Collar and Elbow Wrestling
Although it was usually called collar and elbow, it was also called “Coiléar agus Uille” and “Brollaidheacht” as Gaeilge. The latter comes from the word for the front of a shirt and could be translated to “collaring”.
In the 19th century, Brollaidheacht was practised throughout the country - "the chief physical sport of the male population from childhood to mature manhood". Local champions wrestled one another and visitors from other parishes, and wrestling matches between well-known combatants could draw crowds in the tens of thousands.
These matches were won by a “fall”, which meant different things in different areas. In Kildare a wrestler had won if he made his opponent touch the ground with one part of his body above the knees, whereas in Dublin a victor was only declared when three points of his opponent's body touched the ground (usually both shoulders and a hip, or both hips and a shoulder).
These matches were sometimes engaged in without shirts, especially during the hot months, the usual form of collar and elbow wrestling involved both wrestlers wearing jackets or heavy shirts that could withstand a firm grip, pulling around and a throw.
This is similar to other Celtic styles like Cornish wrestling and Breton Gouren. In Dublin, a challenge could be issued by laying a jacket in the centre of the ring and waiting for a contender to step in and put it on.
Given the minimal motion allowed to the hands, Brollaidheacht mostly involved leg techniques. Wrestlers would circle around one another and quickly launch a series of kicks, trips and sweeps to knock their opponent off his feet and slam him into the ground. Some at the time called this exchange “footsparring”.
Here are some styles of attack that were published in a 1900 dictionary of sporting terms from the Irish Department of Education (An Roinn Oideachais). Equivalent Japanese terms are given in parentheses if the reader would like to reference them on youtube.
- Caitheamh thar gualainn, flying mare
- Cor ailt, cor mughdhoirn (múrnáin), ankle throw (similar to Sasae tsurikomi ashi)
- Cor coise, tripping throw
- Cor cromáin, hip throw
- Cor glúine, knee throw
- Cor ioscaide, back-knee trip (similar to Osoto otoshi or Osoto gari)
- Cor sála, back-heel (similar to Kosoto gake)
- Cros-chor ailt (múrnáin), cross-ankle trip (similar to Tai otoshi)
- Cros-más, cross-buttock throw (similar to Harai goshi)
- Glac-coise, leg-lock
- Glas coise, hank (similar to Ōuchi gari)
- Lúbaim, hook
- Más, buttock throw (similar to Tsurikomi goshi)
- Snaidim, click (similar to Kosoto gari)
- Tuisleadh, trip
Today, the modern revival in the once hugely popular sport of collar and elbow is being led by a man called Ruadhán MacFadden, who has invested an enormous amount of time and effort into researching this ancient art form.
He has published a book which may be found here:
https://www.fallenrookpublishing.co.uk/books/irish-collar-and-elbow-wrestling/
And he also sells jackets for collar and elbow. Some tutorials may be found online here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0xDZaX-mNo
Chapter List (click to read):
1. Foreword
2 The Irish Language
3. Reading
4. Making and Shaping
5. The Physical Gael
6. The Warrior Gael
- The Crios Belt
- Open Hand Traditions
- Collar and Elbow Wrestling
- Gaelic Weapons
- Seanbhata
- Seanbhata Basics
- Seanbhata Guards
- Seanbhata Strikes and Blocks
- Seanbhata Close Fighting
- The Heroic Feats
7. Tradition and Culture
8. Organisation
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