Men were wearing ropes/colers around their necks or across the chest. They would grab each other by those ropes and kick shins and trip and hook each other's legs with their own legs (nowadays we call it grapevine techniques) that's what it was, aka "wrestling at arms' length".
You are welcome Hack. Weird world of 1400s. Now this is "weird world of 2010s", somewhere in Rochdale, Lancs. The men on the photo are pro clog-fighters/shin kickers.
Hack, thanks for your question. No I don't think so.
Shin Kicking is a degenerated form of an old English "coler wrastelynge". Men were wearing ropes/colers around their necks or across the chest. They would grab each other by those ropes and kick shins and trip and hook each other's legs with their own legs (nowadays we call it grapevine techniques) that's what it was, aka "wrestling at arms' length". It was popular all around the country. Sometimes for a back fall, more often first down to lose.
Purring was different, it was another word (a proper term, as well as 'puncing', champion purrer or champion puncer meant the best up and down fighter) for the Lancashire "up and down fighting" which was practiced only in East Lancashire and West Riding of Yorkshire. Often and especially nowadays "purring" is confused with "shin kicking", though originally those two terms were absolutely unrelated. But yes kicking, often referred to as actual act of purring (not just shins), throttling and wrestling as well as many other "non-clean wrestling" techniques were applied in the up and down matches. Basically it was all-in wrestling match from the 1930s-40s. First generation of Lancashire catch wrestlers (1840s) were often called "purrers" meaning former "up and down fighters".
As for the shin kicking in East Lancashire...of course there was such a thing as shin kicking, yes clogs on, someone told me that they still have it secretly in Greater Manchester areas. The thing is as soon as the sport of up and down fighting was abolished and the new style - catch wrestling was invented (replaced old up and down) shin kicking was turned into a separate illegal sport, fixed hold, first down to lose kicking match. Fall should be caused by the kick and not by the push, pull or sway action, combining those with proper kicks (below the knee) was allowed.
What was the look of an up and down match? Somewhat like that.
I need to check my notes, but there's a medieval writer who describes watching wrestling matches at the Cotswold Games, but returned some years later only to find it had morphed into the more barbaric practice of shin kicking, which seems to be the point that it breaks off as a seperate folk wrestling style.
Great Yarmouth remained a centre for regular shows until the 1980s
Strange goings on in Rochdale.
Thanks Ruslan
Men were wearing ropes/colers around their necks or across the chest. They would grab each other by those ropes and kick shins and trip and hook each other's legs with their own legs (nowadays we call it grapevine techniques) that's what it was, aka "wrestling at arms' length".
Gawd, what a weird world you visit!!!
Hack, thanks for your question. No I don't think so.
Shin Kicking is a degenerated form of an old English "coler wrastelynge". Men were wearing ropes/colers around their necks or across the chest. They would grab each other by those ropes and kick shins and trip and hook each other's legs with their own legs (nowadays we call it grapevine techniques) that's what it was, aka "wrestling at arms' length". It was popular all around the country. Sometimes for a back fall, more often first down to lose.
Purring was different, it was another word (a proper term, as well as 'puncing', champion purrer or champion puncer meant the best up and down fighter) for the Lancashire "up and down fighting" which was practiced only in East Lancashire and West Riding of Yorkshire. Often and especially nowadays "purring" is confused with "shin kicking", though originally those two terms were absolutely unrelated. But yes kicking, often referred to as actual act of purring (not just shins), throttling and wrestling as well as many other "non-clean wrestling" techniques were applied in the up and down matches. Basically it was all-in wrestling match from the 1930s-40s. First generation of Lancashire catch wrestlers (1840s) were often called "purrers" meaning former "up and down fighters".
As for the shin kicking in East Lancashire...of course there was such a thing as shin kicking, yes clogs on, someone told me that they still have it secretly in Greater Manchester areas. The thing is as soon as the sport of up and down fighting was abolished and the new style - catch wrestling was invented (replaced old up and down) shin kicking was turned into a separate illegal sport, fixed hold, first down to lose kicking match. Fall should be caused by the kick and not by the push, pull or sway action, combining those with proper kicks (below the knee) was allowed.
What was the look of an up and down match? Somewhat like that.
EAT EM ALIVE...A CATCH AS CATCH CAN MATCH, 1946.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtycO-1_OCM&fbclid=IwAR3virEbCMn6IM8WtlwlZuByPFp2W3ZXIQo6E3J_EKj0dypNNHyiUAXWS94
Seems very similar
So do you reckon this shin kicking is the same as purring Ruslan? Without clogs?
Pershore Medieval Fair also known as the Plum Festival still takes place today at the end of August but is cancelled in 2020 due to Covid 19