Submission wrestling, also known as Submission

grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling is ...

, Submission fighting a form of competition and a general term for

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

s and

combat sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive 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 opp ...

s that focus on

clinch Clinch may refer to: * Nail (fastener) or device to hold in this way * Clinching, in metalworking * Clinch fighting or the clinch, a grappling position in boxing or wrestling, a stand-up embrace * Clinch County, Georgia, USA * Clinch River, near T ...

and

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 ...

with the aim of obtaining a

submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...

through the use of

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 ...

. The term "submission wrestling" usually refers only to the form of competition and training that does not use a '' gi'', or "combat kimono", of the sort often worn with belts that establish rank by color, though some may use the loose trousers of such a uniform, without the jacket. Not using a gi has a major impact on the sport : there are many choke techniques which make use of the lapels of the gi, thus rendering them un-usable and grappling in general becomes more difficult when the opponent doesn't have a gi to grab hold of. The sport of submission wrestling brings together techniques from

Catch wrestling Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission ...

Folk wrestling A folk wrestling style is any traditional style of wrestling, which may or may not be codified as a modern sport. Most cultures have developed regional forms of grappling. Europe Britain Traditionally wrestling has two main centres in Great ...

, Greco-Roman wrestling,

Freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

Jujutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, 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 Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

Brazilian jiu-jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

Luta Livre Luta Livre (, lit. ''freestyle fighting''), 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 combat sport created ...

and

Sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olym ...

. Submission fighting as an element of a larger sport setting is very common in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, and others. Submission wrestlers or ''grapplers'' usually wear shorts, singlets, wrestling trunks, skin-sticky clothing such as rash guards, and mixed short clothes so they do not rip off in combat. They are also known for using submission techniques normally banned in other arts or competitions such as heel hooks, toe holds, and wrist locks.

Generic term

Mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

schools and fighters may use the term ''submission wrestling'' to refer to their grappling methods while avoiding association with any one 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.

Styles

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

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a Historic counties of England, historic county, Ceremonial County, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significa ...

Northern England Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North Country, or simply the North, is the northern area of England. It broadly corresponds to the former borders of Angle Northumbria, the Anglo-Scandinavian Kingdom of Jorvik, and the ...

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), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

popularity. Early

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

was once competitive catch wrestling before the sport slowly transitioned to sportive entertainment during the mid-1920s. *

: 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 jiu-jitsu or jujutsu: An ancient art of Japanese wrestling/grappling that places a heavy emphasis on joint-locks, chokes and throws. Uses a ''gi'' traditionally, but training without one is not uncommon. * Sport Sambo: A Russian style of grappling that typically uses a jacket, but without ''gi'' pants. Sambo utilizes leglocks, but most styles do not permit chokes. *

: An increasingly popular style with great emphasis on ground grappling. It involves training with and without a ''gi''. * Luta livre esportiva ( pt): A form of submission wrestling which derived from Catch wrestling, native to Brazil. Trained without the ''gi''. *

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

: 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, (पहलवानी) also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in South Asia. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla-yuddha. The words '' ...

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

Pankration Pankration (; el, παγκράτιον) was a sporting event introduced into the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC, which was an empty-hand submission sport with few rules. The athletes used boxing and wrestling techniques but also others, such as ...

: Originating from ancient Greece, it combines elements which 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), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

s. *

10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu is a non-traditional system of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu developed by Eddie Bravo. It was one of the first Jiu-Jitsu school systems to avoid using a gi. 10th In 2003, after earning a black belt under Jean-Jacques Machado, Eddi ...

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

Eddie Bravo Edgar A. Bravo (''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 style of ...

, influences from American folk 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 learned ...

'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 combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their exciteme ...

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

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterise ...

, and judo. The two major sub-disciplines of shoot wrestling are

shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

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 ...

. **

Shooto Shooto is a combat sport and mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the ''Shooto Association'' and the ''International Shooto Commission''. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, first as a particular fighting system and then in 198 ...

: 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, MMA and wrestling promoter and writer, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and masked S ...

. **

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. *

Shuai Jiao Shuai Jiao () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling 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 Excellency in Catching) ...

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

chin na Qinna () 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. ''Qinna Shu'' ( meaning "technique") ...

'' (

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, 関節技 ''kansetsu-waza'', "joint lo ...

s).

Hybrid Styles

Combat Jiu-Jitsu

Combat Jiu-Jitsu (CJJ) is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu No-Gi /

hybrid invented 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-defence that could also be used in competition. Inspired from

Pancrase Pancrase Inc. is a mixed martial arts promotion company founded in Japan in 1993 by professional wrestlers Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. The name was based on pankration, a fighting sport in the Ancient Olympic Games. Suzuki and Funaki ...

matches as well as from the original

Gracie Challenge The Gracie Challenge was an open invitation challenge match issued by members of the Gracie family, representing their self-defense system of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu against challengers of other martial art systems in a vale tudo match, or "anything goes ...

. 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 only won by submission as CJJ has no point system. 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.

Combat Submission Wrestling

Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) is a modern form of submission wrestling (and MMA system), without the ''gi'', 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-Heavy Weight Shooto Title in Japan. Biography Erik started his career in martial arts starting with Judo at age of 8. However ...

, former Shooto light heavyweight champion. It encompasses more areas, focusing on clinching, submissions, takedowns, grappling and striking. It's a style that borrows elements and techniques from catch wrestling, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, shoot wrestling, judo and sambo on the grappling aspect. It also blends techniques of striking taken from Boxing, Kickboxing, Lethwei and Savate. Some notorious fighters that have come out of CSW are Sean Sherk, Josh Barnett and Ken Shamrock.

Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu

Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu is a submission grappling hybrid invented by american BJJ and Judo black belt Dave Camarillo in 2006. Camarillo comes from a family of Judokas and he was fully emerged in the martial art after training in Japan. After and injury during stand up, he started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under

Ralph Gracie Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

. He became a black belt after 6 years he has been teaching his style ever since. Guerilla Jiu-Jitsu focuses mainly on grappling and it's a mixture of Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, it's also considered quite aggressive, with its pratictioner focusing heavily on submissions as much as positions.

Hayastan Freestyle Wrestling

Hayastan Grappling System or Hayastan freestyle wrestling, is a submission grappling style developed by multiple grappling black belts

Gokor Chivichyan Gokor Chivichyan ( hy, Գոքոր Չիվիչյան; born May 10, 1963) is an Armenian-born American judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Chivichyan currently trains professional and amateur fighters at the Hayastan MMA ...

and

Gene LeBell Ivan “Judo” Gene LeBell (October 9, 1932 – August 9, 2022) was an American martial artist, stunt performer, actor, and professional wrestler. Nicknamed "The Godfather of Grappling", he popularized grappling in professional fighting cir ...

that blends elements of

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, 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 Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olym ...

catch wrestling Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission ...

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman civilization (; also Greco-Roman culture; spelled Graeco-Roman in the Commonwealth), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and countries that culturally—and so historically—were dir ...

and

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

. 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.

Submission Arts Wrestling

Submission Arts Wrestling (SAW) ��ブミッションアーツレスリングis a modern Catch Wrestling based Japanese Martial Art that incorporates elements from Sumo, Free Style Wretling, Catch as Catch Can Wrestling, Sambo and Judo. Founded in the 1980′s by Hidetaka Aso, a student of Karl Gotch, SAW constitutes a Gi and No Gi grappling and striking system that focuses in forcing ones opponent to submit by means of throws, takedowns, chokes, toe locks, finger locks, pressure points and joint locks. As a form of Catch Can Wrestling, SAW is well known for its efficient leg locks repertoire. SAW practitioners are also skilled in the use of strikes such as hand, foot, knee and elbows since Submission Arts Wrestlers compete in all known fighting formats such as Sport Jujitsu, BJJ, MMA, Catch Wrestling and/or any other sanction combat sports. Some of the skills developed in SAW are: Kumi Waza (to grapple), Nage Waza (to throw), Osaekomi Waza (to pin down), Suīpu (to sweep), Shime Waza (to strangle), Kansetsu Waza (to joint lock) and Atemi Waza (Strikes). Submission Arts Wrestling is practiced on a wrestling mat (tatami). Submission Arts Wrestling (SAW) is currently practiced in Japan - Aso Sensei, Australia - Ito Sensei, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico (United States) - Ramos Sensei.

Grappling Tournaments and Organizations

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

British Grappling
*

ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship The ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, is an international submission grappling competition, organised by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). The inaugural tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1998. It has been held every two yea ...

Mundials The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (commonly known as the Worlds or Mundials) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held once every year by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered to be the most important and ...

NAGA Naga or NAGA may refer to: Mythology * Nāga, a serpentine deity or race in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions * Naga Kingdom, in the epic ''Mahabharata'' * Phaya Naga, mythical creatures believed to live in the Laotian stretch of the Mekong Riv ...

Grapplers Quest Grapplers Quest is an organization mainly concerned with the promotion of Grappling (submission wrestling) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Founded in 1998 by Brian Cimins, Grapplers Quest hosts competitions of various division, age, and wei ...

International Combat Wrestling Federation

References

{{martial arts Martial arts terminology Combat sports Wrestling Professional wrestling styles