HISTORY OF KURASH
Kurash is a traditional Uzbek wrestling style dating back to 1500 BC. It was enjoyed
at different gatherings and occasions by people in everyday clothes, hence the modern
kurashchi’s (wrestler) attire, consisting of a blue or green jacket, pair of loose fitting
white pants, and a belt. Two decades ago Kurash was revived by a well-known Uzbek Kurash Usta,
International Rank Sambo
and Judo master Komil Yusupov, who had started research
to learn the Kurash heritage and developed new Kurash rules which could meet
international standards of wrestling competitions. Once the knee of one of the
wrestlers touches the floor, the referee stops the bout and contestants should restart
their struggle from the initial upright standing position. It is not allowed to grapple legs, use joint-locks, chocking and strangling techniques. This makes Kurash a truly speedy, dynamic and exciting sport to watch. It also helps players to avoid many injuries and, taken as a whole, Kurash is one of the
safest styles of martial arts to practice. The International Kurash Association (IKA) was established in 1998
Kurash has followers across the world — from Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Russia
through Great Britain, India, Japan and South Africa. Presently the IKA unites four Continental Federations and more then 40 national
Kurash federations in Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Europe.
