Of Mats and Men: The Story of Canadian Amateur and Olympic Wrestling from 1600 to 1984

John Kendle is a history professor at St. John’s College, University
of Manitoba.

Those interested in Canadian sports history will find this to be a useful compendium and reference work. Written by a former Olympic coach, it is an insider’s knowledgeable glance at the development of the sport in Canada over the past three hundred years. As might be expected, the emphasis is on more recent twentieth century developments. The key role of the YMCAs and the YMHAs is underlined and the gritty individualism and tenacious commitment of the essentially self-trained amateurs is made abundantly clear.

While the book will be of value to the uninitiated and to the avid sports fan, it is not a well-rounded historical study. A fully integrated history of wrestling, assessing its place and importance in Canadian leisure culture, its socio-economic context and implications, and its class-bound nature, is still required. Dr. Leyshon has laid the base for such an undertaking and is to be thanked for that.

It should also be pointed out, however, that Dr. Leyshon’s treatment of wrestling within Indian and Inuit cultures is often patronising and paternalistic. His uncritical use of the words “savagery” and “civilization” and his ready acceptance of the maxim that “civilization begins when sport begins” are unfortunate. He fails to examine its integral importance in many European cultures and traditions and refers to low-level peasant activities. The book’s information is useful, but its easy assumptions should be handled with care.