Ssireum (씨름)

Ssireum is one of the most popular traditional sports in Korea. Ssireum is considered a cultural beauty of the Korean nation that was born 2,000 years ago. The painting depicting the battle of Ssireum was found in the Goguryeo Tomb, located in Man Joo. Based on this evidence, the researchers suggest that Ssireum existed around that time. In addition, historical records also show that the kings of this period also watched a battle of Ssireum for men during the traditional holiday.

Traditionally, Koreans often hold Ssireum competitions during the Tano festival and the Chuseok festival. The winner of each customary ssireum tournament was awarded a bull, which was not only a symbol of strength but also a valuable object in agrarian society. However, in recent years, people have started to organize Ssireum competitions which are popular in various regions, during any time of the year except winter.

How to play Ssireum:

• In the Ssireum competition, two competitors sit face to face in the center of a large sand circle. The boxers will be wrapped with a red and blue cloth called Satba around the thighs and waist. Their left hand twisted the opponent's belt in the right thigh. Their right hand reached out to the opponent's left hip and grabbed the belt behind their back. Once they were pinned together, they stood up to fight at the same time when they heard the referee's orders.
• As for Ssireum's skills, it can be roughly divided into two basic skills, namely throwing and counterattacking. Throwing involves pulling the opponent forward, lifting him, and throwing the opponent to the ground. Many other skills such as pulling, pushing, or turning opponents, with limbs and feet to throw opponents to the ground. The Counterattack skill is designed to protect when falling to the ground. In the match, the winner is the first to throw his opponent to the ground. A Ssireum match consists of 3 rounds where a winning opponent must win 2 matches. If there is no winner after 3 rounds, the competitor with the heavier weight or more warnings from the referee will be disqualified. When the referee gives a competitor the first warning, the opponent will get half the score for that round. If he gets a second warning, he's lost this round. If he receives three warnings from the referees, he will forfeit his right to compete in the game. In addition, if a competitor intrudes such as strangling, twisting, or breaking his opponent's arms, headbutting his opponent, kicking his opponent, or blocking his opponent's line of sight, they will be eliminated.