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00:03I'm feeling it.
00:05I'm very aware of what I'm about to enter.
00:11This isn't just beating your chest and showing off
00:13and showing how alpha male you are.
00:16This is a vehicle for growing up.
00:25I guess that's the essence of rite of passage, isn't it?
00:32I'm Ed Stafford.
00:33As an explorer and survivalist,
00:36I've made a career out of mucking about in the wild.
00:40If I'm honest, I've never really grown up.
00:42Look at that!
00:43So now...
00:46Ready, guys?
00:48I've set myself a mission
00:51to see how cultures across the world
00:54navigate the messy business
00:56of becoming an adult.
01:00I believe many of us in the modern world
01:03have lost our sense of identity.
01:05But I'm hoping by immersing myself
01:07in the often extreme trials that young people face,
01:11I can figure out how these rituals
01:13make us better members of our communities.
01:17I've never experienced anything even comparable
01:19in terms of pain.
01:22By joining them on their journey,
01:24I hope I'll learn to become a better man.
01:26Yeah, I wish to roll with the Eric's birth noise.
01:29Maybe even grow up.
01:31It's very honest!
01:32Okay, he wants me to jump in on the journey now.
01:33And successfully pass my own rite of passage.
01:58I'm in the far north of China, in inner Mongolia.
02:04It's wild open country and rough terrain
02:07spreading out in all directions.
02:10I'll be travelling to a remote region
02:12located in the expansive grasslands
02:14of Shilingor League.
02:17Where I'll be spending a week with a Mongol family.
02:22The nomadic Mongols have led a traditional pastoral lifestyle
02:26on this grassland since the time of Genghis Khan.
02:32From what I know about their rite of passage,
02:35their training to become a fearsome Mongol warrior
02:38is as much a part of their ancient culture
02:40as it is a rite of passage.
02:42It involves three manly games.
02:45Horse riding,
02:48archery,
02:50and wrestling.
02:53Skills once essential on the battlefield.
02:58Today, Mongolian men are still expected to excel
03:01in these sports to pass their rite of passage
03:03at a traditional festival of games called Nadam.
03:09It's all about technique and strength.
03:11And perhaps the truest form of showing that strength
03:14is Mongolian wrestling.
03:17With just seven days here,
03:19wrestling is what I've chosen to focus on.
03:21So basically, I've got a week of being thrown around
03:23and battered and bruised.
03:25Which should be fun.
03:30I've got a week of being thrown around.
03:31At the end of my stay,
03:32my wrestling skills will be put to the test
03:34at the local Nadam festival.
03:36If I can put up a good fight and beat an opponent,
03:39I reckon I will have burnt my stripes
03:41in this Mongol rite of passage.
03:46This really is in the middle of nowhere.
03:51I can't help but notice that while remote,
03:55we aren't far from the comforts of the modern world.
04:06I'll be staying on an isolated farm with Temel,
04:09who is the head of the family out here on the grassland.
04:12Hello.
04:14Nice to meet you.
04:15My name's Ed.
04:16Is this your son?
04:22Hi.
04:27Hi.
04:30Temel invites me to meet the rest of his family
04:33in their traditional yurt, known as a ger in Mongolian.
04:37Since Temel and his family now live in a modern house,
04:39the ger now serves as a comfortable area to socialise.
04:43This is beautiful.
04:44His family will be hosting me for the following week.
04:47His wife, Daoren Tuya.
04:50His brother, Erdin.
04:52His two sons, 23-year-old Nacho
04:55and 13-year-old Amuri.
05:14Homemade milk tea.
05:18I'm going to try this.
05:25That's good.
05:26And how do you make a living here?
05:28Is it all from livestock?
05:31Yeah.
05:32And how many animals do you have?
05:39How much of this land around us that we can see is yours?
05:47Wow, that's a huge amount.
05:49OK, so pretty much everything we can see is yours.
05:53Do you mind me asking how old you are?
05:5749, that's the same as me.
05:58We're the same as me.
05:59We're the same as me.
06:02Temel's son, Nacho, is a professional Mongolian wrestling coach
06:05and he's considered a champion of Xilinqor League.
06:08And do you think that 49 years old is too old to wrestle?
06:17Would you be able to teach me how to wrestle?
06:20How to wrestle?
06:28Good.
06:29I'm a little bit nervous, I have to say.
06:34Before training officially starts, the guys decide to size me up.
06:38OK, 49-year-old against 49-year-old.
06:40Can we switch?
06:43One, three, two, one.
06:52You let me win there, you let me win.
06:55You're a very good host, thank you.
06:59Come on, mate.
07:01Come on, mate, let's do it.
07:04Go!
07:12Good game.
07:14You've got a strong son.
07:15Strong son.
07:17Boyed up by beating a 13-year-old,
07:20it's time to take on the big gun.
07:22One, three, two, one.
07:25Oh my goodness, mate.
07:28Wow.
07:29OK, you're strong.
07:31You're strong.
07:33OK, that's quite sobering.
07:36It's clear that I've got some serious catching up to do with my new coach.
07:43Seemingly not one to waste any time, Nacho cracks the whip and starts my training immediately.
07:59Butler.
08:01Butter.
08:01Butter.
08:03Butter.
08:04Butter.
08:05Butter.
08:05Thank you, mate.
08:06I appreciate that.
08:07Butter.
08:08I'm going to get battered, aren't I?
08:10Oh.
08:10Oh, well.
08:12That joke definitely got lost in translation.
08:15When entering the fighting ground, the wrestlers perform a ring,
08:18ritual dance to signify their confidence and readiness to do battle.
08:26With the movement supposed to symbolise powerful animals.
08:29You run in like a Mongolian.
08:37OK, it really is quite simple, isn't it?
08:40But I'm moving more like I belong at the bottom of the food chain.
08:53With the dance over, each wrestler raises his hand as his name is called.
09:01Butter.
09:05Butter.
09:08Butter.
09:09Butter.
09:10Butter.
09:10Butter.
09:13Butter.
09:14Butter.
09:19Nacho and his brother, Umuri, have already wrestled at Nardom.
09:22So this week, it'll only be me that's really going through a rite of passage.
09:26But before I start, I'll need my gear.
09:30One of the most important parts of a Mongolian wrestler's uniform is called a jodag.
09:37An open-chested jacket used for gripping opponents during matches.
10:11It's like a
10:13OK, so lesson one is all about gripping.
10:19That can't be too hard.
10:21Yeah, it's very easy.
10:23I'm going to put my eyes on the right side.
10:33Basically, I need to seize my opponent's grip points.
10:43And break free when he takes mine.
10:49Nothing seems to be working.
10:53Breaking free from Nacho is just impossible.
10:59If you're a soldier, you're going to get the right side.
11:06I think you're going to fünf citizenry.
11:09I need to lose it.
11:13I took the ball off.
11:15I'm trying to pull my ball off.
11:22I'm going to take it and get to the ball off.
11:25Sure.
11:58can we stop for half an hour not five seconds half an hour my brain's fried
12:05obviously this is an intensive period of training if i don't have time to mentally digest it
12:11and physically recover i'm not going to advance that's my take on it
12:18i think the thing that's holding me back at the moment which you're pointing out very clearly to
12:23me is that um i'm trying too hard all the time and then because i'm trying so hard um i'm
12:29exhausting
12:30myself within seconds currently it's day one um i'm at the very beginning of my journey but if i was
12:37to enter it now down today i wouldn't do well would i give me two years and she got to
12:48sit
12:52this must be one of the toughest rites of passage i'll be faced with right now i'm not sure if
12:58i
12:58could throw anyone at the nardum festival i need to raise my game fast
13:11felt like the princess and the pea last night the guys don't seem to have mattresses here
13:18so i'm on a hard wooden board on nine blankets basically and yet there was a lump just underneath
13:25my chest wrestling this morning joyous i knew there'd be a catch
13:35outside the gear nacho has already set up the gym
13:38morning mate right i'm looking forward to this what are we doing
13:42okay bricks are we headbutting them
13:46no no no no no okay all right okay i'm good i'm good i'm good that's already starting to burn
14:04are you counting
14:07i thought you were counting
14:09so that's what i'm doing so that's what i'm doing so that's what i'm doing so that's
14:14it's a lovely way to spend the morning 142 this is not my usual gym workout but i can
14:21see how it builds the strong grip needed in mongolian wrestling it's not hurting but it's um
14:27obviously quite wearing on the arms
14:36no one likes to show off you know okay that's 200 needless to say i don't do a lot of
14:45this in
14:45everyday life 230 300 it's starting to get hard actually okay that's 400
15:03500
15:12have you ever heard of the concept of recovery with an exercise
15:21it's okay
15:31nacho tells me that we have to spend the day doing farm work instead of doing any wrestling training
15:37but to be honest i'm not sure this is the best use of my time out here especially with nadam
15:43quickly
15:43approaching
15:49cool let me um let me have a crack at this then
15:54so you want all the all the soil that way
16:17i've noticed that out here they don't really use any farming machinery it seems like it's all done by hand
16:24and i'm starting to think this is all part of nacho's plan
16:28all right
16:29all right
16:36well their hair notoriously always wins the race doesn't it
16:42so nacho's approach is a bit more slow
16:45bit more conserving energy
16:47i could go on all day it's almost tantric it's almost tantric
16:57but yeah there's certain constructs between his approach to life and mine
17:04how old were you when you started
17:22and what would you i guess what would you
17:35like to achieve in your life what do you aspire to what would be the ultimate goal for you
17:48and is that possible do you think
17:56love your confidence mate
18:03so i'm being trained by the best therefore i've got no excuses have i
18:07it's it's fun it's fun to learn from somebody who's not like you
18:11that's actually probably where i'm going to grow the most
18:14this is already beginning to be fascinating just in terms of what i'm going to learn
18:18not just about farming not just even about wrestling but about how to approach life
18:25for the mongols out on the grassland one of the most legendary natural foods
18:30which is believed to help them keep fighting fit is a nice big glass of fermented horse milk
18:36known as iraq
18:42traditionally iraq is made by mongolian women in family workshops like this one
18:47with the mongol women adding a vital part to their economy this way
18:54today
18:55narsu's iraq goes beyond family gatherings
18:57it's also sold in local shops and markets
19:03does the horse milk therefore cost a lot of money
19:09i've never really seen a horse's udders before
19:22and do you put a lot of your strength down to drinking horse milk
19:39i think i might start marketing it in england
19:43horse milk for bodybuilders
19:44and wrestlers
19:46and rugby players
19:50and then we'll share the profits
19:52this time next year we'll be millionaires
19:58no problem
20:00yeah
20:02excellent
20:33according to many experts
20:33this is the first thing that you wouldn't naturally
20:36eat or drink
20:37unless it was good for you
20:40okay
20:41okay
20:44this will be the first time trying fermented horse milk
20:50oh it's got it's got a tang to it
20:58would this have been drunk in the town of genghis khan
21:17so to really take my wrestling skills up a notch
21:20nacho takes me to the nearby city of xilin how to to train alongside a group of young semi-pro
21:26mongolian wrestlers
21:38i think they're the guys who have been selected as young potential professionals
21:45they should be quite an elite group of wrestlers
21:47and yeah it'd be interesting to see what i can learn from this
21:51so in terms of level how how do they compare to you
22:00there's that confidence again
22:01i bet nacho would actually make a pretty good lawyer back in england
22:07literally just smashed him on the ground so easy
22:10very good
22:12after watching for a while
22:15it's time to quite literally throw myself into action
22:18what i want
22:35i think i've made a lot of work
22:36that's something that's bad
22:38i don't think it's bad
22:44but i don't know
22:44that's the end
22:44that's the end
22:47i don't think that's bad
22:48that's bad
22:49Okay, I mean smashed, but he did pick the very best of the entire group.
22:56Let's go up against me.
23:00All right, we've got a smaller way now. Let's see what I can do.
23:17Looks like my training with Nacho is starting to pay off.
23:23I just hope I'm doing him proud.
23:27So I don't think the word rest exists in Mongolian.
23:30So the concept of time out definitely does not exist in Mongolian.
23:33I'm ready.
23:34I'm ready.
23:36Loud and clear.
23:38All right, let's go.
23:59Grass on concrete.
24:02There's no give in this astroturf.
24:05I did see stars at that point.
24:08But he's half my size, so I had to get up and carry on fighting.
24:15Yes, yes, yes.
24:22Ahead of tomorrow's Nadim, there's one last place Nacho says we should visit for some spiritual preparation.
24:56Ovu's are Cairns made out of piles of windingo.
24:58of rocks that serve as both territorial markers and ritual altars for the mongols
25:10you've brought your wrestling kit up here is this is a part of preparation for the um
25:15for the nadam
25:28nacho's now cleansing literally the the wrestling equipment that he's going to use as well
25:33so that everything is pure everything is ready
25:40the reason nacho's brought me up here is to give me an understanding of just how
25:44this ritual isn't something individual it's not just for a wrestler who wants to win tomorrow
25:50it's it's tying it into a bigger significance of an understanding that we're all part of
25:57something a lot bigger you know
26:15for me this is a less conventional rite of passage there is no ceremony he's not jumping
26:19over a ball or putting his hand in gloves full of ants however if you look at what he's learning
26:24through doing what he's doing you know through aspiring to be the best in his country at wrestling
26:31he is confronting his own demons he is learning about responsibility about discipline he's becoming
26:38stronger he's having to mentally be confident and mature he's all of the same qualities that are
26:44nurtured in a person through a right of passage ceremony are also being nurtured in the young wrestlers
26:49through their sport and maybe it's actually a more translatable thing to western world because we do
26:54take part in sports we do take part in physical endurance events and maybe they can be used as a
27:01kind
27:01of rite of passage as a way of developing yourself i don't think a rite of passage has to be
27:17a
27:17ceremony i don't think almost i don't think it has to be a deliberate rite of passage if you're going
27:21through something which allows you to transition from for example a young immature selfish boy into a
27:29mature responsible community orientated man then that's a rite of passage as a traveler through
27:36these lands paying respects at the ovu is seen as a huge sign of respect one which will hopefully give
27:43me safe passage as i continue my journey
28:07uh-huh it's even got my name on it look at that
28:12uh-huh thank you while i've been lucky to experience the famous mongol hospitality during
28:26my time here this is really quite special it signifies for me turning a corner being accepted
28:37to an extent um by the family and and um nacho is um you know softly spoken at first but
28:43he's warming up
28:44now it really took me back when um when nacho was saying to me he was like
28:51you're wearing yourself out you know you're trying too hard you're you there's no bit of you that's
28:58relaxed you're just on a hundred percent of the time and it was as if he was being a life
29:05coach to me
29:05rather than a wrestling coach he he couldn't have been describing better my life you know if i've
29:13come here to learn about a culture that has a right of passage ceremony but i do genuinely feel like
29:18this
29:18is helping me at my time in life i turned 50 this year and you know i've stopped having kids
29:23now you know
29:24this is this is this is a new chapter in my life a new phase it's extraordinarily relevant to me
29:31and
29:31it's it's um really causing me to address certain parts of my life and and um consciously evolve through
29:40them i think um which is exactly what a rite of passage is meant to do
29:44and i'm like in the city um
29:56so
29:58this is
30:02this is
30:07this is
30:11this is
30:14this is
30:42Satsang with Mooji
30:45Today is finally the big day. Today is the Nardom.
30:56Don't laugh.
30:59So because I'm taking part in the Nardom, which is a festival of sports, basically, I have to wear the
31:05traditional garb.
31:08The wrestling's good. I'm good with it.
31:11If I get to round two, for me, that's a win. For me, that is above, probably, my expectations.
31:20If I don't embarrass Nacho, then that's also a win.
31:29And just as the festival is about to start, the heavens open.
31:41The horses apparently have been spotted. So they're 12 kilometres away they started, which is apparently a 15-minute run.
31:48And this is the finish line.
31:51So you get four seasons in one day in Mongolia. I'd like to experience some other seasons right now.
31:57Thank you very much. We've done the wet bit.
32:00Look at that, look at that, look at that.
32:03They're all children.
32:11It's ridiculous, isn't it? Half an hour ago, hoofing it down with rain. Now glorious sunshine. Worried about sunburn.
32:21So we've had the horse racing. This is the archery being set up behind me.
32:27Mmm.
32:30Mmm.
32:44Mmm.
32:45Mmm.
32:45Mmm.
32:46Mmm.
32:48Mmm.
32:49Mmm.
33:03As the archery event draws to an end, the wrestling is about to begin, and in Mongolian wrestling, its winner
33:12stays on until a champion is crowned.
33:14How many people are wrestling today?
33:1634.
33:1624.
33:21While most people will be watching the men compete, there is also a junior tournament, which Nacho's brother, Amori, will
33:28be vying to win.
33:30I'm here. The sun's out. Might as well enjoy it.
33:42I'm feeling it. I'm very aware of what I'm about to enter.
34:02I'm feeling it. I'm very aware of what I'm about to enter.
34:03Thanks, Timur. Appreciate it, mate. I'll do you proud. I hope.
34:08Going in first with the two experts. This signifies that they're very good.
34:15Sometimes I do wonder about my own mental health.
34:17What are you doing?
34:19Crikey.
34:26I miss the ISSUES.
34:28I'm having fun.
34:39I miss us.
34:46Crikey.
34:57Here comes the moment of truth.
35:03Here comes the moment of truth.
35:29Here comes the moment of truth.
35:33Come in round two.
35:34First round, done.
35:36I'm so relieved that I've proven that I'm not a total failure, and can continue this rite of passage.
35:51It's round two, my name's just been called.
36:02Here comes the moment of truth.
36:05How could the same for truth be?
36:08How could the same for truth be?
36:09Let's go.
36:40Okay, sorry to not feel comfortable about that, huh?
36:42Are they deliberately giving me easy opponents?
36:45Ah, I don't know.
37:00This is now round three.
37:02Bad power!
37:06Feels quite surreal to be in this position.
37:09This is actually the quarter-finals.
37:12It's down to the last eight people.
37:16Fingers crossed I don't have to wrestle Nacho this round.
37:23Oh, the big lad.
37:39Okay, this guy also looks like a bit of a brute, and he's in it to win it.
37:42I just need to relax and not do anything stupid.
38:02You could feel he could have put me down at any moment there.
38:06Oh, thank you.
38:10Got my earnings.
38:14Very good.
38:16600 RMB, which is 60 quid.
38:19So I can get the kids some presents on the way home.
38:21That's nice.
38:22Um, I got to round three, which is extraordinary and far beyond what I thought I was going to achieve.
38:46Okay, so it's the semi-finals.
38:48Nacho's in with a good chance. He's in with a good chance.
38:51He's up against the guy that beat me.
39:02Go on, son.
39:09Yes, he's won. He's won.
39:16Very cool that we've got two brothers in the final.
39:18Marie and Nacho.
39:21You know, could have two winners.
39:32Nacho's up against the biggest Mongolian I've ever seen in my life.
39:40Come on, mate. Come on.
39:42Come on.
39:49So, yeah, Maurice won.
39:52That's cool.
39:53He might be a little shy around me, but clearly he's on track to follow in his brother's footsteps.
39:59And now we can focus on Nacho.
40:03He's lasting longer than anyone else has lasted against him.
40:07He's doing well.
40:10He's trying to lift him up.
40:11He's trying to lift him up.
40:13Oh.
40:18Oh, he's gone.
40:24Sorry, Nacho is on the floor.
40:27And that is the end of it.
40:30A dream for the day.
40:32Never mind.
40:33The beast won.
40:37Well done, mate.
40:38Well done.
40:39Well done, mate.
40:39Never mind.
40:42You tell he's disappointed, isn't he?
40:48I think Nacho really wanted to win that one.
41:02Champion.
41:03Champion time.
41:05Congratulations.
41:09Cool.
41:10I just want to say thank you all, I mean, for having me to stay.
41:12You've been an amazing family.
41:14It's been such a privilege to live with you, to train with you, but just to take part in the
41:19whole thing.
41:20So, thank you very much indeed.
41:43Thank you, guys.
41:46Thank you, guys.
41:51The main thing for me, though, was what I've learned along the way.
41:54And the key thing has been to relax, you know.
41:57Going like a bull in the china shop through a fight, but also through life, isn't doing me any favours.
42:03And Nacho has taught me that I really do need to relax.
42:17I think it's definitely something I'll take into my wider life, because it is true.
42:20I do try too hard, and I think it's all well and good when you're young going a thousand percent
42:28all of the time.
42:29But as you get older, and I am going through my own rite of passage this year, this year I
42:33turned 50.
42:34And you can't carry on living like that into your elder years.
42:38Therefore, my lesson is relax, enjoy the moment, enjoy the game that is live.
43:00I've been entered into the fermented horse milk drinking competition.
43:14And I was like, my false tooth was, like, waggling down as I was drinking and dipping down.
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