#Grappling

Warsaw to host 2023 Grappling World Championships

Friday, December 16, 2022 - 08:34 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (Switzerland) -- The 2023 Grappling World Championships will be held in Warsaw, Poland.

The United World Wrestling awarded the tournament to the Poland capital which will host it from August 21 to 24 after the wrestling U20 World Championships which runs from August 14 to 20.

Grappling is one of UWW's fastest-growing styles, with events and participation numbers growing each year. The 2022 edition in Pontevedra, Spain saw grapplers from more than 30 countries.

It is one of the top events on the calendar for combat sports and will host grapplers from around the world.

In Warsaw, grapplers from the U17 and U20 will also be on the mat with an eye on the medals. The competition will begin with the U17 World Championships before moving to the U20 age group and ending with the senior World Championships.

The first Grappling competition for the year will be the European Championships which will be held in Bucharest, Romania on March 11 and 12. This will precede the U23 European Championships to be held in the Romanian capital.

Grappling, formerly organized by UWW’s Associated Styles office in Istanbul, Turkey, has been brought back to UWW Headquarters in Switzerland with hopes of progressing the sport to the next level.

For the full list of events on the Grappling calendar and all other styles can be accessed at uww.org/events.

UWW and Iran sign MoU to bring Chouke under Associated Styles

Sunday, April 20, 2025 - 13:07 By United World Wrestling Press

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CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (April 20) — United World Wrestling and the Iran Wrestling Federation took a significant step to promote Choukhe, signing a four-year Memorandum of Understanding.

The MoU will enable both organizations to work together to promote and protect Chouke, a traditional form of wrestling, under the UWW Associated Styles.

Both UWW and the Iranian federation will also work to develop Chouke under their umbrella. This agreement's objective is to facilitate the protection, development, and promotion of Chouke. As per the agreement, both parties will hold regular meetings to exchange ideas and share knowledge.

Chouke is a traditional form of wrestling in Iran with wrestlers performing on mud in a marked circular ring. Each bout is of five minutes with more than one bout conducted at the same time. In case of a tie with a one-minute break, three minutes of extra time are added. Within three minutes, the wrestler who earns the first point will be the winner.

This style of wrestling does not allow the wrestler to touch his opponent's legs. The bout can only be fought with grips above the waist. There are different ways to score points in Chouke.

One point is awarded for a takedown, two points are awarded if a throw is completed outside the ring, and one if completed inside. Most other moves award only one point. A fall occurs when even one shoulder touches the ground.

Both wrestlers have to wear the official clothes to compete in Chouke. A t-shirt, a special jacket and a short are considered to be official outfit. The shirt must be long enough to go below the waist and the sleeves be long till the elbow. A strong cloth belt must be tied around the waist of the wrestlers and is fixed at the back and the wrestlers compete barefoot.

The old form of wrestling has a special place in Iranian history, and the agreement will help with its growth and development in Iran. UWW's commitment to work closely with the Iran federation for Chouke is in line with its vision to grow and promote all the traditional forms of the oldest form of the sport.