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Canary wrestling (Lucha canaria - Spanish) is an ancient and still very popular form of wrestling practiced throughout the Canary Islands (Spain territory located off West Africa). Lucha canaria is a highly popular sport (individual and team) for both men and women. Each team consists of twelve wrestlers that fight individual bouts in a sand covered circular ring. The basic principle of the contest is to upset the balance of the opponent making him/her touch the ground first with any part of his/her body aside from the feet.
Only standing grappling is allowed in this sport – a match is interrupted or finished if one of the contestants (or both) falls – no ground struggle. The most important skill is agility and even good manners! That’s why women willingly practice the sport ennobling it. There are many clubs and teams in the islands including a women's category.
The wrestling-arena made of sand usually has a diameter of 17 meters. The whole Lucha canaria stadium is also called Terrero which you can find in nearly every town of the islands (in all 122 on the Canary Islands). These arenas fill up with up to 4000 spectators in important competitions.
There are several theories about the history of this sport, but all of them agree, that the origin of the Lucha Canaria lies in pre-Spanish epoch of the Canary Islands. It is an original sport of Guanches, old settlers of the Canary Islands - they are thought to share common origins with North African Berbers.
The first indication of the existence of Canarian Wrestling was found in the Cronica from Alvar Garcia de Santa Maria from 1420, many years before the Spaniards conquered the archipelago. The "Poema de Viana" from 1604 mentioned some details about the Lucha Canaria of that time – like grab-techniques and the presence of referees.
Participants wear loose T-shirts and shorts covering their thighs but these are then rolled further up the leg. After greeting each other, the wrestlers stand eye to eye, using the left hand to grasp the rolled hem of the opponent's shorts on the right. Slightly leaning inwards with the upper part of the body, the head practically rests on the shoulder of the adversary. The right hand touches the ground. When the referee signals the sand starts flying – literally...
There are three groups of Canary wrestling techniques ("mannas") – grasp, block and deflect.
Grasp. A wrestler grasps any part of the opponent's body to try to unbalance and knock down the opponent. Usually, that’s achieved by lifting and dropping an opponent taken by waist, arms, thighs or feet.
Block. A wrestler blocks the movement of any part of the opponent's body using his/her own body to unbalance the opponent.
Deflect. A wrestler moves his body to deflect any technique from the opponent using the opponent's strength and movement to unbalance him/her.
Bibliography:
Round Town News
Wikipedia
Gran Canaria
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