Glima on History Channel

[Kyro_Lantsberger]

I didnt get to watch the entire program, dont even know the name, but as I was going around doing a couple other things last night I caught a couple minutes of some show on the History Channel about the Vikings. The section that I saw featured a demonstration by a Glima instructor and some students.

For those of you not aware, Glima is a slightly ritualized old Nordic Wrestling system. Contestants are required to lock grips behind the back and then try to throw the opponent, anything besides feet touching the ground counts as a fall. Lots of hip throws and foot sweeps.

Did anybody else see this?

[Will Adamson]

I'm not sure if that is a new program or not. I seem to remember seeing something like you describe several years ago. It kind of looked to me like two men trying to aggresively hug each other. That of course can be brutal in and of itself. I also thought of it as skinny white guy sumo.

Minus the ritualization (probably not as much as sumo) that would be a very good way to develop total body strength, explosive power, and learn leverage and pressure. Locking together would lessen the propensity to throw accidental strikes as well.

Despite the unnatural starting position, it looks like a great possible training tool. Anyone for an experiment?

[Kyro_Lantsberger]

I dont remember the source for this, but I believe that at the end of the 1800s or early 1900s, a Glima master fairly definitively threw a visiting Japanese Kodokan instructor. It was many years ago that I came across that, hopefully somebody else remembers better.

I would rather do Sumo than Glima . I hate having to hold a specific grip. Im the smaller guy in a grappling match more often than not, so I like to change the grips and tieups, or be in a free movement phase as much as possible to pick my shots and entries. I like the idea of "isolating" skills, though. At least I like the idea in training. Most of the throws (using Judo terms) looked like Harai Goshi, KoUchi Gari, O-Uchi Gari, and some O Soto Gari.......along with competitive hugging to just squeeze and push the guy down.

[Bengt Abrahamsson]

Probably this guy.
http://ahfaa.org/glimabook.htm





http://aesculf.com/heathen/files/glimatest.pdf#search=%22johannes%20josefsson%20glima%22

Bengt
EHCG

[Jonathan Waller]

Some work has been done on Glime, without the belts, which were a fairly recent addition. Taking it back to trouser grip, back hold and free hold.

JW

[Eddie Smith]

johnathan you mention different grips in glima, could you describe them?

[G.MatthewWebb]

Bengt:

The link below did not work for me.

Matthew Webb


http://aesculf.com/heathen/files/glimatest.pdf#search=%22johannes%20josefsson%20glima%22

Bengt
EHCG[/quote]

[Jonathan Waller]

johnathan you mention different grips in glima, could you describe them?

A trouser grip, ie holding the waist band band area and trouser leg. Back hold, a more normal grip in traditional arestling, where the hands are gipped behind the back.
Free hold, where the wrestlers start apart and try to gain the best grip against their opponent.

Basically most of these are common grips found in different types of wrestling.

Jonathan

[Bengt Abrahamsson]

Bengt:

The link below did not work for me.

Matthew Webb


http://aesculf.com/heathen/files/glimatest.pdf#search=%22johannes%20josefsson%20glima%22

Bengt
EHCG

[/quote]

Yes,it seems to have disappeared.
Bengt
EHCG

[Allen Johnson]

This is very similar to Highland Wrestling. Occasionally you will see this being done at Highland Games around the world.

[Eddie Smith]

Why do you suppose that Glima doesnt' have any arm techniques? What I mean is there are no throws from grabbing an arm, or locks etc. Now I know that Glima is primilarly a sport, but why whould therse elements have been left out of the game?

[Gene Tausk]

Why do you suppose that Glima doesnt' have any arm techniques? What I mean is there are no throws from grabbing an arm, or locks etc. Now I know that Glima is primilarly a sport, but why whould therse elements have been left out of the game?

Probably for the same reason that Greco-Roman wrestling does not allow any techniques below the waist or judo does not allow leglocks as part of its arsenal. They are sports and like any sport they have rules and limitations which allow for objective scoring and also allow the competitors to know exactly in what techniques competitors will have to become proficient.