Freestyle wrestling, known simply asgusthi,was registered as a sport inErnakulam districtin 1969.[7]Subsequently, gatta gusthi was limited to select events organised by aficionados.[6]According to the Kerala State Wrestling Association, audience interest declined due to rumours ofmatch fixing.[4]

In India, traditionalIndian martial artsandcombat sportsas a whole began fading after the introduction ofkaratein the later half of the 20th century. During 1970s, with the influx of foreignmartial arts films,Indians began travelling toEast Asiain large numbers to learn karate and returned to open karate schools across theIndian subcontinent,in cities as well as in small towns and villages. In 1980s, karate-style action sequences became frequent in mainstreamIndian cinema,articles and news on karate were frequently appearing on magazines and newspapers. Additionally,state police forces across Indiaadded karate intheir training.[8]

As part of reviving the sport, former champion-turned-coach T. J. George started training youngsters since his retirement.[9]He set up a gym, Cochin Grapplers, at Fort Kochi in 1986.[7]He founded Kerala State Gatta Gusthy Association, although it is yet to receive recognition from Kerala State Sports Council.[1]In Kerala, governing body for all forms of wrestling is the Kerala State Wrestling Association, approved by Kerala State Sports Council andWrestling Federation of India.Both gatta gusthi and gusthi saw a resurgence of interest among youngsters after wrestlersSushil Kumar,Yogeshwar DuttandSakshi Malikwon medals at theSummer Olympics(2008, 2012, 2016)[2]and with the success of the filmDangal(2016) andPhogat sisters.[5]

Characteristics

edit

Gatta gusthi is similar tomaati kushti(mud wrestling) ofNorth India.Bouts are evaluated by a referee and there are no judges.[7]There are around 100 techniques in gatta gusthi.[5]It is contested inside aringknown asgodhaand wrestlers are calledphayalvans.[2]Participants wear minimal clothing, normally justbriefsand arebarefoot.[10]Match takes place on a sand-laden ground. There are noweight classesin gatta gusthi, bouts can be matched between any weights. Bout is won when any one wrestlerpinsthe other to the ground. In gatta gusthi, opponent's garment can be used as an advantage, which is illegal in freestyle wrestling. Gatta gusthi has more techniques than freestyle wrestling and many of them are illegal in the latter for the risk involved.[1]The main difference between gatta gusthi and freestyle wrestling is the duration and point system. Freestyle bouts are three rounds of two minutes each, while gatta gusthi can go as long as 30 minutes or until there is a winner. If points are tied, they may go for another round.[6]

Competitions

edit

In present day, gatta gusthi is also promoted by the name "Indian style wrestling".Ringis eight meter in diameter. Kerala State Indian Style Wrestling Association organises regular state championships for the title "Kerala Kesari".[10]Kerala State Gatta Gusthi Association and Cochin Grapplers club together organises Indian Style Wrestling (Gatta Gusthi) Championship atFort Kochifor the "Gatta Gusthi Kesari" title.[11]Gatta gusthi is an event at the 11-day long The Beach Carnival and Games held at Puthuvype Beach, organised by theGovernment of Keralaand Ernakulam District Sports Council to promote rural sports to enhance the lives of local fishermen and tourism in beaches.[12]Gatta gusthi is a regular sporting event at the annualCochin Carnivalheld at Fort Kochi.[13]In 2020,Kerala Exciseorganised a competition at Fort Kochi as part of "Vimukthi", an anti-narcotics and de-addiction campaign by the government.[14]

edit

Gatta gusthi andphayalvansare featured in theMalayalamfilmsOridathoru Phayalvaan(1981),Mutharamkunnu P.O.(1985), andGodha(2017).[2]Former champion and coach T. J. George has written a book titledKerala Gatta Gusthiin Malayalam detailing various steps and styles of gatta gusthi, which was published in 2016. George also trained actorTovino Thomasfor the filmGodha.Kerala Financial Corporationmade a documentary film on the sport in 2016.[7]Gatta gusthi is also featured in the filmThuramukham(2023).[1]It is a plot element in the Tamil filmGatta Kusthi(2022).[15]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^abcdP., Anand (8 August 2021)."Understanding Gatta Gusthi: Kerala's own style of wrestling".Mathrubhumi.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2021.Retrieved9 August2021.
  2. ^abcdSathyendran, Nita (11 May 2017)."All set for the ring".The Hindu.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved4 August2021.
  3. ^"Kerala Gama Ramachandran passes away".The New Indian Express.10 October 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  4. ^abKerala State Wrestling Association."Kerala State Wrestling Association".Kerala State Wrestling Association.Archivedfrom the original on 3 December 2022.Retrieved3 December2022.
  5. ^abcSreemol, T. C. (13 January 2017)."Phogat effect: Kochi girls learning Gatta Gusti".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  6. ^abcTimes News Network (24 July 2016)."Gatta champs grapple to keep the sport alive".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  7. ^abcdS., Priyadershini (27 July 2016)."On the Mat".The Hindu.Archivedfrom the original on 4 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  8. ^Zarrilli, Phillip B. (1998).When the Body Becomes All Eyes: Paradigms, Discourses, and Practices of Power in Kalarippayattu, a South Indian Martial Art.Delhi:Oxford University Press.p. 4.ISBN0195639405.Retrieved5 August2021.
  9. ^"Upholding 'Gatta Gusti' traditions".The New Indian Express.16 June 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  10. ^ab"Gatta returns!".The New Indian Express.6 February 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  11. ^"David Philip wins 'Gatta Gusthi Kesari' title".The New Indian Express.16 September 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.
  12. ^Staff Reporter (22 December 2019)."Puthuvype beach carnival to get under way today".The Hindu.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved4 August2021.
  13. ^Our Correspondent (7 December 2019)."Cochin Carnival 2019-20 begins tomorrow".Malayala Manorama.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2021.Retrieved5 August2021.{{cite news}}:|author=has generic name (help)
  14. ^"ഫോർട്ടുകൊച്ചി കടപ്പുറത്ത് ഗാട്ടാ ഗുസ്തി; റസ്ലിങ് അക്കാദമിക്ക് കിരീടം".Mathrubhumi(in Malayalam). 24 February 2020.Retrieved4 August2021.
  15. ^Lakshmi, V. (14 April 2022)."Vishnu Vishal: There is always business for a good movie".The Times of India.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2022.Retrieved24 November2022.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gatta_gusthi&oldid=1257920714"