▁the ▁rule ▁that ▁no ▁holds ▁below ▁the ▁wa ist ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ; ▁neither ▁were ▁pain ful ▁holds ▁or ▁t ors ions ▁that ▁would ▁hurt ▁the ▁oppon ent . ▁" F lat ▁hand ▁wrest ling " ▁or ▁" F rench ▁wrest ling " ▁( as ▁the ▁style ▁became ▁known ) ▁developed ▁all ▁throughout ▁Europe ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁sport . ▁The ▁Italian ▁wrest ler ▁Bas ilio ▁Bart ole tt i ▁first ▁co ined ▁the ▁term ▁" Gre co - R oman " ▁for ▁the ▁sport ▁to ▁under line ▁the ▁interest ▁in ▁" anci ent ▁values ." ▁ ▁Many ▁others ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁ 2 0 th ▁centuries ▁sought ▁to ▁add ▁value ▁to ▁their ▁contemporary ▁athlet ic ▁practices ▁by ▁finding ▁some ▁connections ▁with ▁ancient ▁counter parts . ▁The ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁work ▁G ymn ast ics ▁for ▁Youth ▁by ▁Johann ▁Friedrich ▁G uts ▁M uth s ▁described ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁school boy ▁wrest ling ▁called ▁" orth op ale " ▁( used ▁by ▁Pl ato ▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁standing ▁part ▁of ▁wrest ling ) ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁mention ▁any ▁lower - body ▁holds . ▁Real ▁ancient ▁wrest ling ▁was ▁quite ▁different ; ▁see ▁Greek ▁wrest ling . ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁never ▁really ▁enjoyed ▁Gre co - R oman ▁wrest ling ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁its ▁less ▁restrict ive ▁counter part , ▁fre est yle , ▁and ▁neither ▁did ▁the ▁Americans , ▁despite ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁William ▁Mul do on ▁( a ▁successful ▁New ▁York ▁bar room ▁fre est