When we were in India there were so many things to do and see, I felt like I was bombarded with the new and unfamiliar. However, when thinking back to the focus of our trip, grappling, it becomes easier to recall some of the distinct things we encountered on our adventure.

It’s impossible to traverse India without seeing the many different deities. Ganesha and Shiva are probably the more commonly seen deities, but if you’re visiting a dojo, wrestling center, or akhara, you’ll probably find a monkey-like deity named Hanuman taking up space on the wall or in a corner of the room.

Hanuman is the god of strength, the god that the wrestlers and in general grapplers look to for strength and inspiration. For more detailed (and more accurate) information on Hanuman, I would advise you to read other sources. I’m just going to talk about what people told me on our trip.

Hanuman has monkey like features with a tail and a mouth the shape of an ape. He is vegetarian, celibate, and from what I understood, an anti-hero type of character. (I might have made that last part up) He also carries a big mace with him, and for the reason I forgot, Tuesday is dedicated to Hanuman. Needless to say, Hanuman has great strength and power.

The traditional wrestlers believe living like Hanuman give them strength. Therefore, a vegetarian diet, celibacy, and even training with a mace are considered virtuous for a grappler. This practice of training was not only a way to physical strengthen the body but also a way to metaphysical power.

Exercise and movement was (and possibly is) a path to connect the mortal being with the immortal. A form of spiritual worship. A physical practice of training for the sake of spiritual consequences. When I heard this from Kush Debar, a researcher on ancient grappling in India, I was fascinated. From my experiences with grappling, this was a common philosophy in the grappling cultures outside of India.

Sumo wrestlers in Japan take on “divine” status as they work their way of the ranks, almost becoming deities. Western wrestling often talks about training the mind, body, and spirit through the practice of wrestling. In all of these cultures training was intended to connect the mind, body, and spirit. Could this be a coincidence, a migration of thought, or the natural coincidence of grappling?