Gouren
Encyclopedia
Gouren is a style of folk wrestling
which has been established in Brittany
for several centuries.
In today's France
, Gouren is overseen by the Fédération Française de Lutte (French Wrestling Federation).
In 1930, in order to avoid the practice of gouren falling into oblivion, Charles Cottonec of Quimperlé (Finistère) breathed new life into the sport with the creation of a set of rules and the sport's first federation
, which is still active today.
Today gouren is well-organised. It has its own federation, clubs (skoliou), and its own European Championships which take place every two years.
Gouren has also kept its cultural ties
, and displays of the martial art can be seen alongside traditional Breton music and dance.
Folk wrestling
A folk wrestling style is a traditional wrestling discipline which may or may not be codified as a modern sport. Most human cultures have developed their own sort of grappling style unique from other styles practiced...
which has been established in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
for several centuries.
In today's France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Gouren is overseen by the Fédération Française de Lutte (French Wrestling Federation).
History
Gouren was popular in Brittany towards the beginning of the 20th century, with competitions every Sunday in some small villages.In 1930, in order to avoid the practice of gouren falling into oblivion, Charles Cottonec of Quimperlé (Finistère) breathed new life into the sport with the creation of a set of rules and the sport's first federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
, which is still active today.
Today gouren is well-organised. It has its own federation, clubs (skoliou), and its own European Championships which take place every two years.
Gouren has also kept its cultural ties
Culture of Brittany
The Culture of Brittany is made up of a mixture of French and Breton culture, and celtic culture. Within France, Breton culture is closest regionally to those of Normandy, Aquitaine, and Gascony...
, and displays of the martial art can be seen alongside traditional Breton music and dance.
Rules
The wrestlers, required to fight barefoot, wear a special white shirt (roched) tied with a belt and black trousers (bragoù), and try to bring each other to the ground by grappling the other's roched. A victory (lamm) is declared when the loser is on their back on the ground, with the winner standing; this is usually managed by tripping the opponent. Victory is only achieved when both the loser's shoulder blades hit the ground at the same time, and before any other part of the body. Each bout lasts seven minutes maximum.The Lamm
The perfect result is the lamm. It ends the bout immediately and is worth 6 points. The lamm is the perfect fall: the loser falls flat on his or her back with both shoulders touching the floor.The Kostin
It is the next best result, very close to the lamm : a fall on one shoulder, for example. It is counted at the end of a bout. It is worth 4 points.The Kein
It is an advantage and is taken into account at the end of an astenn (extra time: half the time of a bout). It is a fall of the inferior part of the back, or the whole back and posterior.See also
- Cornish wrestlingCornish wrestlingCornish wrestling is a form of wrestling which has been established in Cornwall, an area of southwest Britain for several centuries. The referee is known as a 'stickler', and it is claimed that the popular meaning of the word as a 'pedant' originates from this usage...
- Collar-and-elbowCollar-and-elbowCollar-and-elbow wrestling is a style of folk wrestling native to Ireland that can be traced back to the 17th century but it has ties to the Games of Tailtinn between 632 BC and 1169 AD. Though originating in Ireland, the style flourished in America. The style is often compared to Catch wrestling,...
- Greco-Roman WrestlingGreco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
- International Federation of Celtic Wrestling