Desire for proving yourself and wining is rooted in people since ancient times. Their skill and capabilities our ancestors manifested in various possible ways. Some of these contests, due to their brutality, cannot be listed as sport, but the fact is that many sports that we follow today are rooted in one of such sports.
Even today there are some sports that for their brutality do not fall far behind those from the past. Example for that is a sport discipline called “Calcio Sorico”, which has its roots in an antic game called Herpastum, which served as training for roman fighters before going into battle. It is about combination of rugby, football and martial arts, and the goal of this brutal sport is to take away the ball from the opponent and score a goal, and any fight among actors is welcomed because it bring additional points.
10BULL FIGHTING
Ritualized Bronze Age sport, seen in Minoan Crete. Acrobats leaped over charging bulls, often using their horns as vaults. No a bullfighting style in Spain.
09PANKRATION
It is a violent blend of wrestling and boxing for the Ancient Greek Olympic Games. Only biting and gouging of eyes, nose or mouth wasn’t allowed. You also fought naked.
08NAUMACHIA
Certain Roman colosseums could be flooded and massive gladiatorial sea battles. Julius Caesar had 6.000 rowers, gladiators and POWs fight.
07SKIN PULLING
Viking Tug of War where animal skins were pulled rather than ropes. Competition took place over fire pits – the losers burned to death, the winners got the plunder.
06FISHERMAN´S JOUST
In Ancient Egypt people would row into the Nile and then try to beat each other up with their oars. This would attract crocodiles, making it rather deadly.
05KUSHTI WRESTLING
An Indian style of wrestling taking place in a mud pit – the aim is to get your opponent on his back. Wrestlers live in endive gyms, with strict rituals and diets.
04TARAHUMARA RUNNING
You run across the Mexican desert for 200 miles in 48 hours. You have to kick a small ball along the entire way. Competitors “cure” their legs before racing.
03PELOTA PUREPECHA
It is a pyromaniacal form of Central American field hockey. A ball is set on fire, allowing for play at night, considered the safest of Mayan ball games.
02BUZKASHI
It is the national sport of Afghanistan, closely linked with Polo. It involves grabbing the corpse of a headless goat and getting it into the opponents´ goal.
01NGUNI STICK FIGHTING
It is Zulu sport where combatants are armed with 2 long sticks: defensive and offensive. To find the strongest, or “the Bull”, they hit each other repeatedly – with no armor.
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