MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Two people circle around on a mat, crouched with their arms tucked closely to their bodies but fingers spread and tensed. Then the clinching of their bodies: looking for an opening to get a hold.
The sport of wrestling can trace its origins 15,000 years ago through illustrations found in caves in France. In Babylon, relics depict wrestlers using holds and takedowns much like today's sport. It too held a major place in legend and literature in ancient Greece and was the top contest of the Olympic Games of the time.
"It's a sport very much like how gladiators use to battle," said Andre C. Dixon, 21-year wrestler. "Nobody can help you. It's just you and your opponent."
Present day, it is very much a part of American pop culture. It is a sport which high schools and colleges take just as serious as football or basketball.
And it is a sport that the Marine Corps accommodates through the Marine Corps Wrestling Team.
Tryouts for the team are being held 7-9 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the IronWorks Gym basketball courts.
Sheena Dowd, wrestler for the team and coordinator for the tryouts here, evaluates recruits for the team.
"The Marines that try out have experience, from high school and college and are familiar with the different styles of wrestling," said Dowd.
There are three basic styles of wrestling: Collegiate, Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle and Greco-Roman are contested on worldwide levels. Collegiate is a style particular in North America (More common at colleges and universities, high schools, and athletic clubs.)
The Marine Corps Wrestling Team not only competes against other services, but it also competes against colleges and universities, said Dowd.
"Marine wrestlers have also participated in the Olympic Games," added Dowd.
But before Marines can serve their country at the Olympics as wrestlers, they must first tryout and attend a conditioning camp in Quantico, Va.
"It's like a training camp where Marines are evaluated," said Dowd. "They stay there, in Quantico, for four to six months and train."
Dixon has been affiliated with wrestling since the age of 7. The 28-year-old is looking forward to be a part of the team.
"I love wrestling and it's very much like the way the Marine Corps is," said the New Jersey native. "It's mind over matter. When you're in the ring with someone, you get to the point where your body is tired, it's fatigued. But then your mind takes over. You have to be strong in mind."
For more information on tryouts for the Marine Corps Wrestling Team, contact the athletics department at the IronWorks Gym at 253-3067.