For millennia, men have grappled with each other in the name of sport. This is especially the case in China's west where Mongolians lock bodies to bring each other down in a form of wrestling called boke. Boke goes all the way back to the 1400's and is still popular today.
The boke field is big enough to cater for more than a 1,000 wrestlers at the same time. The wrestlers usually compete in an elimination system, with no limits on time, region, age or weight.
A community elder determines the opposing pairs before the regular match. There is a high standard of costume design and wrestlers have to wear a special vest called the "Zhaogele", loose trousers and a pair of impressive boots.
The two sides warm up before the match by issuing challenges through song. A lion or eagle dance brings the wrestlers on to the field where they wait for the referee to signal the start. A hug and a handshake and the match is underway.
The wrestlers can use skills like pushing, throwing and stumbling to score a win. But they cannot grab on to their opponents' legs or perform any dangerous moves. It's all over if their knees touch the earth.
(CCTV.com August 23, 2003)
