The Art of Catch Wrestling

The Art of Catch Wrestling

This blog post is a little different from what you're used to seeing here. A few months ago, I became aware of an art called Catch Wrestling. This is due to the fact that I met someone with the username "CatchWrestling" in a Twitch stream. I became interested in the subject and thankfully, they agreed to answer some questions for me!

What is Catch Wrestling?

Catch Wrestling is a combative art style that combines pins with submissions. It is the forefather of American scholastic wrestling, Olympic Freestyle wrestling, and professional wrestling. 

What is the history of Catch Wrestling?

Catch Wrestling originated in Lancashire, England in the late 1700s to early 1800s. It was the amalgamation (or combination) of various regional styles found within England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. It traveled to North America through immigrants, and was mixed with other European wrestling styles there. 

What does the phrase "Catch As Catch Can" mean?

"Catch As Catch Can" means to catch any hold that you can. Many styles require you to start in a specific hold or tie-up beforehand; such as collar-and-elbow, over and under, back hold, and hand on a belt or sleeve. In some of these styles the grip has to be maintained, or you will lose the match. Catch is thus a "free" style or "loose" style without these restrictions. You can release grips or grip wherever you need to secure an advantage. This proves to be popular with spectators, as it leads to more dynamic matches. 

What makes Catch Wrestling so unique?

Catch Wrestling is unique in that not only can you win by pin or submission, but there are submissions that can coax an opponent to be pinned through pain and leverage. Going to your back is, in a way, a concession of defeat. 

It is also one of the relatively modern styles to not originate with a jacket or Kimono/Gi, and has the least amount of rules regarding what holds are legal or illegal. "No Holds Barred" is a term that originated from Catch Wrestling.

Finally, what also makes it unique is that it was the first style one could wrestle professionally in -- to be a touring athlete  and compete for prize money. It was equal to and, in a lot of cases, superior to professional boxing back in the day.

Who are some well-known practitioners of Catch Wrestling?

Well-known practitioners of the past are Martin "Farmer" Burns, Frank Gotch, Joe Stecher, Ed Lewis, Billy Robinson, and Karl Gotch. Today, the most well-known are Kazushi Sakuraba, Josh Barnett, and Shayna Baszler.

How can we learn more about Catch Wrestling?

Apart from following me (@CatchWrestling) on Twitter, a great starting place for history is the book "Catch Wrestling..." by Mark Hewitt. 

It's interesting to see where some of the maneuvers and holds we see in pro wrestling come from. Let me know what you think in the comment section below!