Ssireum (씨름) is probably the most ancient fighting sport of Korea along with archery. There are wrestling next to mounted archery scenes painted on tomb walls from the Goguryeo period. South Korea recognized it as the 131st National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. It was then inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.
Rules
The rules are simple: make your opponent touch the ground with any part except their feet to win, as in Taekkyeon the other ancient empty-handed Korean fighting sport. Therefore, it is not necessary to forcefully throw the opponent, as in judo or other forms of wrestling. A simple imbalance, causing the opponent’s hand or knee to touch the ground, is enough to win. There are no strikes with the hands, and before the start of the match, both opponents grab each other’s belt and go shoulder against shoulder, which helps avoid initial encounter impacts. One can see the playful nature of Ssireum from these two points alone. Besides, wrestling on sand reduces the impact of falls compared to mats.
Weight categories
Female wrestlers
| < 60 kg | Maehwa (매화, Japanese Apricot) |
| < 70 kg | Gukhwa (국화, Chrysanthemum) |
| < 80 kg | Mugunghwa (무궁화, Rose of Sharon) |
Male wrestlers
The first four male categories are named after the most prominent Korean mountains.
| < 80 kg | Taebaek (태백) |
| < 90 kg | Geumgang (금강) |
| < 105 kg | Halla (한라) |
| < 140 kg | Baekdu (백두) |
| No limit | Cheonha Jangsa (천하 장사) |
The sport today
Ssireum is both an amateur and a professional sport. There are competitions organized throughout the year. Check out our 2-day trips to go watch an game. And if you feel like trying for yourself, check out our try-out experiences in Seoul.
Ssireum is also being more visible on TV: the Netflix drama “Like Flowers in Sand” is dedicated to it (external link) and Ssireum wrestlers also joined the 1st and 2nd seasons of 100% Physical (external link).