Hah, ah man, it's funny hearing that, since in the South-West we're also known as a bunch of country folk. But yeah, for sure there is a stereotype that people from the North are uncultured or whatever. 😂 But there was also a history of wrestling/grappling from Cornwall and Devonshire, both jacketed forms, I think. Bristol/Somerset (where I'm from) was also very well known for the skill of their bareknuckle boxers (who would traditionally have grappled too, until the rules changed). Love the video man, and yeah, good point about "Greco-Roman" being new, like it was a French style of wrestling. 😅 The shin kicking as well, ahahah, yeah man, ah, people still do the shin kicking stuff here and there (obviously without the crazy shoes hahah). Super interesting video, guys, very nice and detailed. Love that catch wrestling has a new life in the USA, since yeah, in the UK there's only a handful of places that still teach it.
Wonder how much would have come back with soldiers serving in India during the Empire? Seems there are exercises: Hindu squats, Mace exercises, maybe even moves and techniques taken from Indian wrestling. Anything new that your opponent didn't know, would have been an advantage.
Conveniently forgot to mention that half of it was borrowed from Asia, circa 1600s to 1850s From British occupied India where Persian originated Pahlevani wrestling was popular. Prior to that, none of the European wrestling styles had leg grabs. That's purely a Persian/Indian concept. As is all the mat wrestling on the ground. Before that European styles were more reminiscent to modern Greco-Roman wrestling.
