Wrestling Takes a Hold

Wrestling Takes a Hold

Wrestling Takes a Hold
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.2

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		Archeologists, combat, military, dating, reappear, overpower, entertainment, emphasis, spotlight, russian, defeat, threat, enemy, superior, original, goal
	content words:		Ancient Egyptian, Olympic Games, Middle East, Roman Empire, In Greco-Roman

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Wrestling Takes a Hold
By Jane Runyon

¹     It is widely believed by historians that the two oldest sports that people took part in are track and field events and wrestling. Before weapons were even considered, man was involved in hand-to-hand combat. He soon learned that he had to develop moves to keep himself from being beaten or killed. Archeologists have discovered cave paintings showing the very earliest of dwellers on Earth in wrestling matches. These paintings date back as far as 3000 B.C. Ancient Egyptian murals dating to 2400 B.C. also depict the sport.

²     Wrestling was one of the events featured in the ancient Olympic Games of 708 B.C. It is still an event in the modern Olympic Games of today. The way people wrestle has changed over the years, but the goal is still the same. Wrestlers want to overpower their opponent and show their superior skill.

³     The first wrestling matches were part of training for the military. It was a very dangerous sport. The soldier's aim was to defeat his enemy. There were no rules. Competitors were crippled or even killed. The matches in the early Olympic Games were to determine the strongest men around. After being seen in the early Olympics, wrestling spread throughout Asia, India, and the Middle East. As the sport spread, different variations of the sport emerged. So did rules that made the sport a little safer to participate in.

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