Glima is a Scandinavian martial art used by Vikings. The word glíma in Old Norse means glimpse or flash.
History
Glima translates literally as “The Game of Joy”, and is an art roughly 1100 years old. It was brought to Iceland by Viking settlers, and has been practiced as a folk art ever since. Glima training for Scandinavian children began at 6 or 7 years of age. The combat system of Glima developed the strength, reflexes, endurance and courage that Viking warriors needed to survive in battle. Glima was the most popular sport during the Viking Age. Both men and women participated in the sport. Glima as a sport has several types; Brókartök, Hyrggspenna, and Lausatök.
Brókartök (trouser-grip) is the most widespread among the types of Glima in Iceland. The oldest Icelandic competition in Glima is Skjaldarglíma Ármann which was first held in 1888 and has been held almost every year since.
Rules
The brókartök (trouser-grip) version is by far the most widespread in Iceland and is Iceland's national sport. The fight is exclusively in upright standing, and it is forbidden to push the opponent down to the floor by force. It favours technique over strength. The wrestlers wear a special belt around the waist and additional belts on the lower thighs of each leg, which connect to the main belt. A fixed grip is then taken with one hand in the belt and the other in the trousers at thigh height. The wrestlers by stepping around each other in a dancelike manner, like a waltz, try to find a weakness. From this position the Glima-wrestler attempts to trip and throw his opponent. In this style of Glima, a thrown wrestler may attempt to land on his feet and hands and if he succeeds in doing so he has not lost. The winning condition in this type of glima is to make the opponent touch the ground with an area of the body between the elbow and the knee.
Hryggspenna (backhold wrestling) is more similar to other styles of wrestling and is considered to be more a test of strength than of technique. In backhold wrestling the opponents take hold of each other's upper body; whoever touches the ground with any part of the body except the feet has lost.
In lausatök (loose-grip wrestling) the contestants may use any holds they wish. It is much more aggressive and all kinds of wrestling techniques are allowed. The winner is considered the one who is still standing while the other is lying on the ground.
