Guide to wrestling

Wrestling was part of the ancient Olympics and is possibly the oldest sport known to man.

The sport takes many forms, but at the Olympics there are just two types - Greco-Roman and freestyle.

In freestyle, competitors can use all parts of their body to execute moves and holds. In Greco-Roman, the use of the legs to make any contact is forbidden.

Matches take place on a mat with the winner being the first to win the best of three periods, which last two minutes each and are separated by 30-second breaks.

Getting started
You can take up wrestling from the age of eight. If you want to give it a try, the British Wrestling Association is the best place to start.

British Wrestling Association

www.britishwrestling.org