Kushti
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Kushti (also Pehlwani ) is a traditional Indian form of wrestling . The origin of the martial art is placed in the 5th century. Kushti is not only an extremely body-related sport, it is much more a kind of subculture. The athletes live and train together and adhere to strict rules. On the one hand, these concern the eating behavior of the athletes, but also their leisure activities. For example, smoking, sex and alcohol are strictly prohibited. The athletes' focus is on a simple life where they build muscle strength and improve their wrestling skills. Kushti is a dying sport, however there are still many regions where the sport is still practiced today.
training
The training takes place on sandy ground. Originally, training was carried out with large stone rings, stone blocks or tree trunks. Today tree trunks are still used to level the square and do some strength exercises.
Because of the high temperatures, the training begins in the early morning hours and lasts up to 6 hours. The classic training units include long-distance runs of up to 16 km, climbing exercises as well as strength and jumping exercises.
Diet rules
The rules of the Samkhya philosophy apply to wrestlers . This divides dishes into three categories: sattvik (pure, nutritious), rajasic (spicy, stimulating) and tamasic (heavy) dishes. The athletes avoid the heavy dishes and prefer the pure and nutritious variety of dishes. These include milk, eggs, almonds, clarified butter (ghee) and chapati , a type of Indian flatbread. Meat is not part of the athletes' diet, they are vegetarian.
Kushti competitions
Apart from India, you can still see regular kushti competitions in Dubai today . Due to the many guest workers from India and Pakistan, the traditional martial art also came to the Arab emirate. Every Friday, athletes and the public meet on the large, sandy square in front of the Hyatt. Around 5.30 p.m., spectators form a circular arena and various fighters compete against each other in the middle. The spectacle is free of charge. Only the respective winner of the fight goes through the ranks at the end to collect some money.
