Gobar Goho
Encyclopedia
Jatindra Charan Goho (13 March 1892 - 2 January 1972), popularly known by his ring name
Gobar Goho , was a world famous India
n wrestler
and practitioner of Pehlwani
. He was the first Asian
to win the World Light Heavyweight Championship in the United States in 1921.
. The Goho family had been known for pioneering, promoting and popularizing the art of wrestling
and physical culture in Bengal
, for generations. His great-grandfather had set up an akhada at Masjidbari Street. His forebears included the legendary Ambu babu, and Khetu babu, who tutored Swami Vivekananda
in the finer points of wrestling
. His father Ram Charan too was well versed in the art. Gobar was born to Ram Charan in 1892 in Kolkata
. He began his initial training under the guidance of his grandfather Ambika Charan Guha
. He also took lessons from his uncle Khetra Charan Goho and father Ram Charan Goho.He began rigorous training under the famous Indian wrestlers like Kholsa Chaubey and Rahmani Pehlwan, who were employed by the Goho family. When Gobar reached adulthood he stood at six feet and one inch and weighed around 290 pounds. His expanded chest measured 48 inches. In the meanwhile he also passed the Entrance examination from Vidyasagar school in 1910. He also received training in Hindustani classical music from Kukuv Khan and used to attend the musical soirees of Narendranath Basu.
in 1910 at the age of eighteen. He debuted against Navrang Singh, the court wrestler of the Maharaja
of Tripura
, but he didn't take any money. In 1910, the John Bull Society of London organized a world wrestling championship bout to which wrestlers
from all over the world including Gobar Goho and junior Gama of India
were invited. In his first tour of Europe, Gobar fought bouts in Italy
, Switzerland
and England. Gobar went on a second tour of Europe in 1912 and returned home in 1915. During the trip he met Jack Johnson
, the first black world heavyweight boxing champion at the wrestling
tournament in Paris. Next he defeated Campbell, the highest-ranked wrestler of Scotland
. His next bout was against Scottish strongman and wrestler Jimmy Esson of Aberdeen
, who has been described by the great Estonian strongman and wrestler Georg Hackenschmidt
as 'the Scotch Giant'. Esson was at the receiving end throughout the fight and in the end resorted to illegal boxing punches. Gobar remained undeterred and duly wrestled the 'giant' on to the ground. After the War
, Gobar went on a third tour of Europe and the United States from 1920 to 1926. During this tour, he fought the bout of his lifetime, when he disposed off the then World Light Heavyweight Champion and catch wrestler
Ad Santel
on 30 August 1921 at the Coliseum in San Francisco. He became the first Asian
to win a World Professional Wrestling Championship in the United States. In in his next bout he was pitted against the famous Ed 'Strangler' Lewis
, considered by many to be the greatest ever professional wrestler. Lewis first tried his famous headlock on Gobar but to little effect. After a few rounds, Lewis managed to floor Gobar once, but the latter soon returned the compliment. Both fighters had registered two falls each, when Lewis resorted to foul play by hitting Gobar with a boxer’s punch. When the referee overlooked this offence, Gobar turned to the judges to remonstrate, but at this moment, Lewis floored Gobar with a resounding thump, causing him to hit his head on the boards and lose consciousness. In 1929, Gobar fought another memorable fight against the younger Gama at Park Circus
, Kolkata
in a bout that has since passed into the folklore of India
n wrestling. After a stirring fight which showcased all the moves of India
n wrestling, the older Gobar finally lost on a technicality.The akhada that was established by his ancestors at Masjidbari Street was reincarnated by Gobar Goho at Goabagan in 1936. Gobar Goho retired from professional wrestling
in 1944.
Muslims. Not only wrestlers but the famous body builders like Manohar Aich
and Monotosh Roy were inspired by his successes. His own disciples included his son Manik and his students Banamali Ghosh, Jyotish Charan Ghosh & Biswanath Dutta. His followers observed his birth centenary in 1992. Goabagan Street in North Kolkata has been named Gobar Goho Sarani in his honour. His followers observed his birth centenary in 1992. His statue was installed and unveiled at the Azad Hind Bagh in 1996 by the then governor of Paschim Banga, Late Raghunath Reddy. On the current day his akhada Gobar Goho's Gymnasium runs firmly at 19/D/H/7, Gobar Goho Sarani, Kolkata-700006. The nearest prominent landmark is the Scottish Church College.
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Gobar Goho , was a world famous India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n wrestler
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and practitioner of Pehlwani
Pehlwani
Pehlwani or Pahlavani or Kushti is a Persian style of wrestling popular in Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It was developed in the Mughal era through a synthesis of Indian malla-yuddha and Persian Varzesh-e Bastani....
. He was the first Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
to win the World Light Heavyweight Championship in the United States in 1921.
Early life
Gobar came from a family of wrestlersWrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. The Goho family had been known for pioneering, promoting and popularizing the art of wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and physical culture in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, for generations. His great-grandfather had set up an akhada at Masjidbari Street. His forebears included the legendary Ambu babu, and Khetu babu, who tutored Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda , born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission...
in the finer points of wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
. His father Ram Charan too was well versed in the art. Gobar was born to Ram Charan in 1892 in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. He began his initial training under the guidance of his grandfather Ambika Charan Guha
Ambika Charan Guha
Ambika Charan Goho , popularly known as Ambu babu or Ambu Goho , was an Indian wrestler who pioneered the growth of akhada culture in Bengal.- Early life :...
. He also took lessons from his uncle Khetra Charan Goho and father Ram Charan Goho.He began rigorous training under the famous Indian wrestlers like Kholsa Chaubey and Rahmani Pehlwan, who were employed by the Goho family. When Gobar reached adulthood he stood at six feet and one inch and weighed around 290 pounds. His expanded chest measured 48 inches. In the meanwhile he also passed the Entrance examination from Vidyasagar school in 1910. He also received training in Hindustani classical music from Kukuv Khan and used to attend the musical soirees of Narendranath Basu.
Career
Gobar embarked on a professional career in wrestlingWrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
in 1910 at the age of eighteen. He debuted against Navrang Singh, the court wrestler of the Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
of Tripura
Twipra Kingdom
Twipra Kingdom was one of the largest ancient kingdom of the Tipra people of the Bodo-Kachari ethnicity in the Northeastern region of the Indian Subcontinent having a chronicle of 186 Kings till the present times .- Geographical spread :The present political...
, but he didn't take any money. In 1910, the John Bull Society of London organized a world wrestling championship bout to which wrestlers
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
from all over the world including Gobar Goho and junior Gama of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
were invited. In his first tour of Europe, Gobar fought bouts in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and England. Gobar went on a second tour of Europe in 1912 and returned home in 1915. During the trip he met Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
, the first black world heavyweight boxing champion at the wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
tournament in Paris. Next he defeated Campbell, the highest-ranked wrestler of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His next bout was against Scottish strongman and wrestler Jimmy Esson of Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, who has been described by the great Estonian strongman and wrestler Georg Hackenschmidt
Georg Hackenschmidt
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt was an early 20th-century Estonian strongman and professional wrestler, and the first free-style heavyweight champion of the world. He launched his professional career in Russia and lived most of his life in London, England, where he gained the nickname of 'The...
as 'the Scotch Giant'. Esson was at the receiving end throughout the fight and in the end resorted to illegal boxing punches. Gobar remained undeterred and duly wrestled the 'giant' on to the ground. After the War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Gobar went on a third tour of Europe and the United States from 1920 to 1926. During this tour, he fought the bout of his lifetime, when he disposed off the then World Light Heavyweight Champion and catch wrestler
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
Ad Santel
Ad Santel
Ad Santel, , was a practitioner of catch wrestling. Ad Santel fought one of the early clash-of-the-styles matches in modern martial arts history against Tokugoro Ito, a 5th degree black belt in Judo from Japan. Santel defeated Ito when a slamming takedown rendered the Judoka unable to continue the...
on 30 August 1921 at the Coliseum in San Francisco. He became the first Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
to win a World Professional Wrestling Championship in the United States. In in his next bout he was pitted against the famous Ed 'Strangler' Lewis
Ed Lewis (wrestler)
Robert Herman Julius Friedrich , was a professional wrestler best known by his ring name Ed "Strangler" Lewis, whose career spanned four decades.-Wrestling career:...
, considered by many to be the greatest ever professional wrestler. Lewis first tried his famous headlock on Gobar but to little effect. After a few rounds, Lewis managed to floor Gobar once, but the latter soon returned the compliment. Both fighters had registered two falls each, when Lewis resorted to foul play by hitting Gobar with a boxer’s punch. When the referee overlooked this offence, Gobar turned to the judges to remonstrate, but at this moment, Lewis floored Gobar with a resounding thump, causing him to hit his head on the boards and lose consciousness. In 1929, Gobar fought another memorable fight against the younger Gama at Park Circus
Park Circus
- Location :Park Circus is an area in South Kolkata. It has Entally and Sealdah to its north, Park Street and Chowringhee to its west, Taltala to its north west, Topsia and Ballygunge to its south & Tangra to its east. It is connected to both Park Street and AJC Bose Road. It is a locality of...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in a bout that has since passed into the folklore of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n wrestling. After a stirring fight which showcased all the moves of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n wrestling, the older Gobar finally lost on a technicality.The akhada that was established by his ancestors at Masjidbari Street was reincarnated by Gobar Goho at Goabagan in 1936. Gobar Goho retired from professional wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
in 1944.
Legacy
Gobar Goho developed his own style of wrestling which took Indian wrestling into newer heights. His style included his own wrestling holds like dhonka, tibbi, gadhanet, dhak, tang, pat, dhobiya pat and kulla which later became a part and parcel of Indian wrestling. He was famous for his vicious chops known as radda. His achievements and success inspired Bengali Hindus to take up wrestling as a career which was seen as the traditional bastion of PunjabiPunjabi people
The Punjabi people , ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ), also Panjabi people, are an Indo-Aryan group from South Asia. They are the second largest of the many ethnic groups in South Asia. They originate in the Punjab region, which has been been the location of some of the oldest civilizations in the world including, the...
Muslims. Not only wrestlers but the famous body builders like Manohar Aich
Manohar Aich
Manohar Aich is an Indian bodybuilder. He was born in Comilla District , in a remote village named Dhamti. He won the 1952 Mr. Universe - Group III championship. He is also a three-time Asian Games gold medalist in body building. Being only 4 feet 11 inches tall, he was given the name...
and Monotosh Roy were inspired by his successes. His own disciples included his son Manik and his students Banamali Ghosh, Jyotish Charan Ghosh & Biswanath Dutta. His followers observed his birth centenary in 1992. Goabagan Street in North Kolkata has been named Gobar Goho Sarani in his honour. His followers observed his birth centenary in 1992. His statue was installed and unveiled at the Azad Hind Bagh in 1996 by the then governor of Paschim Banga, Late Raghunath Reddy. On the current day his akhada Gobar Goho's Gymnasium runs firmly at 19/D/H/7, Gobar Goho Sarani, Kolkata-700006. The nearest prominent landmark is the Scottish Church College.
External links
- Abridged wrestling events History.
- A copy of the original "The Japanese Pro-Wrestling / Reality Based Martial Art Connection" article by Sam Chan