Mongolian wrestling is one of the most important events at Nadam and only men can take part in the competition.
The number of contestants in a Mongolian-style wrestling match must be a power of two and that the contest follows a single elimination system. In the match, wrestlers wear a metal studded short-sleeved leather top, boot and long baggy white pants. For wrestlers of rank the Inner Mongolians have a necklace called a jangga.
There are no weight classes in a match. And the objective of the match is to get the opponent to touch his body part other than the feet to the ground. In the Inner Mongolian version, any touching the ground signals defeat.
A variety of throws, trips and lifts can be employed to topple the opponent but touching the opponent's legs with hands is forbidden. In addition, striking, strangling or locking is illegal in both varieties.
A wrestler who beats five opponents in a Nadam is awarded a title of "Falcon", and one who wins seven rounds is given a title of "Elephant". A wrestler becomes champion by winning nine rounds and is given a title "Lion".
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