Schwingen is a Swiss martial arts focused on grappling. Swiss wrestling has been around for hundreds of years and organized Schwingen tournaments began in 1805. Schwingen matches take place in a ring that measures 12 meters across and the ring floor is covered with sawdust.
There are no weight classes at Schwingen tournaments. Therefore, Schwingen male or female champions tend to be very large individuals. According to Wikipedia, Schwingen wrestlers “wear Schwingerhosen (wrestling breeches) with belts that are used for taking holds. Throws and trips are common because the first person to pin his or her opponent’s shoulders to the ground wins the bout”.
Furthermore, according to MySwitzerland, “The wrestling king and his fellow wrestlers do not receive any prize money, but they are awarded a wreath and receive prizes from the “gift table”: a Muni (young bull) as well as cowbells, rustic furniture and other natural objects. Swiss wrestling is an amateur sport with strict rules about sponsoring and an advertising ban at the wrestling venue”.
For other similar martial arts, please visit Black Belt Wiki’s sections on European martial arts or grappling martial arts.
Schwingen Videos
Reference Sources
- Wikipedia, Schwingen, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwingen
- MySwitzerland, Swiss Wrestling (Schwingen), https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/planning/about-switzerland/custom-and-tradition/swiss-wrestling-schwingen-from-herdsmans-pastime-to-elite-sport/