View source for Schwingen

{{Short description|Swiss folk wrestling}}
{{Expand German|topic=cult|Schwingen|date=January 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox martial art
| image        = Schwingen 2.jpg
| imagecaption = 
| name         = Schwingen
| aka          = Swiss Wrestling<br />
Alpine wrestling<br />
Hosenlupf
| focus        = [[Grappling]]
| country      = {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Switzerland
| olympic      = No
| creator      = 
| parenthood   = 
| famous_pract = 
}}
'''{{lang|de|Schwingen}}''' (from [[German language|German]] ''{{lang|de|schwingen}}'' "to swing"), also known as '''Swiss wrestling''' (French ''{{lang|fr|lutte Suisse}}'') and natively (and colloquially) as '''''{{lang|gsw|Hosenlupf}}''''' ([[Swiss German]] for "breeches-lifting"), is a style of [[folk wrestling]] native to Switzerland, more specifically the [[Prealps|pre-alpine]] parts of [[German-speaking Switzerland]]. Wrestlers wear ''{{lang|de|Schwingerhosen}}'' ("wrestling breeches") with belts that are used for taking [[Grappling hold|holds]]. [[Throw (grappling)|Throws]] and [[Falling (accident)|trips]] are common because the first person to [[Pin (amateur wrestling)|pin]] their opponent's shoulders to the ground wins the bout.

Schwingen is considered a "national sport" of Switzerland, alongside [[Hornussen]] and [[Steinstossen]]. Schwingen and Steinstossen were included as ''Nationalturnen'' ("national gymnastics") in the ''Eidgenössisches Turnfest'' at [[Lausanne]] in 1855.

The modern history of organized ''Schwingen'' tournaments begins with the [[Unspunnenfest]] of 1805.<ref>{{Britannica|528713}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Ringkampf Luzerner Schilling.jpg|thumb|Wrestling match between two [[Swiss mercenaries]]. From the [[Luzerner Chronik]] of 1513 (detail of a page depicting idle mercenaries passing their time outside [[Einsiedeln]] while waiting to be paid).]]
As with other types of folk wrestling, the roots of Schwingen in Switzerland cannot be determined exactly. The modern sport was institutionalized in the 19th century out of older, regional traditions.

There are records of wrestling in Switzerland from the medieval period. A picture from the 13th century (in the [[Cathedral]] of [[Lausanne]]) shows the typical way of gripping the opponent.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K. |first=Joshua |date=January 21, 2022 |title=Schwingen – The Pinnacle of Swiss Wrestling |url=https://grapplezilla.com/schwingen/ |access-date=2025-07-15 |website=Grapplezilla |language=en-US}}</ref>

Schwingen as a special form of grappling in [[Alpine culture]] can be traced to the early 17th century. This form of grappling is preserved during the 17th and 18th century in the [[Emmental]], [[Haslital]] and [[Entlebuch]] regions specifically. In 18th century [[travel literature]], Schwingen figures as part of the stereotypes of Swiss alpine culture. The Entlebuch pastor Franz Josef Stalder in 1797 records a set of rules in his ''Fragmente über Entlebuch''.

The modern history of the sport begins during the period of [[Mediation (Switzerland)|Mediation]], with the [[Unspunnenfest]] of 1805. In the late 19th century, memorable Schwing festivals and a lively activity of educated [[gymnastics]] teachers brought Schwingen to the big cities. Thus the original fight of the [[herder]]s and [[farmer]]s became a national sport that reached all social levels. The associations, headed by the ''Eidgenössischer Schwingerverband'' (national federation, founded 1895), organized the sport by integrating regional peculiarities, improving the abilities of the fighters with teaching books and practices, and creating modern tournament rules.

==Tournament==
{{unsourced|section|date=May 2025}}
[[File:Turnerundsennenschwinger.jpg|thumb|300px|Turner Schwinger (dressed in white) and Sennen Schwinger Swiss Wrestling]]

The match takes place in a ring, a circular area with a diameter of 12 meters that is covered with sawdust. The two opponents wear short pants made of [[jute]] over their clothes. The wrestlers hold each other by these pants, at the back where the belt meets, and try to throw the opponent onto his back. There are several main throws, with names like "kurz", "übersprung" and "wyberhaagge", some of them very similar to [[judo technique]]s - "hüfter" is almost identical to [[koshi guruma]], "brienzer" is basically [[uchi mata]]. These throws are found in many wrestling systems that have even the slightest emphasis on throwing the opponent, and can also been seen in [[shuaijiao]]. A match is won when the winner holds the opponent's pants with at least one hand and both the opponent's shoulders touch the ground. By tradition the winner brushes the sawdust off the loser's back after the match.

The match is judged by three [[referee]]s, one of whom stands in the ring. The referees give points, with a maximum of ten points for a winning throw. If the match ends without a clear win, the more active Schwinger is awarded the higher number of points.

At a Schwing festival, every Schwinger wrestles six opponents, or eight at the Eidgenössische. The two Schwingers with the highest number of points after five (seven at the Eidgenössische) matches get to the Schlussgang (last round). The matching of the Schwingers is done by the ''fight court'' according to arcane rules. Often there are suspicions that the matchings have not been fair, and favor one contestant over the others.

There are no weight classes nor any other categories. Usually, though, Schwingers are big men, over 180&nbsp;cm tall and weighing in excess of 100&nbsp;kg, and are mostly craftsmen from traditional professions that require some physical force, like [[carpenter]]s, [[butcher]]s, [[lumberjack]]s or [[cheesemaker]]s.

Regional and [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantonal]] Schwing festivals are held outdoors, between early summer and autumn.

The most important Schwing festival is the ''[[Eidgenossenschaft|Eidgenössisches]] Schwing- und Älplerfest'' (ESAF), which takes place every three years. The winner of this tournament is proclaimed ''Schwingerkönig'' and receives a bull as his prize.

=== List of tournaments and winners ===
A list of ''Eidgenössische'' tournaments with ''Schwingerkönig'':
{{col-begin}}
{{col-1-of-3}}
* 1937 Willy Lardon
* 1940 Otto Marti
* 1943 Willy Lardon
* 1945 Peter Vogt
* 1948 Peter Vogt
* 1950 Walter Haldemann
* 1953 Walter Flach
* 1956 Eugen Holzherr
* 1958 Max Widmer
* 1961 Karl Meli
* 1964 Karl Meli
{{col-2-of-3}}
* 1966 Rudolf Hunsperger
* 1969 Rudolf Hunsperger
* 1972 David Roschi
* 1974 Rudolf Hunsperger
* 1977 Arnold Ehrensberger
* 1980 Ernst Schläpfer
* 1983 Ernst Schläpfer
* 1986 Harry Knüsel
* 1989 Adrian Käser
* 1992 Silvio Rüfenacht
* 1995 Thomas Sutter
{{col-3-of-3}}
* 1998 Jörg Abderhalden
* 2001 Arnold Forrer
* 2004, [[Lucerne]]: Jörg Abderhalden
* 2007, [[Aarau]]: Jörg Abderhalden
* 2010, [[Frauenfeld]]: Kilian Wenger
* 2013, [[Burgdorf, Switzerland]]: Matthias Sempach
* 2016, [[Broye District]]: Matthias Glarner
* 2019, [[Zug]]: Christian Stucki
* 2022, [[Pratteln]]: Joel Wicki
* 2025, [[Mollis]]: Armon Orlik
{{col-end}}

==Traditions==
{{unsourced|section|date=May 2025}}
Traditionally, Schwingen is a male sport. Women's Schwingen is a more recent phenomenon, and the ''Frauenschwingverband'', or Women's Schwingen Association, was founded in 1992.

Members of a pure Schwingen club are called ''Sennenschwinger'' and wear dark trousers and a colored shirt, usually bright blue. Members of a broader sports club with a Schwingen section are called ''Turnerschwinger'', and wear white pants and a white T-shirt.

Advertising and sponsoring are shunned at Schwingen. Successful Schwingers do not receive cash prizes, but goods such as cowbells, furniture or livestock.

The best Schwingers at a festival are awarded a wreath. Schwingers who receive a wreath at an ''Eidgenössische'' or national tournament are called ''Eidgenossen'' (confederates). Good Schwingers at national level are called "Böse" (wicked).

A winner of the ''Eidgenössische'' is given the lifetime title of ''Schwingerkönig'' (Schwinger king), which includes some privileges such as being a guest of honor at every ''Eidgenössische''.

== Literature ==
* Urs Huwyler: ''Könige, Eidgenossen und andere Böse: Schwingen - ein Volkssport wird trendig'', (''Kings, Confederates and Other Wickeds - a Folk Sport Becomes Trendy'') AT Verlag 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-03800-550-6}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

*{{HLS|16328|Swiss national sports|author=Hans Peter Treichler}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Schwingen}}
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.esv.ch Eidgenössischer Schwingerverband] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410023240/http://www.esv.ch/ |date=2010-04-10 }}	 
*[http://www.schwingerverband.ch Schwingerverband Rapperswil]
*http://www.jabderhalden.ch/ (J. Abderhalden, ''Schwingerkönig'' 1998, 2004, 2007)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328114519/http://www.riponswissclub.com/index_files/Page320.htm San Joaquin Valley Swiss Club (California, USA)]
*[https://www.aelplergruppe.com/ Aelpler Gruppe Swiss Club (Newark, California, USA)]

{{folk wrestling}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Folk wrestling styles]]
[[Category:Culture of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Sports originating in Switzerland]]
[[Category:European martial arts]]