LUCHA CANARIA
“Lucha canaria” or Canarian wrestling is the most popular typical sport from Tenerife. It is a wrestling sport under a set of rules that usually takes places on a sand circle (terrero), where the wrestlers show their strength and skills to make the opponent touch the ground with any other part of their body than the feet.
In Tenerife there are 26 of these wrestling grounds in the different municipalities, and they are all used by the 26 male teams of the Canarian wrestling federation, and two female teams. This sport was inherited from the Guanches (aboriginal people) and it has a great popular following.
Wrestling ground: Usually on a sand circle during competitions, but also on tatami mats.
Duration: 3 minutes in total; giving 1.5 minute to each wrestler plus one more minute when there has been an invalid move.
Rules: Beating the opponent is not allowed. The wrestler must avoid being violent with the opponents, showing respect and a fair play.
Before they start, the wrestlers will be in front of each other holding their left hand on the right side of the opponent’s shorts half-bent down touching each other’s right shoulder. Right hands will be hanging and touching each other before the fight. They are given a signal and put their right hand on a part of the opponent’s body, but the face, the neck or the head. To defeat the opponent each one will try to make the other touch the ground with a part of his body, except for the feet. This process is known venceas “agarradas,” and usually there are two, and the winner is the one with at least two wins.
Players: 2 players.
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