Lancashire wrestling

Lancashire wrestling, commonly called Lancashire catch-as-catch-can or Lancashire style, is a folk wrestling style that originated in the historic county of Lancashire in North West England. It became notable as the least restrictive and most aggressive style in England. It was popular across Britain and abroad, becoming a primary influence on catch wrestling, through which it is an ancestor of freestyle wrestling, American folkstyle wrestling, Brazilian luta livre, Japanese shoot wrestling and Shooto, modern submission grappling, and associated styles like mixed martial arts and theatrical professional wrestling.

Description

The style was practiced and popularised in the area that now includes Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire. The objective was to achieve a back fall on the opponent by making both of their shoulders touch the ground simultaneously. There were two approaches to this, "wrossle for a thrut" (wrestling for a throw) and "up and down." In "wrossle for a thrut", competitors utilised stand-up techniques such as throws, trips, and other takedowns with the goal of sending an opponent to their back or otherwise taking them off their feet, depending on the conditions. In "up and down", the wrestling would continue on the ground, utilising grounded techniques to win by pin or submission. This was similar to German and Dutch/Flemish folk styles: halber ringkampf ("half wrestling") and ganzer ringkampf ("full wrestling") in German, and neergooi ("throwing someone down") and ondergooi ("throwing someone down and keeping him underneath") in Dutch/Flemish. According to Jim Parr, a champion from Wigan in the early 1900s, "In Lancashire, where the Lancashire or catch-as-catch-can-game, as it is called, originated, all falls count when the shoulders touch the mat together. It makes no difference whether you throw a fellow over your head, and let go of him, or whether you press him down with a hammerlock, or roll him: It is a fall every time the shoulders strike together."

There were minimal restrictions on holds and the use of legs, for throws and trips, was permitted. Common holds and positions included the knuckle lock, collar tie, body lock, headlock, fireman's lift, cross-buttock (hip throw), the Nelson, single leg and double leg takedowns, as well as par terre (grounded). The attire was simple, shorts and socks. The Snipe Inn Rules disallowed applying any resin, drugs, or grease; foul acts or wilful brutality, unmanly techniques and tactics like those common in "up and down fighting" bouts, choking ("hanging" or "throttling"), kicking, headbutting, biting, gouging, or scratching. The Snipe Inn Rules allowed submissions with the intent of using them to achieve a pin but not with the intent to hurt an opponent or make them quit.

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Wrestling on the ground made the Lancashire style unique in England, along with its minimal restrictions on holds and techniques—known as "catch-hold" or "catch-as-catch-can"—in contrast to the more restrictive Cornish, Devon, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling styles.

History

Origins

Variations of "loose" wrestling styles in England have been recorded since the Anglo-Saxon period and the roots of Lancashire wrestling have been traced to Bolton in the 1330s, with significant influence from continental European styles. They were brought by Protestant textile workers fleeing religious persecution, namely German bauern-art ringen (wrestling after the farmers' fashion) and Flemish stoeijen (to touse, to tangle, to scuffle, to handle roughly). The styles practiced by these German, Flemish, as well as French immigrants, blended with the local style, resulting in "Lancashire up and down fighting", also called "purring", and "the Bolton method" due to the style's roots in that area. By the English Civil War, it was a usual way to resolve disputes between men in the areas of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire, who commonly wore loin clothes and clogs, and engaged in a combination of wrestling, throttling, and kicking. The bouts ended by submission, usually through a hang (stranglehold), or inability to continue, signalled verbally or by raising a hand. It soon became the only "prize ring" (professional) combat sport practiced in the area. In the 1820s, the sport was made illegal due to serious injuries and deaths that commonly occurred, and was succeeded by Lancashire wrestling, reflecting a similar trend in continental Europe. This is also the period when it began to be called "catch-as-catch-can."

Lancashire catch-as-catch-can

Threatened by the loss of an entire industry, the publicans (pub owners and managers) of Ashton reformed the local professional fighting circuit into wrestling in 1928, incorporating the "fair back fall" (two shoulders on the ground) based on Cornish and Devon wrestling, although ground wrestling made the style unique in England. Wrestling was a usual pastime for amateurs in the area, competing in challenge matches to see who was better, commonly betting quarter or half gallons of beer, and tournament prizes included pigs and silver watches. In 1856, the first written ruleset (the Snipe Inn Rules) was issued by Nelson Warren, proprietor of the Snipe Inn Grounds in Audenshaw, and professional championships were established such as the Snipe Inn Grounds Gold Cup and the Copenhagen Grounds Silver Belt. Also around that time, the Lancashire style was introduced to Scotland by Donald Dinnie, where it gained popularity. Lancashire catch-as-catch-can expanded abroad through the century, becoming particularly popular in the United States, where it was known as "ground wrestling", also called "rough and tumble" by workers on the frontier, leading to an American variation. The Lancashire Wrestling Association (LWA) was established in 1875–76 by former owners of the area's notable sporting venues (grounds). It ran regular competitions using "Manchester Sporting Chronicle Rules", based on the original Snipe Inn Rules. In 1894, a world title bout at Bengler's Circus in Liverpool between Tom Cannon and American Tom McInerney attracted an "immense crowd" and programs featuring wrestlers from across Europe and America became common. Regional bouts were also popular, such as a February 1897 match between Joe Carroll of Hindley facing "Bull Dog" Tom Clayton of Farnworth, which attracted 3,000 spectators to the Heywood Athletic Grounds. In 1899, during the Easter holidays, the first British championships were held at the National Athletic Grounds in Kensal Rise, London, for the and championships. Joe Carroll won the 12 stone tournament, becoming the first champion of Britain, while the 10 stone 4 pounds championship went undetermined.

Notable Lancashire wrestlers

As the Lancashire style declined, The Snake Pit in Wigan became one of the last sources to preserve it. Its students, such as Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson, showcased and taught the style to wrestlers and fighters across the globe. It became particularly popular in Japan, where catch wrestling is still commonly called "Lancashire style" . To revive it, The Snake Pit began holding its own Lancashire-style catch wrestling competitions and certifications in 2012, and held its first World Catch Wrestling Championships in 2018.

References

External links

The Snake Pit in Wigan, founded by Billy Riley, continues to teach Lancashire style catch-as-catch-can