Zachary Hill
CMST 2060
Professor Althouse
22/10/2012
*Thesis Statement: Wrestling has become a huge part of human culture throughout the
years and I will enlighten you on the history of the sport, different types of wrestling, and the
impact it has had on human culture.
I. Wrestling
A. Nothing is more exciting than a bunch of guys in spandex but let’s control our
overwhelming emotions and actually learn something today.
B. The sport of wrestling is no stranger of this world with it being the second oldest
sport next to running.
C. What does it take to be a wrestler? They must find a combination of strength,
agility, knowledge and confidence to overcome their opponent and win first place.
D. That is why it is not a sport for everyone and women were just recently allowed
women’s wrestling in the Olympics as 2004.
E. Wrestling has become a huge part of human culture throughout the years and I
will enlighten you on the different types of wrestling, history of the sport, and the
impact it has had on human culture.
II. What is wrestling?
A. Well according to Britannica Encyclopedia it is a, “sport practiced in various
styles by two competitors, involving forcing an opponent to touch the ground
with some part of the body other than his feet.” [2]
B. That’s basically it in a nutshell but I will expand on that a little more. There
are no set rules to wrestling but is broken down to many types instead.
C. There are very many different types from around the world and throughout the
ages.
D. Many of the modern forms are closely similar but with different moves,
locations, and even clothes.
E. The most popular style today is Greco-Roman wrestling which is more
popular in the Eastern world and was first introduced in the Olympics in 1894
at Athens.
F. Another popular form is folkstyle wrestling which originated in America
when settlers first travel over from Europe. Sometimes towns would have
wrestling matches to even distribute land. While Greco-Roman deals mostly
with upper body attacks, folkstyle is a more well-rounded type with leg
attacks included as well.
G. There are many other styles as well including beach wrestling, MMA, and
even everybody’s favorite, professional wrestling.
III. History of the sport.
A. Can anyone guess how long wrestling has been around? Your right, cave
drawings can be found as far back as 15000 BC in France. Wrestling is even
referenced in Homer’s Iliad that dates back to 12th century B.C.
B. In ancient Greece it was the most praised sport at the Olympics and being a
wrestler was one of the greatest honors.
C. It is also true many of history’s important figures wrestled. Arabic literature
depicted Muhammad as a skilled wrestler throughout his life. [1]
D. Even Abraham Lincoln Wrestled the town bully when he was young.
Supposedly Lincoln was 6’4” at 185lbs and threw the bully around like a
small child. [4]
E. Around the 19th Century a Frenchman is credited for creating order and setting
rules known as the modern version of the Greco-Roman style. [3]
F. To help better regulate the sport in 1921 the FILA or the International
Federation of Wrestling Styles was created to implement discipline and
prevent serious injury to wrestlers.
IV. How has wrestling affected our history?
A. Wrestling is mentioned throughout many religious text and folktales. The Iliad
by Homer mentions that Aias and Odysseus wrestled each other during the
Trojan war.
B. In ancient Egypt drawings of wrestlers resided on tombs and pyramids dating
back almost 5000 years.
C. When the romans conquered the Greeks, they adapted wrestling in their
society and annual games which even took place in the coliseum.
D. During the middle ages wrestling took place in royal castles and events to
show great status in the social elite.
E. Wrestling can be found in almost every culture around the world and helped
establish competitive games as a world event with the Olympics.
V. So what have we learned?
A. Wrestling is a lot bigger than you may have previously thought because as me,
someone who has wrestled for years, found some of the knowledge I learned
from my research surprising.
B. Many important people such as Abraham, Muhammad, and even wrestling is
referenced in the bible with Jacob of Israel wrestling with an angel.
C. There are many variations of wrestling today but every style takes a special
athlete to overcome a challenger alone and prevail.
D. While previously wrestling reminded you of oversized guys in spandex suits
make fools of themselves, I hope after today you learned truly what wrestling
is.