Is Mongolian Wrestling good for Combat?

Mongol soldiers wrestling in Kabul

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Bokh, or Mongolian wrestling, is a traditional martial sport - a folk wrestling art and culture. Despite clear skill and a long pedigree of high level wrestling, people ask if Mongol Bokh is actually good for combat. In the modern martial arts world, shaped by Mixed Martial Arts, many people feel a martial art should have striking, grappling, and submissions. First before we consider this, let’s take a moment to define combat.

Combat (noun): fighting between armed forces

In casual speech however, combat can range from the scale of a relatively complete fight sport like Mixed Martial Arts or street altercations all the way to civil upheaval and murder or open warfare. Obviously two athletes fighting for the purse is not the same as a soldier tackling and smashing an enemy’s head into the ground - say if he’s unable to get his gun out in time. On one end of the spectrum is a social violence that elevates one’s ego, status, and material gain. Usually this kind doesn’t require death, but can result in it. On the other end is predatory violence where destruction of the enemy for strategic objectives and profit is the goal. Keep in mind violence can range anywhere between these two but we’ll speak on Bokh with respect to these two ends of the spectrum. Now, let’s understand where Bokh comes from. 

Mongol warfare heavily emphasized cavalry

The Mongolian steppe is an unforgiving place. Herding and hunting taught men how to survive and thrive in this harsh land. A culture of raiding supplemented the wealth of these pastoral people, and occasionally a leader would arise that could unite them. In 1206 Temujin united the various tribes of the Mongol steppe and adopted the title Chinggis Khan. In the English speaking world you might’ve seen it written as Genghis Khan. Unlike with the previous Hunnic and Turkic states, the Mongol society was reorganized to reduce the power of aristocratic lineages and focus on merit and loyalty to Chinggis Khan. He made social and military reforms, and it is said he instituted a policy of having Naadams (games) held every year to test the mettle of his men and encourage tough martial ardor. These games were horse racing, archery, and wrestling. Of course these sports had been on the steppe for centuries, even millennia, but now it was institutionalized. Mongols continued this under Manchu rule (Qing dynasty) and many still do to this day. The horse racing to test the athleticism and endurance of the horses and riders, the archery contests to test the accuracy of archers - this all makes sense. But in this fast, mobile mounted style of warfare, where does wrestling fit in?

Then, as it is today, one favorite pastime of boys and men is to wrestle while the herds are out on the pastures. They wrangle their animals, they wrestle each other, and this constant exposure to hardship (and overcoming it) shapes their worldview. Bokh can be literally translated as “durability”. Wrestling forces one to be strong, yet adaptable and tactical, in order to overcome and dominate another man. It hones the mind of the warrior to be prepared to grapple with the enemy. Let’s take today’s Mongol Bokh rules... 

No time limit. In battle do you get to decide the time limit of the fight? The lack of a time limit is certainly more realistic than the rounds of modern fight sports. That said, it does not mean a wrestler is purposely slow - if he can swiftly topple his opponent he will.

No age and no weight limit. No matter whether you are 18 or 40, if you’re required to fight, you must fight - such is combat, no? If the man trying to hurt you is 50 kg heavier, it doesn't matter, you must still find a way, no? 

Wrestling outside on the dirt, grass, and rocks. In combat do you get to choose a forgiving mat to fight on? Whether it is hot or cold, clear or dusty - you wrestle and you win or lose. 

Nothing but the soles of your boots (or your hands in Khalkha bokh) can touch the ground. This forces them to be very good at throwing and sweeping, and if going down is necessary, pinning their opponent underneath them. Not getting entangled on the ground, but if needing to, pinning them beneath you - is this not good for combat? 

One fall and you lose. In real combat, when you die, you don’t get to try again. You can consider the Bokh rules to be the “safe” simulation of that gritty reality.

In a way, Bokh makes you excel at combat in a very pure sense. It builds the spirit and attributes of a warrior before we even discuss “combat techniques''. It is true, Mongol Bokh doesn’t have kicking and punching. No, Bokh doesn’t retain the many locks and chokes one can employ in grappling. Today this wrestling also does not directly deal with the possibility of grappling an opponent with a knife, stick or gun…

Anatoly Kharlampiyev, one of the founders of SAMBO, experiencing Bokh in Mongolia

Yet it builds warrior attributes, an indomitable spirit, and highly sophisticated wrestling on which “dirty unbalancing” moves like striking can be easily added. It makes you great at controlling space and intention, dominating another man, in a highly unforgiving way. If you add the tough lifestyle, riding, hunting, and shooting - you’ve got the essential ingredients of a warrior.

We forget but once this was far more “normal”. For many cultures, wrestling + sports + hunting were the athletics and fighting foundation upon which battle maneuvers, drills, and technical skills were built. Look to many Indigenous American warriors, the classical Greeks, ancient Persians, headhunters of the Austronesian islands, and so on. The Song dynasty Chinese had 相撲 xiang pu (“sumo”) and in Fujian, 太祖拳 Taizu boxing and weaponry was trained alongside that. The old school karateka of Okinawa trained wrestling alongside their empty hands and weapon skills. Wrestling used to be featured alongside Filipino arnis (stick-fights) during festivals. Wrestling was a critical foundation to Indo-Persian warriorship, longside weight lifting and weapons. Likewise Mongol Bokh was part of a whole martial system and still is a deep part of the steppe lifestyle. With such martial methods, plus good leadership and logistics, warriors have carved out empires.

I think it may be more useful to ask “how did Mongolian wrestling help make Mongols good combatants?” rather than “is Mongolian wrestling good for combat?” While Bokh may lack the combat-specific moves of so-called martial arts, as a folk wrestling sport it forges a warrior and dominant grappling skill which is perhaps a more important foundation.

- Vincent Tseng, @the.wandering.warrior