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Ssirûm, orKorean wrestling, is a very oldsport. It is shown inpictures that arepainted on walls in the ancientgraves inKorea.
This kind ofwrestling was formed in Korea. It took place on days of "public enjoyment" that were created bycustom. Similar toSumo. the man who stays on his feet until the end was the winner. He was given the titlechangsa ("theathlete" or "the strong man"). He was also given anox.
As Korea grewindustrially, this type of wrestling has become a real sport. It has support in the form of the teams ofprofessional athletes coming fromcolleges anduniversities. There are alsoorganizations for the nationalChampionship Ssirum Changsa. There are competitions in the country.
Two fighters fight on thesand inside acircle. They each put on "satpa" - a piece ofcloth that ties around thewaist andthighs. Using theirhands,legs backs, they try to make the other person fall.
Most wrestlers are 1.8–2 metres (5 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) in height and 100–150 kilograms (220–330 lb) in weight. The fights can seem slow at first they are actually verydynamic.
Li Man-ki is one of the most well known sportsmen in this sport. In the 1980s, he won the titlechangsa (jangsa) many times. He has caused much of the interest of this sport.