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Ssireum
Ssireum is a form of traditional Korean wrestling dating back five thousand years.
It is a competition based martial art that pits two contestants against each other in a circular sandpit.
One unique aspect of this wrestling form is that players wear a satba which forms an important part in the strategy of fighting. The sash worn around the waist and the right thigh of the wrestlers, is a primary gripping point to execute throwing techniques.
As it is a pure wrestling system, kicking, head butting and striking are prohibited. Although it is a little known sport outside Korea, it is fast gaining popularity because it is both simple to learn and easy to understand. It requires no special training gear and as a martial art it provides a good, safe structure for students to understand the principles of leverage and redirection of force.
We do know that kicking arts of Korea were practiced alongside ssireum and although the various arts are fragmented today, it would make perfect sense that warriors of old would want to practice both fighting arts and grappling arts alongside each other in order to create well rounded skills for battle.
Although deaths were rare in the ring, in keeping with the chivalrous nature and code of Korean martial arts, if a competitor killed his opponent in the ring, he was not prosecuted and no ill will was bore against him. He would however be expected to pay the funeral expenses incurred.
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Ssireum - Chris Crudelli Martial IQ Forums
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