Circassian Sportsmen

Circassian sportsmen, champions of Europe, World and Olimpic Games

Sport, though there is no equivalent for this word in the Adyghe language, have been of great importance. Love for physical culture and sport was reflected in the Nart Epos. Every year Narts gathered to hold athletic games, shoot competitions, wrestling and horse racing. Narts had become so skillful that some of them danced at the edge of the table not even moving it.

Elbrus Mountain 5642 M

Adyghe holidays as a compulsory element included a lot of sport and competitions that usually turned into exciting performance. More popular were such games as shurylas (on foot and horse), shygazha (horse racing), shygadzhagu (riding) shykafa (horse dancing) and so on. There were 2 types of Adyghe wrestling: waist wrestling and armwrestling. The horsemanship among Adyghe has developed into an independent institution with its own moral, ethics, traditional system and god Zekuotkha (God of horsemanship). The noble boys' tutors from the very first step taught them that uneasy skill . In order to get a status of a knight-rider a boy had to go through tests. With the other boys he was setting out to a distant trip. Zekhota only protected those of them who could have endured very severe tests.

Besides of the military training sport was of great ethic importance. It provided healthy communication and entertainment between youths and distracted from bad habits. Circassian system of physical training was widely used by the Mamelukes: tsars, commanders, warriors of Adyghe origin were distinguished not only for their political wisdom and courage but for their great power, dexterity and endurance. The Mamelukes' military skill was on the level inaccessible for their enemies. The names of the best riders, fencers, archers and wrestlers can be found in chronicle about the Mamelukes. A Circassian sultan Muaed Shaikh Karmoko who was a very strong man, well known as a master of "furusiya", spear being his favourite armour. Adyge sport had a significant effect on Turkish warriors training and had given to these country famous sportsmen and among them those of Circassian origin.

Circassians didn't know about Alpinism but the first man in the world who climbed the top of Elbrus without special training was Kilar Khashirov -a Kabardian from Baksan. It was on the 10-th of July 1829 at 11 o'clock a.m.

The Great October Revolution entailed a different type of sport. Traditional sport was part of this people's culture a kind of their whereas folklore, modern sport is a state sport, intruded by authorities and tended to professional. National traditional sports being neglected and loosing its secrets and methods of training and consequently champions. The underestimation of traditional sports as well as neglecting and even persecution of non-traditional medicine was a very serious error of the politics. Many years have passed before the people understood and mastered International sport and their appeared sportsmen of national, European and even world level. Outstanding sportsmen began to appear from the end of the 20-th century and the brightest sportsman among them was Kabardian Mustafa Nakov who went in for sport for 30 years. After the Second World War there appeared a very talented bicyclist Yusuf Khazhaliev who trained the Olimpic Champion Boris Shukhov.

Among riders the most successful one was Zhambot Pshukov. He won dozens of the most prestigeous prizes in Moscow, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Berlin, Sofia, London and Paris. Horse Breeding International Congress awarded him a title of "The World Class Jokey" - the highest title for riders. Zhambot Pshukov performed in Championships until he was 53 years old. It is also a record. I can't help mentioning Mukharbi Kunizhev who went in for equestrian since he was 15. He was a champion of the former USSR for two times. From 1967 to 1982 he was a couch of the national team.

But the most remarkable thing about the Adyghe sport of the Soviet period was the Maikop school of judo - sambo created by the famous coach Yakub Koblev. And since then a triumphant procession of the Koblev's school began in 1974 in the European Championship in Madrid Gumer Kostokov and Arambi Emizh became champions. In the World Championship in Ulan-Bator Arambi Khapai became the first Adyge World Champion. Koblev's school is known all over the world. It turned Maikop into Mekka of sambo and judo. Descendants of Adyghe emigrants Olimpic champions Yashar Dogu, Khamid Kaplan, Mahmud Altai and other wrestlers of Circassian origin are considered national heroes and the pride of the Turkey Republic. World champion Arambi Khapai from Maikop trained a two meters athlet Murat Khasanov, a champion of Europe for 5 times, World champion for 2 times, possessor of the World Cup. He has all chances to beat all European and World records in the quality of honored titles he was awarded.

The strongest man of the world Yuri Khuazhev lives in Maikop. He became the World champion in power lifting when he lifted 271,5 kg. Another Kabardian from the village Psygansu Murat Zhanov at his 22 won all the highest titles in kickboxing. Who can imagine that Russia football team would beat Brazilians in Brazil field in the World Championship? This is how the president of Russia Federation of karate-do Yuri Orlov estimated a title of the WorJd Champion which Asian Gubashiev was conferred. In Russia, by the way, nobody before succeeded it. It is a great achievement for nation, which is not numerous, which is scattered throughout the world, which does not have its State system. There are nations more numerous, but don't have a single athlet who was able to manage the top of the World Olimp.

 Every champion, there are 51 of them and they present 14 sports, is a unique personality with numerous merits. This is their intellect, strength, power, persistence, nobleness, responsibility and constant aspiration for victory, and what is very important in each of them we see a genetic potential of the nation. Every ethnos, every nation needs great sportsmen as well as great writers, artists, actors, composers, scientists, architectures for its proper development. The lack of them makes the nation defective.

If people are involved in different kind of activities like sport, business, art, study they can withstand to alcohol, drugs, crimes and become healthy beautiful and intimate to God.
 

Circassian Sportsmen Gallery

Kabardino - Balkaria Judo Club
Gladiator Sport Club, Nalchik, KBR

Elbrus Mountain

Elbrus Mountain

Kabardian Horses

Offical Web Site of Spartak Nalchik



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