Wrestling was the most widespread and most popular sport in Viking Age Scandinavia. It was an important part of Norse society, practiced by males and females of all ages.
Laustak Viking wrestling contains throws, takedowns, sweeps, trips, reaps, pulls, pressure techniques, and grappling on the feet and on the mat. Training in this sport builds strength, stamina, balance, perseverance and a resilient spirit.
Løse-tak glima rules can be found at the bottom of this page.

March 04, 2023

SPORT LAUSTAK BUILDS RESILIENCE by Tyr Neilsen

March 04, 2023/ AVK

Vikings were known for their toughness and resilience, and it's no surprise that their wrestling sport, Laustak, plays a major role in building these qualities.

In Sport Laustak, you not only build physical strength, but also mental and spiritual resilience. By continually getting up one more time than you are knocked down, you develop a strong and tenacious spirit that helps you overcome life’s challenges.

Sport Laustak, also known as Free-grip Viking wrestling, is a sport that involves throwing, tripping, sweeping, and pulling opponents to the ground. However, the competition is not over when someone hits the ground - the goal is to be the person standing out of reach when the other is on the ground.

A Sport Laustak competition is not over just because a competitor is thrown to the mat. If the person thrown can grab the person who initiated the takedown, they can pull, sweep, trip or grapple with them. In this way the competition can continue, which creates an exciting battle of wills and perseverance.

The concept of resilience is central to Sport Laustak and to life itself. Sport Laustak is all about building the tools to enable you to get up one more time. Here you learn to gather information from each fall and use it to get up faster and stronger.

By continually getting up one more time than you were knocked down, you develop a strong and unbreakable spirit that helps you overcome the challenges that come your way.

Over time, with practice and persistence, you develop the resilience to achieve success. This applies to all areas of life - whether it's challenges at school, at work, in relationships, or in personal goals.