Ch.+6+Wrestling

Wrestling is the leading sport in the Igbo culture To learn more visit this site: [|http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!274143!0#focus] //Igbo men engaging in wrestling matches//
 * It is practiced as a major competition during the time of year known as Onwo.
 * Onwo is the hungry season roughly around the time of June to July.
 * Special competition however are held in alternate years.
 * They are accompanied by music, dancing, and other rituals specific to these contests.
 * It is a right of passage to wrestle for young men who are strong and brave (it does not seem to be forced on young people)
 * Wrestling matches also are used to decide disputes such as deciding a suitor for a popular bride.
 * Wrestling in the Igbo culture could also be a form of bringing respect to a young man's family.
 * Competitions were held between different villages
 * Some where political and some were simply for the sake of wrestling.
 * The idea of wrestling has lasted a very very long time in the culture, and is a general way of life for Igbo men.
 * The Igbo people did not judge wrestlers by legacy, meaning whoever the wrestlers father was had no bearing on the namesake, and status of himself.
 * The best wrestler in a large area was treated with upperclass-like respect.

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Works Cited "Igbo young men participating in a wrestling contest, Ndukwe village, Amaseri Village-Group, Nigeria. [slide]." //SIRIS-Smithsonian Institution Research Information System//. Web. 06 Nov. 2009. []. "WikiAnswers - Why did Igbo people wrestle." //WikiAnswers - The Q&A wiki//. Web. 06 Nov. 2009. .