Glima

To Glima with something means to struggle with something. It’s the Icelandic national style of amateur folk wrestling. It’s a very old combative style of martial arts which dates back to almost 12^th century.

Traditional glima requires proper skills and techniques. Comprises of eight main ‘brad’ (techniques) which form the basic training to execute a throw or a takedown.

8 Basic Tricks, each of course has variations:

• The Outside Stroke
• The inside-click, the cross-click & back-heel
• The twist over the knee, the outside hipe
• The hook
• The cross buttock
• The inside-hipe
• The cross-buttock aloft
• The full or half buttock

The key points are the correct grip that a wrestler must have on the belt and have a proper technique in throwing their opponent on the ground, and playing sportsmen like while standing upright. Surrounding glima is a code of honor called Drengskapur that calls for fairness, respect for and caring about the security of one’s training partners.

Glima comes in two forms:

A version for self-defense and a version for friendly competition. In either all kinds of wrestling techniques are allowed but in the friendly version they are still taught to be executed in a way so they won’t cause the opponent injury. This means that if both the opponents fall to the ground together the match will continue on the ground by the use of techniques to keep the other down while getting up one. The winner is considered the one who is standing tall while the other is lying on the ground.

In Glima strength isn’t as important as technical skill and balance. The combatants brought each other down with lightening quick moves and tricks as much with the feet as with the hands.

Glima is definitely an interesting sport where you can learn many techniques, and behavioral skills like respecting and treating your opponent with care.