The Complete Science of Wrestling

By George Hackenschmidt

Winning most of his professional matches in less than 10 minutes and a claimed career record of more than 2,000 wins and 5 losses, George "the Russian Lion" Hackenschmidt, was considered the top wrestler of his day and is even now considered one of the top Catch-as-catch-can wrestlers of all time.

First published in 1909 and lavished with 70 photographs, provides an introduction to what Hackenschmidt thought was the most important elements of Catch-as-catch-can wrestling, with particular attention to what was not included in competing manuals.

Though he had earned a reputation as a true gentleman in the ring, his manual includes details on trips, leg-locks, arm-locks, chokes, skirting the rules, "punishing" holds, and various "tricks" that could be used in a match.

This manual, faithfully transcribed by Kirk Lawson from the original, contains a wealth of information for modern Catch-as-catch-can wrestlers and remains an important and valuable wrestling resource to this day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781365410475

Book preview

The Complete Science of Wrestling

Complete Science of Wrestling by George Hackenschmidt

This document is an attempt at a faithful transcription of the original document.  Special effort has been made to ensure that original spelling, line-breaks, and vocabulary are left intact, and when possible, similar fonts have been used. However, it contains original formatting and image scans.  All rights are reserved except those specifically granted herein. 

You may distribute this document in whole, provided that you distribute the entire document including this disclaimer, attributions, transcriber forewords, etc., and also provided that you charge no money for the work excepting a nominal fee to cover the costs of the media on or in which it is distributed.  You may not distribute this document in any for-pay or price-metered medium without permission.

Many thanks to Stefan Dieke for providing a copy of the original document from which the scans and this transcription was taken.

Special dedication to my wife Mylinda, my son Christopher, and my daughter Allison.

-Kirk Lawson

COMPLETE

SCIENCE OF

WRESTLING

BY

GEORGE HACKENSCHMIDT

Copyright in the United States of America by "Health

& Strength"  Ltd.   1909.   All rights strictly reserved

LONDON

HEALTH & STRENGTH, -  LTD

12, BURLEIGH STREET, STRAND

BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LD., PRINTERS

LONDON AND TONBRIDGE.

CONTENTS

Chapter I.A WRESTLER'S TRAININGpage 9

Graeco-Roman, Ju-jutsu, and other styles of

Wrestling valuable Training for Catch-

as-catch-can.

The Wrestler's Physical Qualities, and how

they should be cultivated.

The importance of strength.

Road exercise.

What a Wrestler should wear.

Chapter II.UP-STANDING WRESTLING AND

STANDING THROWS page 26

The Cross-Buttock.

A Counter to the Cross-Buttock

The Buttock.

Parries to Cross-Buttock Counters.

Standing Attacks.

The Outside-Stroke.

Another opening

Head Chancery-Holds, and the stops to

some of them

A Punishing Double Chancery-Hold.

Chancery and Bar-Hold.

A Head-and-Crotch Throw Counter to an

attempted Chancery-Hold.

The Side Chancery-Hold.

The Flying Mare.

v

CONTENTS

Chapter II.UP-STANDING WRESTLING AND

STANDING THROWS --- continued,

The Waist-Holds.

Waist-Holds from behind.

A simple method of getting behind.

Leg-Holds and Leg-Work in Upright

Wrestling.

A Defence against Tripping.

Single Leg-Holds.

The Double Leg-Hold.

A combined Head, Chancery, and further

Arm-Hold with a Back-Heel.

Standing Arm-Holds and Arm-Rolls.

Chapter III.GROUND WRESTLINGpage 102

Leg-Hold on Arm and Fall secured by com-

bination with a further Arm-Nelson or

Crotch-Hold.

A variation of the Cradle-Hold.

How to fix the Scissors.

Counters and Breaks for the Scissors-Hold.

The Science of Arm-Rolling.

A Ju-jutsu Trick for making certain of

securing a fall from an Arm-Roll

A Half-Nelson and Hammerlock com-

bination.

A Half-Nelson and Head-Hold with Inter-

laced Fingers.

The Foot up the Back as a Preliminary

Hold to securing a Fall.

Further Leg-Holds.

The Leg Half-Nelson

vi

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

George Hackenschmidt                                                        Frontispiece

Shaking handspage13

Sparring for Holds15

In Head-holds19

George Hackenschmidt at the age of 1921

Pulling at the elbow to break an inside Head-hold23

The Cross-buttock27

The Buttock29

Counter to Cross-buttock31

If very quick you may even get back and catch your

This document is an attempt at a faithful transcription of the original document.  Special effort has been made to ensure that original spelling, line-breaks, and vocabulary are left intact, and when possible, similar fonts have been used. However, it contains original formatting and image scans.  All rights are reserved except those specifically granted herein. 

You may distribute this document in whole, provided that you distribute the entire document including this disclaimer, attributions, transcriber forewords, etc., and also provided that you charge no money for the work excepting a nominal fee to cover the costs of the media on or in which it is distributed.  You may not distribute this document in any for-pay or price-metered medium without permission.

Many thanks to Stefan Dieke for providing a copy of the original document from which the scans and this transcription was taken.

Special dedication to my wife Mylinda, my son Christopher, and my daughter Allison.

-Kirk Lawson

COMPLETE

SCIENCE OF

WRESTLING

BY

GEORGE HACKENSCHMIDT

Copyright in the United States of America by "Health

& Strength"  Ltd.   1909.   All rights strictly reserved

LONDON

HEALTH & STRENGTH, -  LTD

12, BURLEIGH STREET, STRAND

BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO. LD., PRINTERS

LONDON AND TONBRIDGE.

CONTENTS

Chapter I.A WRESTLER'S TRAININGpage 9

Graeco-Roman, Ju-jutsu, and other styles of

Wrestling valuable Training for Catch-

as-catch-can.

The Wrestler's Physical Qualities, and how

they should be cultivated.

The importance of strength.

Road exercise.

What a Wrestler should wear.

Chapter II.UP-STANDING WRESTLING AND

STANDING THROWS page 26

The Cross-Buttock.

A Counter to the Cross-Buttock

The Buttock.

Parries to Cross-Buttock Counters.

Standing Attacks.

The Outside-Stroke.

Another opening

Head Chancery-Holds, and the stops to

some of them

A Punishing Double Chancery-Hold.

Chancery and Bar-Hold.

A Head-and-Crotch Throw Counter to an

attempted Chancery-Hold.

The Side Chancery-Hold.

The Flying Mare.

v

CONTENTS

Chapter II.UP-STANDING WRESTLING AND

STANDING THROWS --- continued,

The Waist-Holds.

Waist-Holds from behind.

A simple method of getting behind.

Leg-Holds and Leg-Work in Upright

Wrestling.

A Defence against Tripping.

Single Leg-Holds.

The Double Leg-Hold.

A combined Hopponent in this counter to the Cross-buttock33

Locking-in for defence as a parry to Waist-hold and Half-

nelson counter to an attempt at a Cross-buttock Throw37

A Strangle-hold in Up-standing Wrestling39

After sparring, stoop suddenly, catch leg, pull arm across

neck, drop on knee, and bang him down41

The Outside Stroke43

A Punishing Double Chancery-hold47

Forward Chancery and Bar-hold49

Head and Crotch Throw51

The Flying Mare53

The Flying Mare (second stage)55

The Flying Mare (second position)57

The Flying Mare (third position)59

The fall from a Flying Mare61

The front Waist-hold63

Fall secured from a Hipe following a front Waist-hold65

Defence to Waist-hold from behind67

A simple move to get behind an opponent69

The hold which can be secured following the manoeuvre

on p. 6971

The Head Twist and Strangle73

A double Leg-hold77

Leg-hold and Back-heel79

The Half-nelson81

The Quarter or Bar-nelson83

vii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The further Arm-hold with both hands page85

Further Half-nelson87

Picking a man up by the Crotch-hold, and the latter

catching leg as a parry89

Trying to press a man down with the Crotch-hold91

Hammerlock with the bar on93

A combined Head Chancery and further Arm-hold with a

Back-heel95

Pushing at a man's arm with your head, in order to pull it

back so as to employ the Hammerlock99

Pulling a man's arm up for the Hammerlock (second

stage)101

The Hammerlock103

Turning a man with a combined further Shoulder-hold

and Hammerlock105

Picking a man up with the Crotch-hold107

Further Leg hold109

Fall imminent from the Scissor-hold111

Further Arm-hold and Head Press113

Head spinning out of further Nelson115

Forcing the foot up the back117

Leg-hold on arm and Head press119

Fall from Leg-hold on arm and further Arm-hold121

Fall from Leg-hold on arm and Crotch-hold123

A variation of the Cradle-hold125

Putting the Scissors on to a man who is kneeling, and

turning him over with a Bar-nelson127

Arm roll on thigh129

Arm roll on thigh131

Arm roll on waist133

Arm roll under biceps135

Arm roll under biceps137

Arm roll under biceps138

Combined Half-nelson, further Hammerlock and Foot

Plant139

A Half-nelson, and Head-hold, with interlaced fingers141

A similar hold143

Half-nelson and foot up the back145

Pressing a man's head down and pulling at his further leg,

with a view to interpose your own leg between his147

Second stage of the last hold149

The third stage151

viii

COMPLETE SCIENCE

OF WRESLING

Chapter I.  A WRESTLER'S

TRAINING

IT has been said that no one can learn how to wrestler from any text-book, no matter how instructive and well written the book may be.

There is undoubtedly a certain amount of truth in this contention, for it must be admitted that no man can approach perfection in any form of sport or athletics without devoting most of his time to actual practice.

Still, I have come across wrestlers who have been either wrestling or practicing the art for quite a number of years, without ever advancing appreciably in their knowledge of the science.  These men have just attended a school, picked up the ordinary simple holds either from an instructor or from experience, and then have rested contend that they knew everything that there was to learn about wrestling.  A man may know quite a number