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Chidaoba

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description Chidaoba Overview

Chidaoba is a traditional form of jacket wrestling from Georgia, in the Caucasus. Wrestlers use a short jacket and seek to unbalance and throw an opponent through grips, trips, and other controlled techniques. The practice has a distinct musical and social setting, with matches traditionally accompanied by music and viewed as part of Georgian cultural life. UNESCO added Chidaoba to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018.

help Chidaoba FAQ

What does a Chidaoba match involve?

Chidaoba is Georgian jacket wrestling: competitors wear a chokha-style jacket and try to defeat each other with grappling holds, trips, and throws. UNESCO describes it as a tradition combining wrestling, music, dance, and special garments. [UNESCO listing](https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/chidaoba-wrestling-in-georgia-01371)

How many holds are used in Chidaoba?

UNESCO's description estimates about 200 holds and counter-holds, which lets wrestlers combine techniques creatively. The documented match format centers on controlled grappling and quick decisions rather than striking. [UNESCO listing](https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/chidaoba-wrestling-in-georgia-01371)

Why is music part of Chidaoba?

Traditional tournaments are held in an open-air arena and begin with zurna wind-instrument and doli drum music. UNESCO also notes that wrestlers may leave the arena with a Georgian folk dance, so the event is cultural performance as well as competition. [UNESCO listing](https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/chidaoba-wrestling-in-georgia-01371)

When did UNESCO recognize Chidaoba?

UNESCO inscribed Chidaoba, wrestling in Georgia, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. The listing also records that it evolved from an older combat function into a spectacular sport practiced in Georgian communities. [UNESCO listing](https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/chidaoba-wrestling-in-georgia-01371)

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