▁in ▁order ▁to ▁force ▁their ▁oppon ent ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁English ▁mart ial ▁art . ▁It ▁origin ated ▁in ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁events ▁at ▁the ▁C ots w old ▁Olimp ick ▁Games ▁until ▁the ▁Games ▁ended ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁past ime ▁among ▁Corn ish ▁hospital ▁workers . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁sport ▁was ▁also ▁pract ised ▁by ▁British ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁It ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁C ots w old ▁Olimp ick ▁Games , ▁and ▁remains ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁most ▁popular ▁events , ▁run ▁as ▁the ▁World ▁Shin - k ick ing ▁Championships . ▁The ▁event ▁now ▁draw s ▁crow ds ▁of ▁millions ▁of ▁spect ators . ▁ ▁During ▁each ▁round , ▁the ▁combat ants ▁face ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁hold ▁on ▁to ▁each ▁other ' s ▁col lar . ▁Trad itionally ▁( in ▁the ▁C ots w old ▁Olimp icks ) ▁they ▁wear ▁white ▁co ats , ▁representing ▁she ph erd s ' ▁sm ock s . ▁They ▁typically ▁attempt ▁to ▁strike ▁their ▁oppon ent ' s ▁sh in ▁with ▁the ▁inside ▁of ▁the ▁foot ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁their ▁to es . ▁Success ▁in ▁the ▁event ▁requires ▁both ▁ag ility ▁and ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁end ure ▁pain , ▁the ▁los er ▁cry