This severe exercise gets the muscles into perfect form, and few, very few indeed of our untrained youths, could cope in a dead lock, or fierce struggle, with a good village Hindoo or Mussulman in active training, and having any knowledge of the tricks of the wrestling school.  No hitting is allowed.  The Hindoo system of wrestling is the perfection of science and skill; mere dead weight of course will always tell in a close grip, but the catches, the holds, the twists and dodges that are practised, allow for the fullest development of cultivated skill, as against mere brute force.  The system is purely a scientific one.  The fundamental rule is ’catch where you can,’ only you must not clutch the hair or strike with the fists.

The loins are tightly girt with a long waist-belt or kummerbund of cloth, which, passed repeatedly between the limbs and round the loins, sufficiently braces up and protects that part of the body.  In some matches you are not allowed to clutch this waist cloth or belt, in some villages it is allowed; the custom varies in various places, but what is a fair grip, and what is not, is always made known before the competitors engage.  A twist, or grip, or dodge, is known as a paench.  This literally means a screw or twist, but in wrestling phraseology, means any grip by which you can get such an advantage over your opponent as to defeat him.  For every paench there is a counter paench.  A throw is considered satisfactory when BOTH shoulders of your opponent touch the ground simultaneously.  The old khalifa or trainer takes a great interest in the progress of his chailas or pupils. Chaila really means disciple or follower.  Every khalifa has his favourite paenches or grips, which have stood him in good stead in his old battling days; he teaches these paenches to his pupils, so that when you get young fellows from different villages to meet, you see a really fine exhibition of wrestling skill.  There is little tripping, as amongst our wrestlers at home; a dead-lock is uncommon.  The rival wrestlers generally bound into the ring, slapping their thighs and arms with a loud resounding slap.  They lift their legs high up from the ground with every step, and scheme and manoeuvre sometimes for a long while to get the best corner; they try to get the sun into their adversaries eyes; they scan the appearance and every movement of their opponent.  The old wary fellows take it very coolly, and if they can’t get the desired side of the ground, they keep hopping about like a solemn old ostrich, till the impetuosity or impatience of their foe leads him to attack.  They remind you for all the world of a pair of game cocks, their bodies are bent, their heads almost touching.  There is a deal of light play with the hands, each trying to get the other by the wrist or elbow, or at the back of the head round the neck.  If one gets the other by a finger even, it is a great advantage, as he would whip nimbly round, and threaten to break the impounded finger; this would be considered quite fair.  One will often suddenly drop on his knees and try to reach the ankles of his adversary.  I have seen a slippery customer, stoop suddenly down, grasp up a handful of dust, and throw it into the eyes of his opponent.  It was done with the quickness of thought, but it was detected, and on an appeal by the sufferer, the knave was well thrashed by the onlookers.