Collar and Elbow Wrestling (Brollaidheacht)

In Collar and Elbow, Ireland’s native style of wrestling, everything happens in a grip that never loosens: two hands on the opponent’s jacket, a body seeking to bring the other down before going down itself.
Wrestlers face each other holding fixed grips on the opponent’s jacket: one on the collar, one on the elbow. From there, the challenge is to bring them to the ground with any part of the body from the knees up, often through trips, sweeps and hip throws. Each fall, as well as each broken grip, is worth one point, and the first to reach 3 wins a standard bout, 5 a final.
Born in the Irish countryside, this style of wrestling reached a popularity in the 1800s that crossed borders, with professional competitions in Europe, North America and Oceania. A game of balance and strategy, still tying those who practise it today to that history of encounters and challenges.

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Ph credits: northernirelandworld.com