Xridoli/Khridoli

Discussion in 'Western Martial Arts' started by Gary, Oct 22, 2011.

  1. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    I'm researching this Georgian MA for a project, however the available info in English is pretty scarce. Rather than a specific style it seems to be an amalgam of various historic fighting styles from Georgia such as boxing, wrestling, knife, fencing/sword & buckler and archery.

    From the styles on wikipedia I have worked out that:

    Chidaoba - Wrestling
    Parikaoba - Dancing
    Krivi - Open Hand

    And it seems apparent that Chidaoba and Krivi both had an influence on the development of Sambo.

    There's a few interesting videos on youtube:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ORpgsj7OH8&feature=related"]ხáƒ*იდáƒáƒšáƒ˜ georgian martial arts xridooli! - YouTube[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uUuBY9h9ZE&feature=related"]"XRIDOLI" NATIONAL MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT IN GEORGIAN ARMY - YouTube[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOCnrC98UYM&feature=related"]xridoli - YouTube[/ame]

    And a few more which seem more about displays than actually useful techniques.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RfCDzl6xkc&feature=related"]WE GEORGIANS! - YouTube[/ame]

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyJKDkRvdZ0&feature=related"]რáƒáƒ’ბისტების გáƒáƒªáƒ˜áƒšáƒ”ბრსáƒáƒ¤áƒ áƒáƒœáƒ’ეთში-II - YouTube[/ame]

    If anyone could point me towards anything more complete as a resource or anything even interesting on the subject I'd really appreciate it. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2011
  2. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    Why do I get the feeling that this is the tail waging the dog rather than the other way about. Take an existing art and give it a local flavour and then claim a totally unverifiable heritage. If they had been weapon arts I might have been less skeptical.

    The Bear.
     
  3. Gary

    Gary Vs The Irresistible Farce Supporter

    I think the sword and buckler has fairly strong historic roots, and the wrestling is well known but there's certainly an element of meshing them together all under one banner. It might be why I'm struggling to find much info on it.
     
  4. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    I think you are struggling to find info on it is because it is still being fabricated. There is a trend of revival of lost arts in Russia and the other eastern European and central Asian countries. Alot of what is being "rediscovered" is just rebranded sambo and systema which were just rebranded judo and jujitsu. All their arts were lost ... gone completely. There are some manuals still in existence which allows some arts to be revived but there are almost no living traditions in Europe. Too many big wars killed off martial arts that had no immediate combat value. All that was left is usually a name or some traditional dress and if you are very lucky a dance.

    P.S. the sword clashing in the final video isn't swordsmanship it's a dance with weapons. Remember Georgia is trying to reassert it's identity after being under Russian control for so long. This is as much a political exercise as a cultural one.

    The Bear.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2011
  5. Langenschwert

    Langenschwert Molon Labe

    Hi Bear,

    I don't doubt that a good deal of people claiming this stuff is fabricated. The Khevsur fencing I think is legit, perhaps a folk tradition handed down:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaMKUPqz5Mk"]In the Land of the Lost Crusaders - Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

    I could be wrong though.

    There are living European sword traditions outside of sport and classical fencing, such as Hungarian sabre but it's very rare.

    Just my two cents.

    Best regards,

    -Mark
     
  6. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    Mark, a few ancient guys living in the mountains isn't a living tradition. It's the same with hungarian sabre, there may be a few guys around how were taught some stuff back in the day but mastery of the arts are gone.

    The Bear.
     
  7. Langenschwert

    Langenschwert Molon Labe

    Why isn't it? One of the arts I'm involved with is not much bigger than "a few guys", but it's a living, documented tradition.

    Hungarian sabre is certainly obscure but the provenance is reasonable:

    http://jwma.ejmas.com/articles/2011/jwmaart_thompson_0511_1.htm

    Now, AFAIK Mr. Mitchell doesn't claim to be a "master", but nonetheless it's an interesting survival. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the sword and buckler is legit. If it IS legit, than it's an important part of European combat heritage.

    No idea about the unarmed stuff.

    Best regards,

    -Mark
     
  8. Polar Bear

    Polar Bear Moved on

    It's not living because it hasn't been functionally used for the purpose it was intended in many decades. If the art hasn't been used then it isn't living. Nobody alive today has probably ever gone on to a battlefield using any of these arts. These are arts studied for leisure purposes. Training as a hobby is not the same as training for combat and therefore doesn't continue the martial lineage. TBH, who cares? Some half-assed living tradition bit of paper isn't going to make you a decent swordsman and neither is some 90 year old guy who barely has the strength left get to the bathroom. The Hungarian sabre dude, I've been round Slovakia and Hungary and this stuff is dime a dozen over there. Most of it is garbage re-enactment stuff and about as effective as that revisionist windbag Chris Thompson.

    The Bear.
     

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