Coreeda facts for kids

Coreeda is a special kind of folk wrestling from Australia. It's based on fighting styles used by Aboriginal people long before Europeans arrived in the 1800s. It's a unique sport that combines tradition with modern competition.

History of Coreeda

Coreeda started growing as a sport in 1998. It is now played in many places across Australia. You can find Coreeda clubs in Sydney, Bourke, Melbourne, and on the Gold Coast. There are also plans for clubs in Adelaide, Broome, and Canberra.

Before a match, Coreeda wrestlers do warm-up moves that look like a traditional kangaroo dance. The wrestling takes place in a yellow circle that is 4.5 meters wide. This circle has black and red borders, which are colors found on the Aboriginal flag. People sometimes compare Coreeda to other sports like capoeira or sumo.

The Coreeda Association of Australia is part of the World Martial Arts Union, which is recognized by UNESCO. This means Coreeda is seen as an important part of Australia's cultural heritage. The association hopes to create a "First Nations Coreeda Championship" one day. In this championship, teams would represent different Aboriginal nations instead of modern Australian regions. They also plan to build a professional league for the sport called ProCor.

Other Wrestling Styles

Coreeda wrestlers often try out other types of folk wrestling. They participate in events at different community festivals in Australia. Some of these styles include Korean Ssireum, Turkish Yagli Gures, Celtic Wrestling, and Russian Sambo. Coreeda athletes have even represented Australia in international Sumo tournaments.

For example, Shane Parker, who started Coreeda when he was a child, competed for Australia in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. A key idea in Coreeda is that wrestlers should regularly test themselves in other wrestling styles. They believe this helps to promote peace around the world.

Aboriginal Wrestling Traditions

Before European settlement, Aboriginal wrestling sports were very popular. They had three main purposes:

• They helped train young warriors for tribal warfare.
• They were a way to control arguments and keep peace during gatherings between different tribes.
• Most importantly, they were a fun activity for everyone.

The Legend of Coreeda

The story of how Coreeda began comes from the Ngiyampaa Nation in Western New South Wales. This is a Dreaming story about a lizard man named Beereun. A giant snake told Beereun to watch Red Kangaroo bucks. From watching them, Beereun learned how to fight without weapons.

Beereun then shared these fighting techniques with his own clan. He started a wrestling tournament as an important ceremony to keep peace. This ceremony led to a time of great success for the Ngiyampaa people. Rock art found at places like Mt Grenfell near Cobar suggests that the first Coreeda tournament happened over 10,000 years ago. This makes Coreeda one of the oldest known folk wrestling styles in the world.

Official Connections

The Coreeda Association of Australia works closely with the Australian Sports Commission. They are recognized as the only existing Australian Folk Style of Wrestling.

The Coreeda Association has also teamed up with other wrestling groups. These include the Australian Sumo Federation, the Australian Ssireum Association, Turk Wrestling Australia, and Sambo Australia Inc. Together, they formed a group called the Australian Society of Traditional Wrestlers. These organizations have agreed to support each other's growth. They have already organized several big traditional wrestling tournaments and plan many more for the future.