National belt (gurshag) wrestling
National belt wrestling is one of the sports that make up the Association. It is popularly known as gurshagtutma. It is regarded as one of Azerbaijan's ancient folk games and is among the oldest traditional names for wrestling contests in zorkhana games.
Gurshagtutma contests are held at Novruz and other folk festivities. Pahlavans enter the arena to the sound of a pair of zurnas and drums and challenge young men to wrestle. In Karabakh this wrestling has also spread as a game among children and young people.
Origins
Wrestling by gripping the belt is described in ancient literature too. In the Book of Dede Korkut, Bamsi Beyrek wrestles his bride-to-be, each gripping the other's belt. Movses Kaghankatvatsi wrote about the Albanian commander Javanshir wrestling by the belt. More on this can be found on the National wrestling page.
Rules
The main aim is to grip the opponent by the belt and apply a technique. Historical sources describe two kinds of gurshagtutma: in one it was forbidden to act on the opponent's leg with one's own leg or to throw with the help of the leg; in the other these techniques were allowed.
The current competition rules will be published here once the Association provides them.
Sources
- National Olympic Committee: national folk games at Novruz celebrations
- Y. Jalalov, Z. Mammadov, M. Najafov. Azərbaycanda zorxana və milli güləşin inkişaf tarixi [The history of zorkhana and national wrestling in Azerbaijan]. Scientific Bulletin of the Sport Academy, 2022
- T. Orujov. Qarabağda xalq oyunları [Folk games in Karabakh]. Xalq Cəbhəsi, 25 January 2021