Kurash
Kurash
Kurash is an ancient form of jacket wrestling originating in Uzbekistan. It has gone through a revival and has started to spread across the world since late 1990s due to adaptation of new rules.
Kurash literally means wrestling or grappling. It is closely related to other wrestling arts originating from Central Asian Turkic nations like Tatar Koras and Turkish Yagli gures.
History According to legend Kurash has been practiced as far aback as 1500 B.C. While there is no agreement as to when Kurash was practiced in a form recognizable today, many ancient writers and travelers to Central Asia mention its existence in some form and of its popularity there.
By ninth century A.D. Kurash has become a form of sporting entertainment at social events and festivities like weddings etc. Its benefits both physical and psychological were also appreciated. Great Kurash players of the time like Pahlavan Mahmud became legends. His grave is still considered a place of pilgrimage.
This was also a time of empire building and conquest by the Central Asian nations who extended their territories to China, India, Middle East, and Russia. The great conqueror Timur promoted Kurash as a form of training among his soldiers.
In later times Kurash continued to be popular in Central Asia due to cultural and social reasons. However it?s spread beyond the Central Asia was limited.
Modern revival of Kurash started with Komil Yusupov, himself an accomplished Kurash, Sambo, and Judo practitioner, who after conducting extensive research on Kurash created standardized techniques and rules so that it can be practiced as an international sport. This was done in the early 1990s. At about the same time Uzbekistan became independent from USSR and Kurash was patronized by the new government there notably by the president Islam Karimov.
International Kurash Association which is the World Kurash governing body approved the Yosupov?s rules Known as International Kurash Rules in 1998. Kurash has spread widely around world since then. Presently there are over seventy national Kurash federations in all five continents. There is even an attempt to include it as an Olympic sport.
Rules Modern Kurash wrestling takes place in an upright position. Ground wrestling is not allowed. Sparring is restarted if a player?s knee touches the ground. The players are also not allowed to grapple below the waist of an opponent. Strangling, choking and arm locking are also banned. New rules also specified the proportions of the field, length of the bout, and the dress to be worn.
All these rules have contributed to making Kurash into a dynamic, fast, entertaining and safe sport. This has resulted in its current popularity as demonstrated by the participation of large numbers of players and spectators at international tournaments.
International tournaments especially World Kurash Championship held since late 1990s have given additional momentum to the spread of Kurash around the world. Kurash championships are held in three main weight categories; 73 kg, 90 kg and open. Other weight categories have become common too as the sport gained in popularity. Both male and female tournaments, as well junior and senior tournaments, have become regular events held annually in various countries.
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