BITING IN WRESTLING

Was Lancashire fighting really dirty? Historically people said it was, were they telling the truth?
/ englishmartialarts
my-store-ec0f8e.creator-sprin...

[@traildaddy8846]

Fun fact. Biting off noses was a common tactic of American rough and tumble, or 'gouging,' which took place predominantly in the South. Even to the point where England made a specific law to deter it.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I've heard both statements before, but I've never seen any real evidence to support them. I have no doubt it happened, but that it was common? And England passing a law against it because of Americans doing it seems unlikely to me...

[@davidemelia6296]

There's a few mentions of it in 'Gangs of New York' (the book), which covers the late 18th to the very early 20th Century ... but the documentary value of that book is a bit dubious on the particulars at times, so really, who knows?@@EnglishMartialArts

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Interesting stuff! It reminds me of a fight I was in about 30 years ago. It was quite nasty (a knife was involved) and at one point the bugger sunk his teeth into my arm. I ended up with an infection and still have the scars to this day.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Ouch!

[@ruiseartalcorn]

@@EnglishMartialArts Indeed! ;)

[@davidemelia6296]

I don't mean to 'harp' on it, but it still amazes me that I knew of you over 20 years ago, from Perth, as 'Angus McDoom' ... and now here you are in the comments section of one of my favourite KZbinrs. 🙂

[@tichtran664]

Remind me of Vale Tudo ( Brazilian MMA) where ALMOST ANYTHING goes. It was mainly between bjj and bll( Brazilian Luta Livre/ catch wrestling).

[@lewisb85]

Regal said he was taught it, because promoters would tell him "you lose a fight to a mark you're fired".

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Knowing some of the old timers he trained with as a young man I can believe it.

[@louiedidcote8260]

Can I have a linnk to where he said this, sounds interesting. That sounds specifically like a Pro Wrestling though relating to Kayfabe maintenance, doesn't necessarily translate to catch history of this period.

[@lewisb85]

@@louiedidcote8260 It was in an article in fighting spirit magazine, and actually could translate to catch because he started his career at the last wrestling booth in Blackpool where people would put money down and would win a bigger prize if they could go 5 mins with him or beat him. He said how eye pokes and nose biting was encouraged because your job was on the line. People dismiss because he went down the pro wrestling route but regal is a legit shooter.

[@matthewsteen9789]

As a Lancashire man, I denounce your research as Yorkshire misinformation 😂

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I'd expect nothing less from you... 😛

[@DanTheWolfman]

Haven't watched yet but a certain camp of Pancration Fighters known for biting off noses goes back to 648 bc almost

[@happyhourk12]

Sounds a lot like Matt and his book on swords lol

[@lastmanstanding5423]

I'd say it's one of them things that happen very rarely.... and because it happened rarely it was shocking... and because it was shocking people would talk about it.... and because people would talk about it it became an urban legend...

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Certainly feasible!

[@BeepBoop2221]

One fun fact about Yorkshire. Copper wire was invented by two Yorkshiremen fighting over a penny.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

A Yorkshire man is just a Scotsman without the natural sense of generosity.

[@randombencounter263]

My favourite quirk of the English national character is the utter disdain for your neighbour over the next hill.

[@BeepBoop2221]

I'm from Yorkshire well there abouts

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@randombencounter263 well if they had any sense they'd have been born where I was.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@BeepBoop2221 Whereabouts?

[@Realfightclubuk]

Always start with the ears bite them off and work your way up to the nose as you become more confident

[@TJSherwin-md8sw]

Over here in the U.S. it was called gouging, or rough and tumble.

[@Philo68]

In the good old days ‘purring’ had little to do with cats - ouch, those shins! Nose and ear biting? In the gravest extreme I’d do it, but never for shits and giggles.

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

Like 1/4 of Fiore's abrazare section is gouging people's eyes so I'm into it haha. FIGHT TEAM!

[@Stephen_Curtin]

Sorry I was looking out the window Sir; what was the question?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

🤣

[@zachleprieur2871]

Anyone reminded of the Norm McDonald's movie dirty job where Chris Farley had his nose bit off? Funny how its Walter talking crap per usual

[@zachleprieur2871]

My grandfather said if he bites you bite him back and he wont again. Had the tip of his ear bit off in a fight then tried to bite the guys thumbs off as retaliation

[@StuartAnderson-xl4bo]

Congrats on the 30 days mate

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thanks!

[@CowcaticalChris]

The right side of the Pennines is the left side of the Pennines :P

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Couldn't agree more, as long as you're standing on the Scottish Borders looking south.

[@JaxenChaz]

0:33 - what were the other two English wrestling systems Walter Armstrong referred to?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Cornish/Devonshire, and Cumberland and Westmorland.

[@JaxenChaz]

@@EnglishMartialArts Excellent, thank you! And was Lancashire a fourth system, or a subsidiary of one of those three?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@JaxenChaz Cornish and Devonshire is considered one art, same for Cumberland and Westmorland. Lancashire is the third.

[@JaxenChaz]

@@EnglishMartialArts thanks, I appreciate it! A comparison video would be fascinating, if you haven't done one already!

[@davidemelia6296]

Bartley Gorman mentions biting a few times in 'King of the Gypsies', but only in a general sense. It struck me (ha ha) that he never gives a specific example of it happening to him in his career. As far as I remember - I haven't got my copy with me.

[@MrHacken]

👍🏻

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

I don’t have the documentation about me (I researched it after seeing Terry Jones' Medieval Lives serise and reading the book,) but this does bring to mind a judicial duel in which, after the weapons (ram's horns) broke, wrestling ensued between the contestants, which included a bitten nose, a gouged eye, and a bitten ... er ... member. That said, this is likely as much up to an individual fighter's wherewithal and earnestness as any regional tendancies, (rural southern U.S. has some interesting folk lore.) I also know of more recent stories about barroom brawls and similar situations that involve didgits nearly bitten off (or bitten off and swallowed, perhaps out of spite.) It may simply be used as a threat to make a potential adversary think twice ("I may not win, but neither will you.") It may not matter if any such anecdotes are even true, if the mere idea is used as a deterrent. Then again, if it is your own nose, digit, or member in question, the veracity of the claim may matter quite alot. The important thing to remember here is, FIGHT TEAM!

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I might have to find that duel...

[@johnstuartkeller5244]

@@EnglishMartialArts As for your observation that, if you get enough people together they start biting each other, I, too, have observed this, both in daycare nurseries and in trying to keep up with politicians.

[@Ozs_secret_researcher]

​@@EnglishMartialArtsI'm pretty sure I know the one. I'll send it on.

[@galveenus8499]

I sometimes bite the Mrs

[@EnglishMartialArts]

As long as its your own I guess that's fine...

[@baoxidiaoyu]

Tonga Meng Haku Fifita approves

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Lol, yeah I guess he would.

[@davidemelia6296]

It occurs to me that biting, especially biting noses, may have been a lot more common in the days before blood-borne diseases were common knowledge.

[@tomframe3422]

This is all nonsense. Im from Oldham in Lancashire and when I was fighting in the town centre I stopped biting the guys fingers because I didn’t want them to come off in my mouth. We are gentleman fighters in Lancashire.

[@exploatores]

I don´t think we should call the now allmost forgoten art. of biting the oponents nose. un civilised :)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I kind of think we maybe should?

[@DanTheWolfman]

You checked out any of my stuff yet mate?