Everything You Need To Know About Mongolian Bokh Wrestling
Mongolian Bokh is a traditional format of wrestling that has many similarities to both judo and greco-roman wrestling, as well as shuai jiao if you are familiar with Chinese wrestling.
As Mongolia has a population of only 3.2 million people, you likely have not heard of bokh before, or are at least not too familiar with it.
There is no doubt that Mongolians are some of the toughest people on the planet. They live in a harsh landlocked climate that is dominated by grasslands and desert. It’s no surprise then that around 25% of the population still live a nomadic lifestyle today.
In terms of history, Mongolian bokh tournaments have been taking place since Genghis Khan was in power during the 13th century. At nationwide gatherings, Mongolians would compete in archery, horse riding events and of course bokh. Known as the “three manly skills”, these sports were, and still are deeply rooted in Mongolian culture.
Whilst Mongolia now has its own laws and democratic government, in the past bokh wrestling was used as a way to settle property disputes and arguments between nomadic tribes. Even today, the best bokh wrestlers are valued very highly in society and will always be seated in the middle of a traditional Mongolian tent.
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Mongolian Bokh Wrestling
The main difference between western wrestling sports and Mongolian bokh is the fact that there are no weight limits or age limits. Perhaps the closest sport in terms of these rulesets would be catch wrestling. However, due to these rules, it is not too unusual to see a man fight against a boy at a bokh competition. Something which would be very unusual in the western world.
Another key difference is the fact that Mongolian bokh takes place outdoors in the grasslands. There is no gym with air conditioning, nor a soft mat for you to fall on.
Much like judo, gripping is incredibly important and is used to keep the opponent off balance. The wrestler with the most dominant grips on the zodog jacket has a much better chance of throwing their opponent to the floor. It is very important to have a strong, athletic and physical upperbody when wrestling bokh style, as this is what is primarily used to pull your opponent downwards.
At the Naadam festival, the last 16 wrestlers will be awarded livestock such as sheep or goats for their efforts. As you can see, the nomadic people of Mongolia value essentials far more highly than a medal around their neck or a winner’s trophy.
Due to the fact that tournaments have no time limit, competitors at large competitions will generally wrestle from morning until night until a winner is crowned.
What Do Mongolian Wrestlers Wear?
The key features of a Mongolian wrestler are long boots known as gutal with somewhat loose fitting trousers. These trousers are not essential to the sport, but allow the wrestlers to perform their wide legged dances when entering and leaving the field.
The main component of bokh uniform is the Jodag (also known as Zodog) which is the leather wrestling jacket. These jackets are usually extremely sturdy much like a judo gi, although made from leather rather than fabric. You will usually find they are riveted together as well as having a belt around the front to maintain tightness (in other martial arts a fabric belt is used).
What Are The Rules Of Mongolian Bokh Wrestling?
It should be noted these are the rules for Inner Mongolian bokh (traditional wrestling). Less traditional events may allow you to touch the floor with your hands and grab the legs of your opponent.
- No grabbing the legs of your opponent
- The match ends when one wrestler touches the floor with a body part other than their foot
- No time limit
- No age limit
- No weight limit
One more important point to add is that sportsmanship is very highly valued in Mongolian bokh. If the jodag (jacket) of your opponent is loose whilst fighting, you are expected to stop to let them adjust their clothing. It is not acceptable to take advantage of this and score a cheap takedown.
The winner of each match is also meant to help the loser to their feet and then shake hands.
In short, you will not see any style of western sportsmanship, mind games or questionable behaviour in traditional Mongolian bokh.
Mongolian Bokh Tournaments
Mongolian bokh tournaments are structured in a single elimination format with no repercharge. This means that if you make a single mistake, you will be eliminated from the tournament with no chance of a comeback.
At the festival and gathering of Naadam, wrestling tournaments have 512 or 1024 competitors, with winners being known as lions. A two time winner of Naadam is known as a giant.
Smaller gatherings will use the same format as Nadaam, but will not have any where near as many competitiors.
Why Do Mongolians Dance Before Wrestling?
This is a time honored tradition and is meant to be a way of channeling the spirit of an animal. Depending on which part of Mongolia a wrestler comes from, they will dance like a different kind of animal. The most popular type of dances are falcons, deer and lions.
