The Greaser and the Cloth Man

    Besides the greasers who are responsible from installing the huge black boilers and greasing, there are greasers who walk on the field with ewers in their hands and give grease to the wrestlers whose grease is dried. The cloth men give cloth to the wrestlers whose eyes are greased.

Greasers

The thing which differentiates the Kırkpınar wrestling from others is that the wrestlers wrestle by getting greased. Kırkpınar cannot be thought without grease. In greased wrestling, one needs to make more effort to hold and grab the opponent. Thus, the main element is not brute force in greased wrestling; art and motivation come into prominence as important elements. Greasing of the wrestlers in Kırkpınar is done by the Greasers who give grease to them.

When Kırkpınar is set up, on the field a huge black boiler is put near the dressing rooms of the wrestlers. The wrestlers first go to this boiler and get greased with the grease which the greaser gives.

Greasing style here becomes exemplary for all the sports branches. The leading names for the awards usually help each other for getting greased and pour grease on one another’s backs.

Besides that, there are greasers who walk on the field with ewers in their hands. The wrestlers whose grease is cleaned when they fall onto the grass can take a break and request grease from the greasers on the field. But this cannot come true without the permission of the opponent. A wrestler, who feels that his opponent rests, pretending to get greased, has the right to invite him to wrestling by pulling the belt pulley of his tights.

Cloth Men

During greased wrestling, greasing of the eyes under the hot sun is a difficult situation for the wrestlers. Because the wrestlers whose eyes have a burning sensation cannot go on wrestling. At that time, the “Cloth Men” waiting around the field succour for the wrestlers. For this, a cloth is requested; to take from the gauzes the permission of the opponent is necessary. Otherwise, the opponent can bring down the wrestler who cleans his eye with the cloth. Even he can defeat him and this triumph is valid.