Posted on 09/05/2007 9:38:57 PM PDT by freedom44
Yeah, great abs too.
No knee wraps, holy crap!
And you're right - its mighty great...
Kidding aside - that's quite a lot of weight on that bar....
I don’t know if in his case abs are singular or nonexistent. Sure, it’s a lot of weight. He’s very strong, but not really healthy. I lift weights, but you can’t be a fatty and healthy even pushing iron.
Maybe we should do something similar with our H.S. phys ed program. ;)
I take it this is a Zoroastrian thing?
Yeah started with Zoroastrianism.
Yes, it is a pre-islamic tradition traceable at least to the Parthian time of Persian empire. As almost everything positive in the Middle East it existed before Islam.
I have to believe he has some very strong abs (or 'ab', as I called it) -- its just that they are buried within that thick protective coat of insulation. Heaving all that weight around can't allow for a weak midsection.
Reminds me of the USSR gold medalist in power lifting from 1972 (I think -- possibly 1968). Alexi something or other I believe. Similarly ... 'impressive' abdominals. The sportscasters kept insisting it was 'all muscle'. I was very young at the time, and I still thought the TV talking heads were spouting nonsense. Blubber is blubber. Doesn't take away the fact that he was very strong -- but that midsection protrusion sure didn't look like any muscle group that I was familiar with.
They had a hell of a great civilization until Jimmy the Liverspot conspired with the Aya-Toilets to undermine it.
Sick wrestlers, Can’t wait to see some of them compete in MMA
The title you created “Iran’s ancient bodybuilding tradition” was not the title at the linked source. Please do not make up your own titles. We’re trying to reduce the number of duplicate threads.
Thanks.
The Iranians are world class wrestlers, arguably the best in the world. Tough to beat.
I wonder if Alexander and his soldiers brought the idea of gymnasiums to Persia?
The Zurkhaneh is the Iranian equivqalent of Karate. Similar to the Asian rulers forbidding weapons, the Arabs forbade weapon training when they overran ancient Iran.
As a result. sports arenas with deep round wrestling pits became the secret gathering places for “sports wrestling” which in fact was body hardening for warfare disguised as a sport.
Initially it was anti-Islam but over time became perverted to a mix of Islam and a form of Sufism with increasing emphasis on certan Islamic “saints”.
Shaban Jaffari (known as Shabban ‘bimokh’ = the brainless, indicating fearles as much as anything derogatory) was one of the most famous of these Zurkhaneh (means house of strength) athletes and a lower class social leader.
In the restoration of the Monarchy in the 1950’s he spearheaded suport for the monarchy and rabble roused in that direction, earning a postion of favor with the late Shah.
Shaban died recently as a historical person of the people.
Very good info, thanks.
Zurkhaneh is said to have originated when Persian warriors were forced to practice their martial arts pursuits secretly in their homes after the Arab invasion. As the centuries went by the sport became legalized and a tradition. … "Felicitations on the birthday of the second imam and curses to all the enemies of the first imam," roars a bearded pahlavan (champion) who leads the group …A poet sings as the drumming picks up to an intense and deafening momentum. "Iran is my sanctuary and my home! If all of us die it is much better than to give our land to the enemy!" he cries.
Imagine if you could wrestle like an Iranian and throwdown/bang like a Lithuanian. That’d be Money
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.