As part of the Chuseok celebration, the Korean Cultural Center organized a ssireum demonstration at the National Museum of Asian Art. This traditional Korean sport, with a history of more than a thousand years, left a strong impression on local visitors who attended the event. The demonstrations, held in the museum’s East Building, featured professional wrestlers from the Korea Ssireum Association, who captivated the audience with their impressive skills and contagious energy. Their performance even encouraged children and adults alike to step into the ssireum-jang–the arena where the matches take place–and try out a few moves themselves.
Visitors could also explore a display that included books, traditional uniforms, merchandising and videos explaining the sport, offering additional context and insight into this ancient tradition.
So, what exactly is ssireum? Ssireum is a traditional Korean sport and a form of wrestling in which two competitors try to throw each other to the ground using strength, technique, and balance. To compete, all that’s needed is a cloth belt called a satba, worn around the waist and thigh, which wrestlers use to gain leverage. With over a thousand years of history, ssireum has long been a part of Korean festivals and cultural celebrations. Today, it remains an important tradition, taught in schools and clubs, and showcased during events like Chuseok.
“It has a very long history. I love it because it’s very accessible–anyone can try it with just a satba. I want to share this history with as many people as possible,” said one of the wrestlers we had the chance to speak with. Interestingly, contrary to what I would have guessed as someone who had never seen or heard of this sport before, the parts of the body that need the most training to succeed are the legs and waist, as they mentioned. This is surprising to many spectators, who assumed it was mostly about arm strength.
“Korea, tradition, sport”–as they described this ancient sport in simple terms–is perhaps the best way to understand what ssireum is and how important it is in Korean society. As a spectator, it was a delightful and culturally enriching experience to discover a new sport, and also entertaining to see so many volunteers bravely face off against their opponents, despite being newcomers. Without a doubt, we look forward to seeing more ssireum events in the future, as its appeal and potential to reach new audiences are undeniable.
How about this article?
- Like0
- Support0
- Amazing0
- Sad0
- Curious0
- Insightful0
