Sand Wrestling: A Long History and a Bright Future

By Robbert Wijtman

Wrestling on dirt or sand has been done since the beginning. Before Catch wrestlers fought in hay-covered barns and Jujitsuka trained on hemp mats, men fought for positions of power in the dirt. Ancient Olympians wrestled in a sand pit. The olive oil, anointed on their bodies before battle, picked up the sand, making their grips and holds tighter and more painful. Before the advent of “the pin”, the battle was to the death. The sand in the pit often playing a part. The story of Abraham Lincoln challenging a rival for the position of commander of the Illinois volunteers by wrestling in the dirt is well known and taught as history in American schools. Battles in the dirt are at the core of many indigenous styles.

Sand wrestling has a long tradition in India. Kushti is the general term for traditional Indian pit, or sand wrestling. Pahlweni is a style that combines elements of Koshti pahlevani, a Persian wrestling style that was brought to India in the 5th century BC, and Malia-yuddha, the ancient style of Indian wrestling that existed before the invasion. Gatta gusthi is a style of submission wrestling that is contested in a godha, or open sand area. 

Among many in India, the sport is considered divine. Akharas, or academies, will often have Hanuman, the many-armed monkey deity, as a guard over the pehlwans, or students. The ustad, or masters, may also be the Pujari or Swamis and, perhaps, a Guru. A Pujari or a Swami are Hindu priest. Guru is the Sanskrit word for mentor, expert, or master. It often refers to a leader with a high level of wisdom and spiritual knowledge. They play a vital role in Hindu society. The sport and training are integrated into their society.

Senegal's national sport is a traditional form of sand wrestling called Laamb in Wolof. It is also practiced in Gambia where it is called Boreh. It is battled in other parts of West Africa, as well. It is different than other styles of sand wrestling in that it allows strikes with the hands. The sport is officially called Lutte avec frappe, which means, wrestling with striking. Sand wrestling has a strong tradition with the Serer people of west-central Senegal where it was known as Njion. The sport, as battle training, dates back to pre-colonial times. The Dinka people of South Sudan are known to engage in a style very similar, however, strikes are not allowed.

The Senegalese wrestlers are very superstitious, and many perform “good luck” rituals before matches. Common to these rituals are behaviors such as rubbing a foot on a particular stone to increase the fighter's balance or rubbing oils on themselves to ward off evil and bring "the good luck". Currently, there is a struggle in Senegal with young athletes dropping out of school to pursue their national sport. It is the lure of money fed by the widespread betting on the matches that the young kids dream of. It is a quick way out of the poverty that many of them find themselves in. It has come to such a problem that Lutte avec frappe heroes and stars have made public service announcements telling the children to stay in school and get an education.

Beach wrestling is the modern, UWW-endorsed, version of sand wrestling. As an event, it was introduced in the 1990s as an aside to a few tournaments for wrestlers who were no longer in the tournament. Two weight classes were established: big and little guys. The medals tended to be sand dollars of descending size.

The first FILA-registered event was the ASICS 2005 East Coast Beach Nationals held in Long Beach, N.Y. On August 12, 2005. The rules have been revised several times. The current set of rules was enacted in 2015.

Here is a summary of the current rules adopted by the 2015 UWW Congress on Beach Wrestling:

The competition is to last 3 minutes only in the standing position and without a break. Using legs are allowed for scoring against the opponent wrestler. The attacking wrestler can instantaneously put one knee down and perform any action. However, if that act is unsuccessful, i.e. no points are scored, then 1 point is given to the opponent wrestler. If one of the wrestlers scores 3 or more points, the match ends earlier. If the match ends with a score of 1:1 or 2:2, the wrestler who scored the last point is declared the winner. If the match ends 0:0, the wrestler with lower weight is declared the winner. If both wrestlers have the same weight, the athlete with the lower number in the sortition is declared the winner. Each wrestler can use the medical services for a maximum of 2 minutes during the match. Athletes that compete in the respective round should be on the competition field for a maximum of 2 minutes.

At the UWW African Beach Wrestling Championships held in Dakar, Senegal in 2024; there were 103 wrestlers from 33 countries contesting 4 men's and 4 women's weight classes. The sport is growing, but needs to get the traditional wrestlers on board. This will be hard work as the main reason many Senegalese youth wrestle is for the money. With betting so rampant, convincing them to wrestle for the honor of their country is a tall order, indeed, but not unattainable. Investing in clean, well-equipped government-funded training facilities that offer training to youth wrestlers and hosting more government-sanctioned wrestling events can begin to form a movement. With modern dormitories and well-stocked cafeterias, the youth could see a way out of the poverty that keeps them down and drives them to the professional fight sand pits with the cash rewards they offer. Offer the children an alternative and they may forego a hard life and quick cash for a clean bed and proper training.

Beach wrestling has much to offer as a combative sport. The rules are very simple to understand. The combative area is simple to set up. The combat can be held inside or outside. Beach wrestling, as the modern adaptation of sand wrestling, inherits a long history and a bright future.

By growing the sport among the countries that are less represented in the Olympics, such as the countries of Africa, Beach wrestling will help itself in securing a spot in a future Olympics. Beach wrestling is currently an event in the Youth Olympics.

Sand Wrestler scores 3 points to win this battle. Action from the 2024 Beach Wrestling National Championships held in Huntington Beach, California, USA.