Sport Horting was founded in Ukraine as a modern combat sport and educational system. Its development was guided by the principle of creating a comprehensive martial discipline based on natural human movement, self-defense applications, and the integration of effective techniques from various combat sports.

The formation of Horting is closely associated with Eduard Yeromenko, who was born in Dniprodzerzhynsk (Dnipro region, Ukraine), an area historically shaped by the rich cultural and military traditions of the Zaporizhian Cossacks. These traditions, passed down through generations, strongly influenced the conceptual foundation of modern Horting.

Yeromenko graduated from the Department of Wrestling and Boxing within the Faculty of Olympic Sports at the Dnipropetrovsk State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport (1995), where he studied under experienced specialists in Olympic boxing and wrestling. From 1999 to 2003, he served as a senior lecturer at the Dniprodzerzhynsk College of Physical Education. In 2003, he moved to Kyiv, where he became involved in the development and leadership of national martial arts organizations.

In April 2006, following successful international participation and recognition, he was appointed director of a European martial arts federation during an international congress in Tokyo, Japan. Later, building on this experience, the International Horting Federation was officially registered in 2009 with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, based on the initiative of multiple participating countries, including Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Greece, Georgia, Cuba, Turkmenistan, and Lithuania.

In parallel with his sports career, Yeromenko pursued higher education in economics and law, as well as advanced studies in pedagogy at the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine. His academic work was supported by research in Ukrainian military history and Cossack traditions, particularly the heritage of the Zaporizhian Sich located on Khortytsia Island. This research contributed to the theoretical and methodological foundation of modern Horting as a sport and educational system.

Historical and Cultural Origins of Horting

The term “Horting” is symbolically derived from Khortytsia Island, the historical center of the Zaporizhian Sich, which played a significant role in the military, cultural, and political history of Eastern Europe.

Khortytsia was a unique military and social environment where Cossack communities developed advanced forms of physical training, combat readiness, and collective discipline. Training and combat practice were integral parts of daily life, and physical confrontation served both as preparation for warfare and as a method of leadership selection and conflict resolution.

Cossack traditions emphasized constant physical readiness. Combat exercises, tournaments, and structured duels were regularly organized in the Cossack circle (“Khort”), which functioned as both a social and training institution. These activities were conducted under strict rules of conduct that ensured fairness, respect, and controlled engagement.

Participants were required to adhere to unwritten ethical norms that prohibited excessive brutality and emphasized honor-based combat. These traditions contributed to the development of a highly disciplined warrior culture focused on resilience, skill, and collective responsibility.

Ethnic Diversity and Social Structure of the Cossack Tradition

Historical sources indicate that the Zaporizhian Sich was a multi-ethnic military community. Representatives of various ethnic and cultural groups, including Slavs, Tatars, Georgians, Armenians, Turks, and others, participated in its military and social life.

Despite this diversity, all members were united by a shared code of honor, discipline, and respect for martial traditions. Combat practice and physical training were open to individuals who adhered to these principles, regardless of ethnic origin.

This multicultural structure contributed to the development of a flexible and adaptive combat system that emphasized practical effectiveness and mutual respect.

Historical Continuity and Martial Heritage

The development of Horting is also linked to broader historical martial traditions of the region, including Scythian and Sarmatian warrior cultures, as well as the military customs of Kyivan Rus’.

Historical accounts describe these societies as highly militarized cultures where physical training, group combat, and weapon skills played a central role in social organization and survival.

Over centuries, these traditions evolved through folk wrestling, fisticuffs, and traditional games, which served both recreational and military training purposes. In later periods, similar practices were preserved within Cossack military education systems, including specialized schools and training institutions.

Cossack Physical Culture and Training System

The Zaporizhian Sich developed a structured approach to physical education that included:

• Selection and preparation of physically capable youth
• Systematic physical conditioning and combat training
• Development of endurance, strength, and tactical awareness
• Integration of moral and ethical education within physical training

Physical fitness was considered a fundamental criterion for participation in Cossack society. Only individuals demonstrating sufficient physical and psychological readiness were accepted into full military status.

Training included both unarmed combat and weapons practice, such as swordsmanship, stick fighting, axe techniques, and firearms handling. Regular competitions and training exercises ensured continuous development of combat readiness.

Revival and Modern Development

Although the Cossack era ended centuries ago, elements of their martial culture have been preserved through folklore, historical research, and physical traditions.

Modern Horting represents an attempt to systematize and revive these traditions within a contemporary sports framework. It integrates historical principles of combat training with modern sports science, pedagogy, and safety standards.

The system is designed as a universal method of physical education and martial development, combining:

• Sports training
• Self-defense education
• Physical conditioning
• Moral and psychological development

Purpose and Philosophy of Horting

The primary goal of Horting is the comprehensive development of individuals through physical culture and sport.

Its objectives include:

• Improving health and physical fitness
• Promoting a healthy lifestyle among youth
• Preventing negative social behaviors and habits
• Developing moral, intellectual, and volitional qualities
• Strengthening discipline, respect, and social responsibility

Horting aims to cultivate strong, balanced, and socially responsible individuals capable of contributing positively to society.

Conclusion

Modern Horting is a synthesis of historical martial traditions and contemporary sports methodology. It reflects both cultural heritage and scientific approaches to physical education.

Rooted in the symbolic and historical legacy of Khortytsia and the Zaporizhian Cossacks, Horting continues to evolve as a system that unites sport, education, and personal development into a single integrated framework.