To get things moving in the Western Arts section im interested to hear about regional MAs or fighting methods.

There was a guy on a game show the other week that said he did Lancashire Wrestling! For those of you in the states or abroad Lancashire is a county in the UK, yet has its own regional style of wrestling.


Anyone heard of anything in there area?

I do believe it was called 'ecky thump' and was featured in that well known martial arts programme in the seventies called 'The Goodies'

Seriously though, we tend to concentrate on the Eastern martial arts and we have a great European heritage of martial arts ourselves.

I'm quite interested in finding out more about the Medieval methods used, especially by knights - after all they were our equivalent of the Samurai.

Good topic Pete!

Yep, heard of Lancashire wrestling, isn't Wigan the home of it? There is also Cumbrian wrestling, they wear tights to do that Very interesting actually. There seem to be quite a few in the UK.

Well here is some from youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dvTRRGyRvw&feature=related
I can't embed the vid as the link has been disabled.
Those guys give real meaning to Lankyshire lol




This one looks to be older! and american, I can see some differences but I don't have an experianced eye for wrestling. I think its a bit different??

Lesley - there was a post on here called AN RACHD http://www.martialedge.net/forum/martial-arts-talk/'an-rachd'/
its got some links to a few videos of the medievil type of fighting. :)

I guess these days, the tourists see this;
(apologies for the lack of 'true' scotsmen)

Ryusui_Ryu wrote:
Well here is some from youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dvTRRGyRvw&feature=related
I can't embed the vid as the link has been disabled.
Those guys give real meaning to Lankyshire lol




This one looks to be older! and american, I can see some differences but I don't have an experianced eye for wrestling. I think its a bit different??



Does anybody have any idea what's going on in this vid at 0:46???

Also, I think its very amusing that at first glance it appears there are just lots of regional types of wrestling; somewhere along the line all our other martial heritage must've been outlawed?

Wu ming347 wrote:


Does anybody have any idea what's going on in this vid at 0:46???


Just a re-start.
The match had gone 'out of area', so it was re-started in the centre, with the person who had advantage retaining that.

mule wrote:

Just a re-start.
The match had gone 'out of area', so it was re-started in the centre, with the person who had advantage retaining that.

Thanks Mule.

Talking of regional traditions I reckon the Scots HAD to be some of the bravest fighters, if its really true a Scot running into battle would take off his kilt!?
Also, wasn't it the Picts who would also run into battle naked?

Isn't there a shin kicking one, can't remember if it has a special name.

Plus am I imagining that old school pre-Queensbury rules boxing had some wrestling and even rounds with swords? I'm sure I read about it somewhere.

Shin kicking is also known as Purring.

Here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKcDNfIy7w

SteveBruce wrote:
Shin kicking is also known as Purring.

Here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKcDNfIy7w

Love it! Didn't know about this one.

How very English is that: stuff some straw up your trousers, don a white coat and go for it!