Shin Kicking
Absolutely knee slapping!
Lindsey Probst
Issue date: 3/1/10 Section: Sports
|
The sport originated in the Cotswold of England in 1612, started by Robert Dover. Shin kicking in the 1600s was ruthless; men wore thick boots and had no padding on their shins. Contestants would prepare by hitting their shins repeatedly with a hammer.
The purpose of the battle was to see which of the males fighting over a woman would claim her as his own.
After dying out for quite some time, the sport resurfaced in 1951 in the Cotswold Olimpick Games, but was much less aggressive and harsh than earlier times. Shin kicking is still one of the most popular events at the Cotswold Games to date.
The Shin Kicking Association of Brittan says, "This is not a hooligan sport!" In fact, shin kicking has its own set of rules and regulations.
Players must stand facing each other and place their hands on their opponent's shoulders, keeping their arms straight. They then try to kick the shins of the opposite player as many times as possible below the knee.
Once the player feels their opponent is weakened, they can attempt to throw them down. However, there must be foot-to-shin contact before a player can be taken down. The champion shin kicker is named after three rounds; the winner is the player with the most throw-downs.
Required equipment includes long pants or trousers, straw or padding to line the shins, soft tennis shoes or sneakers and a white smock or Sheppard's coat. A few beers before the match are also recommended.
Shin kicking may not be a sport you jump off your seat to join in on; but, if you want some solid humorous entertainment, shin kicking is the sport for you!
Who knows, maybe we will see this sport blossom into an event at the real Olympic Games.
Be the first to comment on this story