Glima
Encyclopedia
Glíma is the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

ic national style of folk wrestling
Folk wrestling
A folk wrestling style is a traditional wrestling discipline which may or may not be codified as a modern sport. Most human cultures have developed their own sort of grappling style unique from other styles practiced...

.

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
    Waltz
    The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...

    ). This is to create opportunities for offence and defence, and to prevent a stalemate
    Stalemate
    Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....

    .
  • 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 other's shoulders as much as possible because it is considered proper to wrestle by touch and feel rather than sight.


The core of the system are eight main brögð (techniques), which form the basic training for approximately 50 ways to execute a throw or takedown
Takedown (grappling)
A takedown is a martial arts and combat sports term for a technique that involves off-balancing an opponent and bringing him or her to the ground, typically with the combatant performing the takedown landing on top. The process of quickly advancing on an opponent and attempting a takedown is known...

.

Surrounding glima is a code of honour called drengskapur that calls for fairness, respect for and caring about the security of one's training partners.

The word glíma is the Icelandic term for "wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...

" in general. The same word has also a wider meaning of "struggle".

Glima proper

The first version is by far the most widespread and the one typically associated with the term glima. Indeed, most people would say the term should be restricted to this kind only, and it is this version which is Iceland's national sport. Historically it was also the one put in highest esteem for favoring technique over strength. Each of the two wrestlers wears a special belt
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...

 around the waist and separate, additional belts on the lower thighs of each leg, which connect to the main belt with vertical straps. A fixed grip is then taken with one hand in the belt and the other in the trousers at thigh height. 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 fall. 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.
Glíma is different from all other ethnic grips in three ways:

Upprétt staða

Pursuers shall remain upright. The positioning in many of the ethnic grips sports often resembles a setsquare but in Glíma that is called ousting or “bol” and is banned.

Stígandinn

Glíma involves steps, which involves contestants stepping forth and back like they are dancing in a clockwise motion. Stígandi is one of the characteristics of Glíma and designed to avoid a standstill and create opportunities for offence and attack.

Níð

It is forbidden in Glíma to tail your opponent to the floor or push your opponent down with force. That is considered to be unsportsmanlike and opposing the nature of Glíma as a sport for honorable sportsmen and women. Glíma sportsman or a sportswoman shall conquer his opponent with a Glíma grip so well implemented that it suffices in a “bylta”, which forces your opponent to fall to the ground without any further action. The concept “níð” does not exist in other ethnic grip sports.

Every year the best Glíma sportsmen and women compete for victory in the Íslandsglíma tournament. There they compete for the trophy “Grettisbelti”, which is the oldest and most prestigious trophy in Iceland. The Íslandsglíma first took place in Akureyri in the year of 1906 and the winner of the tournament is awarded with the Grettisbelti trophy and the title “Icelandic King of Glíma”.
In the past decade women have also participated in the sport with good results. Their big tournament is called “Freyjuglíma” and the winner is crowned as the queen of Glíma.

Hryggspenna

Hryggspenna is more similar to other styles of wrestling and is considered to be more a test of strength than of technique. In Hryggspenna 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.

Lausatök

In Lausatök (loose-grip wrestling) the contestants may use the holds they wish. This style is a kind of reconstruction since it was out of practice for a period of about 100 years before being taken up again recently, within the last generation.

It is much more aggressive and differs in many ways from other styles of Icelandic wrestling. Lausatök comes in two forms: A version for self-defence
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...

 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
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...

. In such a friendly match the winner is considered the one who is standing tall while the other is lying on the ground. 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.

Even more divergent from other forms of Icelandic wrestling is lausatök when trained purely for self-defence (as is done a couple of places in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

). In such training the harmful and hurtful techniques or ways of executing the techniques, that are not accepted in other forms of Icelandic wrestling, are explored in as free and creative a way as possible while not injuring one's training-partners. Lausatök is one of the influences in creating the European martial art of Runa Glima which includes the Single Ringed Stick, Double Ringed Stick, Triple Ringed Staff and knife. The historical runes in a psychological combat context are also a part of study where as Glima practitioners are known to use Icelandic magical staves
Icelandic magical staves
Icelandic magical staves are symbols credited with magical effect preserved in various grimoires dating from the 17th century and later...

.

Organizations

The International Glima Association (IGA) is the global organisation uniting all people and groups interested in Glima.

The current president of IGA is Orri Bjornsson from Iceland.

The Viking Glima Federation (VGF) is the international organisation that deals with Glima as a Martial Art.
The current president and chief instructor of VGF is Lars Magnar Enoksen
Lars Magnar Enoksen
Lars Magnar Enoksen is a Swedish writer and Glima wrestler.Enoksen was born in Malmö in 1960 with a Swedish mother and Norwegian father....

 from Sweden.

Champions

The most prominent prize in Glima has always been the Grettisbelti.
The winner has for decades been called Glímukóngur "the Glima king".
This is the Icelandic open in Glima and has always drawn the best wrestlers of each era.
Below is a list of the winners the years they won and the club they competed for.

Glimakings of Iceland
Year Glimaking Club
1906 Ólafur Valdimarsson UMFA
1906 Ólafur Valdimarsson UMFA
1907 Jóhannes Jósefsson UMFA
1908 Jóhannes Jósefsson UMFA
1909 Guðmundur A. Stefánsson Ármann
1910 Sigurjón Pétursson Ármann
1911 Sigurjón Pétursson Ármann
1912 Sigurjón Pétursson Ármann
1913 Sigurjón Pétursson Ármann
1919 Tryggvi Gunnarsson Ármann
1920 Tryggvi Gunnarsson Ármann
1921 Hermann Jónasson Ármann
1922 Sigurður Greipsson Umf. Bisk
1923 Sigurður Greipsson Umf. Bisk
1924 Sigurður Greipsson Umf. Bisk
1925 Sigurður Greipsson Umf. Bisk
1926 Sigurður Greipsson Umf. Bisk
1927 Þorgeir Jónsson Stefni
1928 Þorgeir Jónsson Stefni
1929 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1930 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1931 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1932 Lárus Salómonsson Ármann
1933 Lárus Salómonsson Ármann
1934 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1935 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1936 Sigurður Thorarensen Ármann
1937 Skúli Þorleifsson Ármann
1938 Lárus Salómonsson Ármann
1939 Ingimundur Guðmundsson Ármann
1940 Ingimundur Guðmundssson Ármann
1941 Kjartan Bergm. Guðjónsson Ármann
1942 Kristmundur J Sigurðsson Ármann
1943 Guðmundur Ágústsson Umf. Vöku
1944 Guðmundur Ágústsson Ármann
1945 Guðmundur Ágústsson Ármann
1946 Guðmundur Ágústsson Ármann
1947 Guðmundur Ágústsson Ármann
1948 Guðmundur Guðmundsson Ármann
1949 Guðmundur Guðmundsson Ármann
1950 Rúnar Guðmundsson Umf. Vöku
1951 Rúnar Guðmundsson Ármann
1952 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1953 Rúnar Guðmundsson Ármann
1954 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1955 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1956 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1957 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1958 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1959 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1960 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. R
1961 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1962 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1963 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1964 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1965 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1966 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1967 Ármann J Lárusson Umf. Breiðablik
1968 Sigtryggur Sigurðsson KR
1969 Sveinn Guðmundsson HSH
1970 Sigtryggur Sigurðsson KR
1971 Sigtryggur Sigurðsson KR
1972 Jón E Unndórsson KR
1973 Jón E Unndórsson KR
1974 Hjálmur Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
1975 Pétur V Yngvason Umf. Víkverja
1976 Ingi Þór Yngvason HSÞ
1977 Ingi Þór Yngvason HSÞ
1978 Ómar Úlfarsson KR
1979 Ingi Þór Yngvason HSÞ
1980 Pétur V Yngvason HSÞ
1981 Ingi Þór Yngvason HSÞ
1982 Pétur V Yngvason HSÞ
1983 Eyþór Pétursson HSÞ
1984 Pétur V Yngvason HSÞ
1985 Ólafur H Ólafsson KR
1986 Ólafur H Ólafsson KR
1987 Eyþór Pétursson HSÞ
1988 Pétur V Yngvason HSÞ
1989 Ólafur H Ólafsson KR
1990 Ólafur H Ólafsson KR
1991 Ólafur H Ólafsson KR
1992 Jóhannes Sveinbjörnsson HSK
1993 Jóhannes Sveinbjörnsson HSK
1994 Orri Björnsson KR
1995 Jóhannes Sveinbjörnsson HSK
1996 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Ármann
1997 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
1998 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
1999 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
2000 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
2001 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
2002 Ingibergur Jón Sigurðsson Umf. Víkverja
2003 Ólafur Oddur Sigurðsson HSK
2004 Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

Víkverja
2005 Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

KR
2006 Jón Birgir Valsson KR
2007 Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

KR
2008 Pétur Þórir Gunnarsson HSÞ
2009 Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

KR
2010 Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

Ármann

World championship

The first world championship in Glima and Hryggspenna was held in Roskilde, Denmark in August 2008.
The list of medal winners is below.

Glíma

Men, +100 kg

1.   Orri Björnsson, Iceland 4 points

2.   Sindri Freyr Jónsson, Iceland 3 points

3.   Eduard Mihailov, Estonia 1+2 points

Men, -100 kg

1.   Pétur Þórir Gunnarsson, Iceland 6 points

2.   Jón Smári Eyþórsson, Iceland 5 points

3.   Brynjólfur Örn Rúnarsson, Iceland 3,5 points

Men, -90 kg

1.   Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

, Iceland 5,5+1 points

2.   Ólafur Oddur Sigurðsson, Iceland 5,5+0 points

3.   Hreinn Heiðar Jóhannsson, Iceland 4 points

Men, -81 kg

1.   Snær Seljan Þóroddsson, Iceland 5 points

2.   Bjarni Þór Gunnarsson, Iceland 4 points

3.   David Lundholm, Sweden 3 points

Men, -73 kg

1.   Óðinn Þór Kjartansson, Iceland 4 points

2.   Aleksejs Kurilovs, Latvia 3,5+1 points

3.   Steinar Bjarki Marínósson, Iceland 3,5+0 points

Men, -66 kg

1.   Halldór Óli Kjartansson, Iceland 4,5 points

2.   Magnús Bjarki Snæbjörnsson, Iceland 4 points

3.   Júlíus Gunnar Björnsson, Iceland 2,5+1 points

Women, open category

1.   Jóhanna Guðrún Magnúsdóttir, Iceland 3 points

2.   Guðrún Heiður Skúladóttir, Iceland 2 points

3.   Laufey Frímansdóttir, Iceland 1 point

Hryggspenna

Men, +100 kg

1.   Eduard Mihailov, Estonia

2.   Christian Bartel, Germany

3.   Orri Björnsson, Iceland

Men, -100 kg

1.   Zbignevs Romanovskis, Latvia

2.   Jón Smári Eyþórsson, Iceland

3.   Brynjólfur Örn Rúnarsson, Iceland

Men, -90 kg

1.   Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson
Pétur Eyþórsson was born 22nd of July in Húsavík 1978. Pétur is a renowned glima champion, having won the glima grettisbelt multiple times and was voted the best wrestler during the first IGA world championship. He is the son of Eyþór Pétursson a famous glima wrestler in the 1980's.-External...

, Iceland

2.   Ólafur Oddur Sigurðsson, Iceland

3.   Andress Kools, Netherlands

Men, -81 kg

1.   Vjaceslavs Masloboevs, Latvia

2.   Bjarni Þór Gunnarsson, Iceland

3.   Snær Seljan Þóroddsson, Iceland

Men, -73 kg

1.   Aleksejs Kurilovs, Latvia

2.   Óðinn Þór Kjartansson, Iceland

3.   John Jozen, Netherlands

Men, -66 kg

1.   Halldór Óli Kjartansson, Iceland

2.   Benjamin Werth, Germany

3.   Magnús Bjarki Snæbjörnsson, Iceland

Women

1.   Jóhanna Guðrún Magnúsdóttir, Iceland

2.   Laufey Frímansdóttir, Iceland

3.   Ashley Leyten, Netherlands

External links

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