LES 3 STYLES DE LUTTE

THE THREE STYLES OF COMBAT

Olympic wrestling: to be victorious, all (!) that you have to do is to immobilise your opponent ensuring that both his shoulders are touching the floor.

Two styles exist:

1) Greco-Roman wrestling, which is actually neither Greek nor Roman in origin but was invented in Lyon in the 19th Century. It is a very popular sport in the Lyon area and several Olympic and World Champions have been produced. Use of the legs and leg holds are not allowed, meaning that the competitors are in an upright stance which results in very spectacular techniques described as "prises en souplesse" (which could be translated as "flexible holds and throws").

2) free style wrestling, in which leg holds are allowed as is general use of the legs in the build up to a hold. This is the style which was actually favoured by the ancient Greeks and the Romans! To counter attacks with legs, the competitors must adopt a lower guard than that used in Greco-Roman combat.

Submission-wrestling: to be a winner, all (!!) that you have to do is to perform the aptly named "submission" holds, and ultimately force your opponent to surrender, declare himself conquered and beg for mercy (and possibly even forgiveness!).

To be effective, a submission hold must be painful! Strangleholds and key holds, most familiar to those who have trained in the disciplines of judo and sambo, are the basis of the punishing moves that must be used to hold sway over your adversary.

Free fighting: all holds are authorised (no holds barred!), as in submission combat, but also all types of blow are permitted (punches, blows with the shin, head, elbows and knees). Victory is achieved by simply (!!!) strangling, twisting and hitting in either a calculated or random style!

Below is a non exhaustive list of the French Champions who have made it onto the podium at the World Championships or the Olympic Games. (An asterisk distinguishes the wrestlers from the judokas). If we have omitted the name of someone you know who has been awarded a medal at the Olympic Games or the World Championships, please let us know and we will rectify our error immediately.

ABRIAL Franck *
AINAOUI Djamel *
ALEXANDRE Marc
ANDANSON Christophe *
ARNAUD *
AURINE René *
BALLERY Georges *
BALLERY Michel *
BELGUIDOUM Salah *
BENBOUDAOUD Larbi
BERGER Alain *
BERTHAUX *
BEUDET Bruno *
BIELLE Roger *
BLANCHER Serge *
BONNEFOND *
BOUAZZAT Béchir *
BOUCHOULE André *
BOURAS Djamel
BOURDIN Thierry *
BRONDANI Jean-Claude
BRULON Eric *
CANU Fabien
CARABETTA Bruno
CARBASSE Georges *
CARBETTA B.
CHAMBELLAN Jean-Pierre *
CHASSON *
CHESNEAU *
COCHE Jean-Paul
COLLIGNON Guy *
COURT Jean-François *
DAMAISIN Bertrand
DAME Edmond *
DEGLANE Henri *
DELOOR Daniel *
DELOOR Julien *
DELOOR Michel *
DELOS *
DEMONTFAUCON Frédéric
DENIEL *
DEPUICHAFFRAY Julien *
DOUILLET David
DUPRAZ *
DYOT Serge
EMELIN Daniel *
FAURE E. *
FAURE M. *
FRANCOIS Louis *
GAGLIANO Christophe
GAUDINOT André *
GHEWAERT *
GOURDIN Jean-Marc *
GRANGIER Michel *

JACQUEL Maurice *
JALABERT Gilles *
JOURLIN Jean *
JUNG Serge *
JUPKE Pierre
KOUYOS Charles *
LABADIE G. *
LACAZE Lionel *
LANFRANCHI *
LEBORRE *
LECLERC Jean *
LEFEBVRE *
LEGRAND Alcide *
LEJEUSNE M. *
LEMAIRE Ghislain
LEVASSEUR Marcel *
LOBRUTTO Diego *
LUDZACK Jean-Claude *
MARCHAND Guy *
MATHONNET Georges
MEISS Henri *
MERCADIER Jean-Pierre *
MERCADIER Michel *
MERLE A. *
MISCHLER Martial *
MOKKEDEM Faouzi *
MOUNIER Jean-Jacques
MOURIER Patrice *
NOWAK Michel
PACÔME Charles *
PARISI Angelo
PHILIPPI *
POILVE Emile *
PRADAYROL Philippe
REY Thierry
RIEMER Yvon *
ROBERT Serge *
ROBIN Daniel *
ROTTENFLUC René *
ROUX Patrick
SANTORO Gérard *
SHIERMEYER René *
STANCIU Martin *
TABERNA Pierre *
TAYOT Pascal
TCHOULLOUYAN Bernard
TOULOTTE Théodule *
TRAINEAU Stephane
UYTTERHEAGHE Raymond *
VACHON Roger
VANDERSIPP *
VIAL Patrick
YALOUZ Ghani *
YANDZI
ZOETE André *

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