The unstoppable horsemen occupied most of the nation until their downfall in the late 14th century. During those 150 or so years, a great deal of cultural interchange naturally took place. While the origin of ssirum definitely predates this relatively recent intermingling of Korean and Mongolian cultures, it did, in fact, mold ssirum a bit further in line with the Mongolian way of wrestling. Modern Mongolian wrestling still exhibits remarkable similarities to Korean ssirum. In both styles, special clothing is worn to provide a durable gripping surface.
Much attention is paid to strategically placing the feet to facilitate throwing.
Ankle hooks and sweeps are commonly used to disrupt balance. The legs may not be grasped at any time, and no body part other than the feet may touch the ground without a disqualification. The original style, in which neither participant wore any special clothing, was the more combat-oriented. Each man simply grasped whatever he could on his opponent, be it parts of the body, articles of clothing or equipment. He then utilized a variety of techniques to upset his opponent's balance and let gravity take its course.