Submission wrestling, also known as Submission fighting, Submission grappling or Sport grappling, is a form of competition and a general term for martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission through the use of submission holds. 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, Folk wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, Freestyle wrestling, Jujutsu, Judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Luta Livre and Sambo. Submission fighting as an element of a larger sport setting is very common in mixed martial arts, 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 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
Catch wrestling: Also called "catch-as-catch-can", the style of grappling (without the gi) originating in Lancashire, Northern England and later became the dominant wrestling style in America during the 19th century, has experienced a resurgence during recent years due to MMA popularity. Early professional wrestling was once competitive catch wrestling before the sport slowly transitioned to sportive entertainment during the mid-1920s.
Judo: A Japanese martial art focusing on high impact throws, pins, joint-locks, and chokes. It is also an Olympic sport, practiced wearing the judogi, 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.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu: 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: 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: The premier wrestling style of South Asia. It is descended from Malla-yuddha and the Persian varzesh-e bastani.
Pankration: 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) and joint locks, thus creating a broad fighting sport similar to today's mixed martial arts.
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu: An American hybrid of no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu founded by Eddie Bravo, influences from American folk wrestling and Jean Jacques Machado'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: A Japanese martial art (without the gi) based on freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo, and catch wrestling, which later incorporated karate, Muay Thai, and judo. The two major sub-disciplines of shoot wrestling are shooto and shootfighting.
Shooto: A Japanese martial art consisting of catch wrestling, judo, jujutsu, sambo, and kickboxing developed by professional wrestler Satoru Sayama.
Shootfighting: A Japanese martial art consisting of Muay Thai and catch wrestling.
Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) is a modern form of submission wrestling (and MMA system), without the gi, developed by Erik Paulson, 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.
Submission Arts Wrestling (SAW) is a Japanese version of Catch Wrestling borrowing principles from Judo and Sambo. Originally created by founder and former Sambo World Champion Hidetaka Aso, student of Karl Gotch.
SAW constitutes a no-gi grappling system that focuses on forcing an opponent to submit by employing chokes and joint locks.
Its practiced on a wrestling mat and itrelies on technical principles, live sparring sessions and specific conditioning.
It is now practiced in Japan - Aso Sensei, Australia - Ito Sensei, Canada - Martelle Sensei and Puerto Rico - Ramos Sensei
Hayastan Freestyle Wrestling
Hayastan Grappling System or Hayastan Freestyle Wrestling
Hayastan Grappling System or Hayastan freestyle wrestling, is a submission grappling style developed by multiple grappling black belts Gokor Chivichyan and Gene LeBell that blends elements of judo, sambo, catch wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Greco-Roman and freestyle 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.
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.
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.
