Highland Wrestling

At The Games, Scottish Backhold wrestling is taught and there are competitions for both Children and Adults. This type of wrestling is very different from most other types and involves strength, cunning and honor.

Basics

  • Each Competitor approaches the other and shakes hands, introducing themselves and wishing the other luck.
  • Each then line up face to face, feet together and toes touching.
  • You raise your right hand and reach over the shoulder of your opponent to grasp your other hand behind their back.
  • Standing straight up, you wait upon the whistle and then start.
  • First competitor to touch the ground with anything besides their feet, or break thie grip, loses the match.
  • So the objective is to force them to touch the ground, usually on their back.

Strategy

  • Stay Low and keep your feed wide
  • Keep your lower arm (left) from being pinned by the opponent
  • Attain ‘side control’ where you are around the side of the opponent
  • Use your hip to “pop” your opponent of their feet, break their stand and put them on the ground
  • Attempt to trip your opponent with feet ( tho this usually ends up with a bunch of dancing 🙂

What to Expect

  • You will wrestle others in your approximate size, weight and age
  • falling on the ground hurts, and you will likely fall
  • you will get dirty, and if it’s been raining .. quite wet

What to Bring

  • if you’re competing as an adult you MUST wear a kilt
    • you MUST wear something UNDER the kilt ( people are flipped thru the air )
  • water – hydration!
  • sun screen – cloudy or sunny

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