Lithuanian Folk Wrestling

Wrestling, a form of an unarmed fight, has been known in Lithuania for long time, often mentioned in Lithuanian oral folklore, tales, mythological legends and stories, recollections of folklore bearers. Wrestling is the most popular title for the fight in Lithuania, although in some places other names, as veltinės (the act of rumpling, felting), grumtynės (fghting), mintinės (stepping), pakištynės (tripping), galitynės (competing), imtys, imtynės, (wrestling), mestynės (throwing), were used.

Wrestling became especially popular in Lithuania in the second half of the 19th century after the abolition of serfdom – in the fields during pasturage shepherds used to compete in wrestling to select the herdsman, while adult men enjoyed wrestling just to test their strength at festivals or fairs. There is evidence that wrestling was enjoyed by women as well. Later on with the founding of the first Lithuanian sports club and the development of professional sports the centuries-long tradition began to vanish. During the Soviet occupation wrestling was forgotten.

Nowadays the tradition has been revived as a sport, based on both physical and civic education. Having started their activity as a non-formal group the members of the Lithuanian Wrestling Federation seek to reconstruct and revive the tradition referring to ethnographic and written records. The Federation aims to establish wrestling as a combat sport while securing the core technical principles of the tradition. The Federation communicates with enthusiasts of national wrestling styles in other states, organises contests at various ethnographic festivals, and gives lessons at sport clubs and children summer camps. The Federation is also involved in organising activities of clubs and is in the process of founding the fighters school, which will unite all ethnographic sport games.

Just like any other physical activity the Lithuanian wrestling has many positive features. It is an effective means for personal, physical and psychological development. The cultural roots of the tradition enhance the impact of civic education of wrestling practitioners.

Submitter and custodian – the Lithuanian Folk Wrestling Federation, 2018