Vietnamese traditional wrestling - the rules?

[Stephen Tashi]

What are the rules for Vietnamese traditional wrestling?

I find online sources in English that say a wrestler loses if that wrestler's back touches the ground or if both the wrestler's feet leave the ground. With that in mind, there are many videos of such wrestling online that I don't understand.

There are videos where a wrestler rolls onto his/her back while flipping the opponent onto the ground. Sometimes the wrestler that is flipped skillfully lands on hands and feet without touching his/her back, but it appears that the flipped wrestler loses anyway. Is the loss due to both feet leaving the ground momentarily?

Another frequent situation is that a wrestler is defending by sitting on the ground with legs spread wide apart while the opponent is behind grasping with locked arms about the seated wrestlers waist. I never see the opponent release their grip and try to grab the seated wrestlers head to pull them backwards onto their back. Is that illegal?

 

[Grelbr42]

Usually wrestling of such kind requires control of the opponent to get a point or a win etc. So, when one contestant pulls the other off his feet by going on his own back, the ref will decide based on which one is in control. Assuming one is clearly in control. Putting yourself on your own back, briefly and in a manner obviously deliberate, while at the same time controlling your opponent, gets you the win.

This can sometimes be difficult to follow. And the ref may make mistakes as well. Or there may be traditional moves that are considered a win when correctly performed.

I recall a move from high school wrestling. I could never master it, no matter how many hours the team drilled it. Called the guillotine. I was always useless at the leg control parts. Both guys shoulders touch the mat, but one guy comes out in control.



And let me tell you, it is the aggravation to have it put on you.

 

[StatGuy2000]

@Stephen Tashi , do you have any links to Vietnamese traditional wrestling? I did a search on Wikipedia on various Southeast Asian martial arts, but found only a cursory mention of traditional Vietnamese wrestling.

I was hoping that other PF members can also comment on this.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

@Stephen Tashi , do you have any links to Vietnamese traditional wrestling?

I can give lots of links to YouTube videos of Vietnamese wrestling, but I don't have any links to a good explanation of the rules.