Glíma is Icelandic wrestling.

There are four points that differentiate it from other forms of wrestling:

• The opponents must always stand erect.
• The opponents step clockwise around each other (looks similar to a waltz). This is to create opportunities for offense and defense, and to prevent a stalemate.
• It is not permitted to fall down on your opponent or to push him down in a forceful manner, as it is not considered sportsman-like.
• The opponents are supposed to look across each others shoulders as much as possible because it is considered proper to wrestle by touch and feel rather than sight.

Glima comes in three forms: bryxtagsglima, livtagsglima and friatagsglima(These names are taken from Swedish. The three styles probably have other names in icelandic).

The fist version is by far the most widespread and the one typically associated with the term Glima. Indeed some would say the term Glima should be restricted to this kind. Historically it was also the one put in highest esteem for favourising technique over strenght. It consists in the two wrestlers wearing and grapping hold of a special type of belt.

Livtagsglima is more similar to other styles of wrestling and require the wrestlers to grap hold of each others upper body.

Finally there is the friatagsglima where the contestants may use the holds they wish. This style is trained in a very combative fashion and often with self-defence in mind. Relatively few techniques relating to this style has been preserved however so while this type of wrestling is a long standing tradition in Iceland the modern version is partially a recreation of what it might have been like based on knowledge of traditional grappling in general. Still with original Glima techniques as the core though.

Glima is today and has always been friendly recreation and a gentlemanssport. But it's history include times when it has also been trained in a rougher way for self-defence and for use in duel matches.

Glima is a very old combative style. Certain evidence of Glima dates back to the 12th century but some descriptions of wrestling in the Icelandic sagas and the Younger Edda makes it reasonable to believe that the system is much older. The core of the system is eight main bragd(techniques) but these form the basic training for approximately 50 ways to execute a throw or takedown.

External links

• The Gripping History of Glima
• The Icelandic Wrestling Federation (Icelandic Only)