Chapter 13 - Naadam - Mongolian Wrestling: From the Heart of Asia - Mongolia Documentary

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• published: 11 Dec 2013
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Watch the whole series at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BP9afJLoKY&list;=PL2asu6bhj2yv1ExX4yI_bor98hfi6lvmo http://grinningstudio.blogspot.com The blog. https://twitter.com/GrinningStudio Follow me on twitter. https://www.facebook.com/GrinningStudio Follow me on Facebook. In this Segment: The wrestling contests mark the official opening and closing of the Naadam holidays. On opening day, a procession is led from the Capital to the National Stadium by 9 white banners representing Chinghis Khan and each Mongol tribe he united to form the Mongol nation. The banners are placed onto the field and are guarded vigilantly by soldiers with swords. Wrestling is an exhibition of strength and tactics. Wrestlers wear tradition outfits which are tight fitting and very difficult to grasp. The boots are called "Mongol gutul," and they have straps for traction. The pants and vests are called "shuddag" and "zodog". The vest exposes the wrestler's chest. This is intentional because at one time a woman won the entire competition and embarrassed the field of male competitors. Nowadays open breasted vests prevent the likelihood of any women trying to sneak into the competition again. Hats are part of the uniform and ranks and titles are indicated by their ornaments. Wrestlers also have attendants called "zasuul," who sing praises during the start of each round, hold their hats, and act as coaches on the field. In order to gain ranks one must win matches. The competition opens with a field of over 500 wrestlers. Ranked wrestlers get the first pick of who they want to wrestler. The first rounds of elimination are for weeding out of the weak. These matches can be quite uneven, given that very large wrestlers easily topple the small ones. As the field narrows down, the bouts become longer and more aggressive. By the time the competition is down to the final 32 wrestlers, the participants are mostly ranked wrestlers and a few aspiring ones. New wrestlers that win this round and go on to the top 16 round are given the first of 4 ranks. This rank is called "Naachin," which means falcon. After the rank of "Naachin," only the top 4 wrestlers are given the next title of "Zaag," or elephant. Winners of the competition are given the title "Arslaan," or lion. To gain the next and highest rank of "Avraag" one must win the competition at least 2 times. The title of "Avraag," or Titan, is given to one who wins 2 or more national championships. Once a title is gained, it is never taken away from a wrestler despite future records. The number of times a wrestler reaches the final rounds or the championships is indicated by yellow stripes marked on red streamers that are attached to their hats. Large stripes note championships; small ones indicate the number of times one has reached the final bouts. In this tournament, there are no weight classes or time limits. Some bouts can last up to 3 hours. Once a wrestler's knees or back touches the ground he is considered defeated. The winner of the bout dashes towards the Chinghis Khan banner and performs an eagle dance called a "devhk". This demonstrates sportsmanship and that the fights are for peace. The loser unties his vest and must walk under the right arm of the winner. The winner then returns to the banners for a victory lap. Champions are revered and celebrated as national heroes. The long days of wrestling build up to a few critical moments of excitement that is worth the wait. The quest to find a champion narrows down to 2. They are Okhbayer and Suniyabaazar. Okhbayer won the previous year, and he is determined to win again and gain the highest title of Titan or "Avarag". An earlier match of his that day lasted 3 hours. Suniyabaazar has the rank of "Zaang" or elephant. This is his 3rd time reaching the top two; however, he has never won Naadam before. Both are determined, both are powerful, and both men are good friends. With this win a new "Avarag" or Titan is born. This event is a clear example of the persistence, strength, determination, and power of a very special group of people. These people are called Mongols. This Documentary is Produced and Directed by Linh Vein Thai. Linh Vien Thai is a Traveler who has been to Mongolia, and elsewhere, many times and has many more videos and pictures of his trips on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/linhvienthai and his flikr photo page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26341279@N05/ Hit the follow button on his Facebook page and you can get updates almost every other day with new pictures and information about his many travels. Please like and subscribe to support my 4 hours of video work per month. Thanks for watching. If you like these videos even a little, Please spread the butter on the bread! and by butter I mean the videos, and by bread I mean the social network of your choice. Share it wherever you share things, like it when you do, post your comments and show me your Nerdswagger. Stay Creative, It's Good For You.