Bacon, Standing Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling (1937)
Despite the title of the book, Stanley Bacon was a practitioner of a range of styles, including Cornish Wrestling. In his work he covers a few techniques common in the Westcountry, although in his example, applied without jackets. The main Westcountry technique Bacon described was the Fore Crook, or Fore Lock (pp.54-55).
CORNISH LOCK FORWARD
This lift will be found extremely useful when an attempt at a Buttock has failed and yet the attacker is still partially “turned” in and under his opponent’s abdomen, the Buttock arm hold, or something similar, being-retained. Assume that the left side has been turned in. The attacker inserts the left leg backward and between his opponent’s legs, hooking the toes firmly around and behind his opponent’s right ankle. He will find that he is now able to lift his opponent’s right leg backward from the floor with his own left leg, and if the arm hold be “mended,” the leg can be raised high enough to obtain a complete lift of both feet from the ground.
The defence and counters are as for, momentarily, the weight of both wrestlers on one leg only—a considerable strain. It can, however, be done.
The defence and counters are as for the “Buttock.” It will be seen that this lift involves holding, momentarily, the weight of both wrestlerson one leg only— a considerable strain. It
can, however, be done.
pp. 54.
In this photograph the “lifter” has still to straighten his right leg, raise his left leg still higher, and slightly roll to his right to finish off the “lift.” These movements must synchronize. (pp.55).
Stanley Vivian Bacon (1885-1952), b. Camberwell, was the eldest of five brothers who were all top-flight British wrestlers. Adept at the differing wrestling styles, including Cumberland and Westmoreland, Cornish and Devon and catch-as-catch-can, between them they accumulated 30 British championship titles, half of which were won by Stanley, who competed regularly from 1904 to 1925. He competed in the Olympic Games of 1908, 1912 and 1920 and was a judge at the Games in 1928. By profession he was a civil servant; among other sports he excelled at swimming and diving, boxing and rugby. At the outbreak of the Great War he enlisted with the Civil Service Rifles and became a sergeant-instructor to the Royal Fusiliers at Aldershot, and later Watford. At the conclusion of hostilities he joined the Air Ministry. A regular contributor to the monthly journal Health & Efficiency in the second and third decades of the 20th century, Bacon also authored the reference Standing Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling (Link House, London, 1937), a photocopy of which is included. In later life he lived in Christchurch road, Tulse Hill.
A collection of Bacon’s medals sold for £9,500 in 2019, via Noonans Mayfair.
Bacon, S. V. (1937). Standing Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling (Bacon Style). Link House, London. Available via Archive.org.