Cameron grappler Short tests skills in India

Cameron High School freshman Chase Short hopes the skills he learned in New Delhi, India learning Kushti Wrestling will lead to more wins for the Dragons this fall.

Short spent much of May in dirt pits learning the Hindi version of wrestling, with Short noting the intensity of the nearly no-holds barred competition.

 “They only did about a few minutes of drills then it was all live,” Short said. “You don’t score points. The only way to win is by pinning another kid or if the other wrestler submits. It was nice because I wouldn’t get tech’d out ... I liked not having to worry about extra rules and focus on just wrestling.” 

Short traveled to India May 6 as part of a 10-day trip. Of the 23 attendees, he was the only Missourian attending the India trip with wrestlers coming from across the US to learn the brutal form of wresting including University of Wisconsin coach Jarrod Lewis, who is internationally known for taking trips around the world to observe other styles of wrestling and diversifying kids knowledge of the world.

While used to sparring in shorts and a T-shirt or competing in a singlet, Short said for Kushti wrestlers wore a loin cloth. Instead of training on a mat, Kushti wrestlers use dirt pits infused with buttermilk, oil and red ochre, which give the dirt a red hue. It is supposed to be soft enough to land on but hard enough not to impede the wrestler’s movements. However, in areas this isn’t available sand pits are more popular.

“The sand is still pretty hard when you land on it, so it still hurts,” Short said. “All of us (Americans) had put our shorts over them when it was time to wrestle but it was so uncomfortable like that. Of course, all the kids from India just kept the loin cloths. Learning a new style was fun, and meeting new friends help me grow into a better person and a wrestler.” 

Although primarily on the trip to learn wrestling, Short said he came away with a wealth of knowledge surpassing what he learned in the sand pits. He learned a deep appreciation for what he has, noting extreme poverty in New Delhi. While visiting schools and homeless enclaves, Short said he realized the poverty often came by no fault of those effected.

“Some people were born into it, some ran away from home or have nowhere else to go,” Short said. “Some people just do it for money - standing out in the streets and collecting money for their families … The kids are wrestling for private clubs. I think they do it to get away from all the distractions.”