Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

and

combat sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (''knock ...

that focuses on

ground fighting Ground fighting (also called ground work or ground game) is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground. The term is commonly used in mixed martial arts and other combat sports, as well as various forms of martia ...

and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elements of various martial arts such as various wrestling styles,

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Submission wrestling is practiced both as a competitive sport and as a training method for

self-defence Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in tim ...

and

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

(MMA).

Background

In ancient Greece,

pankration Pankration (; ) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it s ...

emerged as a popular combat sport around the 7th century BCE. Pankration combined striking and grappling techniques, including

joint locks A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion and hyperextension. In judō these are referred to as (, "joint locking technique"Ohlenkamp ...

and

chokes Choking, also known as foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO), is a phenomenon that occurs when breathing is impeded by a blockage inside of the respiratory tract. An obstruction that prevents oxygen from entering the lungs results in oxygen d ...

, and was even included in the Olympic Games. In Japan,

jujutsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...

became prominent in the 17th century. Jujutsu focused on using an opponent's energy against them and included techniques like joint locks, throws, and pins. Jigoro Kano later developed Judo in the late 19th century, incorporating many grappling techniques from jujutsu, Judo influenced the development of various grappling styles around the world in particular Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Other styles of submission grappling also emerged, such as

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

and

sambo Sambo may refer to: Places * Sambo, Angola, a commune in Tchicala Tcholohanga, Huambo Province, Angola * Sambo Creek, a village in Honduras People * Ferdy Sambo (born 1973), former Indonesian police general * Khem Sambo (1961–2011), Cambodi ...

in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, which blended elements of Judo and traditional wrestling. All of these grappling arts contributed to the development of submission wrestling.

Generic term

Some

Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

schools and fighters may use the term ''submission wrestling'' to refer to their grappling methods while avoiding association with any one particular martial art. The label is sometimes also used to describe the tactic in mixed martial arts competition of relying primarily upon submission wrestling skills to defeat an opponent. The term "no-gi" usually refers to a form of competition and training that does not use the gi, the "combat kimono" worn in traditional martial arts. "No-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu" is often used as a synonymous of submission wrestling in some circles, thanks to this art being a primarily ground fighting and submission seeking fighting style.

Objective

In submission wrestling, the primary objective is to force an opponent to submit through the application of

joint lock A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion and hyperextension. In judō these are referred to as (, "joint locking technique"Ohlenkamp ...

, or other

submission holds A grappling hold, commonly referred to simply as a hold that in Japanese is referred to as ''katame-waza'' ( "grappling technique"), is any specific grappling, wrestling, judo, or other martial art grip that is applied to an opponent. Grappli ...

. Unlike freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, which often involve pinning an opponent's shoulders to the ground for victory, submission wrestling emphasises techniques that can lead to a submission such as tapping out or verbally submitting. Submission wrestling competitions, often referred to as no-gi, grappling tournaments or submission-only events, can vary in rulesets. Some competitions allow competitors to use strikes, while others focus solely on grappling techniques. Points may be awarded for takedowns, dominant positions, and near-submissions. However, the ultimate goal is to secure a submission, which ends the match.

Styles

Catch wrestling Catch wrestling (also known as catch-as-catch-can) is an English wrestling style where wrestlers aim to win by Pin (sport wrestling), pinning or Submission (combat sports), submitting their opponent using any legal holds or techniques. It emph ...

: Also called "catch-as-catch-can", the style of grappling (without the gi) originated in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

Northern England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmo ...

and later became the dominant wrestling style in America during the 19th century, has experienced a resurgence during recent years due to

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

popularity. Early

professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...

was once competitive catch wrestling before the sport slowly transitioned to sportive entertainment during the mid-1920s, with amateur catch wrestling becoming Olympic freestyle and

collegiate wrestling Collegiate wrestling, commonly referred to as folkstyle wrestling, is the form of wrestling practiced at the post-secondary level in the United States. This style of wrestling is also practiced at the high school, middle school, and elementary ...

. *

Judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

: A Japanese martial art focusing on high-impact throws, pins, joint locks, and chokes. It is also an Olympic sport, practiced wearing the ', but has been adapted to submission wrestling purposes. *

Japanese ju-jutsu Jujutsu ( , or ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu (both ), is a Japanese martial art and a system of close combat that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subdue one or more weaponless or armed and armored opponent ...

or jujutsu: An ancient art of Japanese wrestling/grappling that places a heavy emphasis on joint locks, chokes, and throws. Uses a ''gi'' traditionally. * Sport sambo: A

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

(Russian) style of grappling that typically uses a jacket, but without ''gi'' pants. Sambo uses leglocks, but most styles do not permit chokes. * Brazilian jiu-jitsu: An increasingly popular martial art with primary emphasis on ground grappling. It involves training with and without a ''gi''. *

Luta livre Luta Livre (, lit. ''freestyle fighting'' or ''wrestling''), known in Brazil as Luta Livre Brasileira (lit. ''Brazilian freestyle fighting'') or Luta Livre Submission, and also Brazilian Submission Wrestling, is a Brazilian martial arts and comb ...

esportiva ( pt): A Brazilian form of submission wrestling adapted from catch wrestling, trained without a ''gi''. *

Malla-yuddha Malla-yuddha (Sanskrit: मल्लयुद्ध, ) is the traditional form of combat-wrestling originating in the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to Southeast Asian wrestling styles such as naban and is one of the two ancestors o ...

: One of the oldest practiced forms of submission/combat wrestling, originating in pre-partition India, malla-yuddha is divided into four parent techniques, each named after particular Hindu gods and legendary fighters: Hanumanti concentrates on technical and positional superiority, Jambuvanti uses locks and holds to force the opponent into submission, Jarasandhi concentrates on breaking the limbs and joints and applying tracheal chokes while Bhimaseni focuses on sheer strength. *

Pehlwani Pehlwani, also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals, Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla- ...

: The premier wrestling style of South Asia. It is descended from Malla-yuddha and the Persian varzesh-e bastani. *

Pankration Pankration (; ) was an unarmed combat sport introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as kicking, holds, joint locks, and chokes on the ground, making it s ...

: Originating from ancient Greece, it combines elements that today are found mainly in the punches of boxing ('' pygmachia'') and in the kicking of many martial arts ('' laktisma'') with moves from the also Greece-originating wrestling (

pale Pale may refer to: Jurisdictions * Medieval areas of English conquest: ** Pale of Calais, in France (1360–1558) ** The Pale, or the English Pale, in Ireland *Pale of Settlement, area of permitted Jewish settlement, western Russian Empire (179 ...

) and joint locks, thus creating a broad fighting sport similar to today's

mixed martial art Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

s. *

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu is a non-traditional system of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu developed by Eddie Bravo. It is a no-gi based style so the fighters use Rash_guard#Rash_guards_for_grappling_/_mixed_martial_arts, rash guards as their ...

: An American hybrid of no-''gi'' Brazilian jiu-jitsu founded by

Eddie Bravo Edgar Bravo (Birth name, né Cano; born May 15, 1970) is an American martial arts instructor, podcaster, stand-up comedian, and musician. After earning a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2003, Bravo began teaching his own self-developed styl ...

, influences from American folkstyle wrestling and

Jean Jacques Machado Jean Jacques Machado (born February 12, 1968) is a Brazilian Jiu jitsu practitioner. He is one of the five Machado brothers ( Carlos, Roger, Rigan and John). Machado is nephew of BJJ co-founder and Grandmaster Carlos Gracie, and lear ...

's (a grappler with several missing digits) style of BJJ. More focus on no-gi half-guard and guard techniques that may be considered unorthodox in BJJ. *

Shoot wrestling Shoot wrestling is a Japanese hybrid grappling style and combat sport. Shoot wrestling incorporates techniques from various wrestling, submission grappling, kickboxing and karate styles. It was particularly inspired and influenced by catch ...

: A Japanese martial art (without the ''gi'') based on catch wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and Greco-Roman wrestling, which later incorporated judo, sambo,

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

, and

Muay Thai Muay Thai or Muaythai (, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinch fighting, cl ...

. The major sub-disciplines of shoot wrestling are

Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission (ISC). Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 1989 as a ...

and

shootfighting Shootfighting is a martial art and combat sport, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these being wrestlin ...

, along with Combat Wrestling. **

: A Japanese martial art consisting of catch wrestling, judo, jujutsu, sambo, and kickboxing developed by professional wrestler

Satoru Sayama (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names ...

. **

Shootfighting Shootfighting is a martial art and combat sport, with competitions governed by the International Shootfighting Association (ISFA). It incorporates techniques from a multitude of traditional martial arts, the most principal of these being wrestlin ...

: A Japanese martial art consisting of Muay Thai and catch wrestling. **

Combat wrestling Shoot wrestling is a Japanese hybrid martial arts, hybrid grappling style and combat sport. Shoot wrestling incorporates techniques from various wrestling, submission grappling, kickboxing and karate styles. It was particularly inspired and influ ...

(ja): A style of shoot wrestling founded by elite wrestler and MMA coach

Noriaki Kiguchi Noriaki (written: , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese botanist *, Japanese weightlifter *, Japanese aikidoka *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese educat ...

(ja). *

Shuai jiao ''Shuai jiao'' () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling Wushu (sport), wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excel ...

: A Chinese style of wrestling that incorporates throws and ''

chin na Qin Na () is the set of joint lock techniques used in the Chinese martial arts to control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so they cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability. ''Qin Na Shu'' ( meaning "techniq ...

'' (

s).

Hybrid styles

Combat Jiu-Jitsu

Combat Jiu-Jitsu (CJJ) is a submission grappling style innovated by American BJJ black belt

in 2013. Following the success of his Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) events, Bravo decided to create a martial art aimed for self-defense that could also be used in competition. Inspired from

Pancrase is a Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Tokyo. It was founded in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the An ...

matches as well as from the original Gracie Challenge. CJJ incorporates No-Gi BJJ techniques while adding open palm strikes allowing competitors to strike each other on the ground to open up the defense, CJJ matches are won by submission within the regulation period, or a winner is determined by EBI overtime rules. First ran as competitive matches during his invitational events, starting with EBI 11 in 2017, the first Combat Jiu-Jitsu World event took place in 2018. Since then, multiple world champions have been crowned and the first team world championship took place at the end of 2022.

Combat Submission Wrestling

Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) is a modern form of submission wrestling (and MMA system) developed by

Erik Paulson Erik Paulson (born June 28, 1966) is an American mixed martial artist. He is the first American to win the World Light Heavyweight Shooto Championship in Japan. Biography Erik started his career in martial arts starting with Judo at age of e ...

, former Shooto light heavyweight champion. It includes grappling, submissions, and striking. It is a style that borrows elements and techniques from grappling styles including catch wrestling, Shooto, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu along with striking styles such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.

Hayastan Wrestling

Hayastan Grappling System or Hayastan Freestyle Wrestling, is a submission grappling style developed by multiple grappling black belts Gokor Chivichyan and

Gene LeBell Ivan Gene LeBell (October 9, 1932 – August 9, 2022) was an American actor, judoka, stuntman and professional wrestler. Nicknamed "Judo Gene" and "The Godfather of Grappling", he is credited with popularizing grappling in professional fighti ...

that blends elements of

catch wrestling Catch wrestling (also known as catch-as-catch-can) is an English wrestling style where wrestlers aim to win by Pin (sport wrestling), pinning or Submission (combat sports), submitting their opponent using any legal holds or techniques. It emph ...

, Brazilian jiu-jitsu,

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

and

. This system includes all forms of submissions, including leg locks, footlocks, kneebars, heel hooks, shoulder locks, wrist locks, neck cranks, body cranks, chokes and others.

American Jiu-Jitsu

American Jiu-Jitsu is a combination of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu developed in the US. The first person who was associated with this term was MMA fighter

Jake Shields Jake Shields (born January 9, 1979) is an American former mixed martial artist and podcaster. As a mixed martial artist, he was the last Rumble on the Rock Welterweight Champion, the only Elite XC Welterweight Champion, a former Shooto Welte ...

, who stated that it was an "Americanized" form of BJJ. In 2019,

Keenan Cornelius Keenan Kai-James Cornelius is an American martial artist. His competitive achievements include what is called the Double Grand Slam in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, having won double gold medals at four major tournaments: the World Jiu-Jitsu Champions ...

, a BJJ black belt from San Diego, founded his personal academy that he named Legion American Jiu-Jitsu (AJJ). After that, he started to explain the style to the media, which caused a backlash from the Brazilian community, although Cornelius continued promoting his academy.

Grappling tournaments and organizations

ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship is an international submission wrestling, submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). ADCC is considered one of the most prestigious No-Gi submission grappling tou ...

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Jiu-Jit ...

World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship is a no- gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) tournament hosted annually by the IBJJF commonly held at California State University in Long Beach, California. It was most recently held December 11-14, 2024 in ...

European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship The European No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship is a No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It was first held in 2012 in London, England and has been held subsequently ...

** Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship **

Brazilian Nationals Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship Brazilian Nationals Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship is a no- gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament hosted annually by the CBJJ since 2009 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Men's champions Women's champions See also * IBJJF * World Jiu-Jitsu Cha ...

Polaris Pro Grappling Polaris Pro Grappling is Europe's longest running large-scale professional grappling event. They have organized dozens of events, primarily in the UK but also elsewhere in Europe. The promotion has produced events with a variety of different fo ...

United World Wrestling United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of Wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the World Championships and Olympics. It presides over international competitions for various forms of wrest ...

NAGA Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions ** Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong River ** Naga, another name for Bakunawa, an ...

Grapplers Quest Grapplers Quest is an organization mainly concerned with the promotion of submission grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments. Founded in 1998 by Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest hosts competitions of various division, age, and weight classes ...

One Championship ONE Championship, formerly ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) until January 2015, is a Multinational corporation, multinational combat sports Promoter (entertainment), promotion founded on 14 July 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong and Victor Cui. Origi ...

References

{{martial arts Martial arts terminology Wrestling Professional wrestling styles