Everything about Grappling totally explained
Grappling refers to the gripping, handling and controlling of an opponent without the use of
striking, typically through the application of various
grappling holds,
choke holds, and counters to various hold attempts. Grappling forms an important part of both ground fighting and standing
clinch fighting. Sports that use grappling include
Brazilian jiu-jitsu,
Judo,
mixed martial arts and
Wrestling.
FILA uses the term grappling interchangeably with the sport of
submission wrestling.
Grappling is a mode of
fighting used by many different
martial arts around the world. It isn't a distinct martial art, but rather, similarly to
striking, a collection of techniques and strategies aimed at defeating an opponent, these can be subdivided into:
Most include all of the above aspects while others focus on one. There is no definite dividing line between the sections as locks may be used in throws and a throw may lead directly to a pin. A possible fourth category are
sweeps and escapes, used to improve position in
ground fighting either escaping from or moving into a position where a lock or pin may be better applied.
Use
The degree to which grappling is utilized in different fighting systems varies. Some systems, such as
Amateur wrestling,
Submission wrestling,
Judo and
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are exclusively grappling arts, and don't allow striking. Many
combat sports such as
Shooto and
mixed martial arts competitions emphasize grappling while retaining striking as part of the sport.
Grappling isn't allowed in all martial arts and combat sports; usually for the sake of focusing on other aspects of combat such as
punching,
kicking or
Mêlée weapons. Opponents in these types of matches, however, still grapple each other occasionally when
fatigued or in
pain; when this occurs, the
referee will step in and restart the match, sometimes giving a warning to one or both of the fighters. Examples of these include
Boxing,
Kickboxing,
Taekwondo,
Karate, and
fencing. While prolonged grappling in
Muay Thai will result in a separation of the competitors, the art extensively uses the
clinch hold known as a
double collar tie.
Grappling techniques and defenses to grappling techniques are also considered important in
self-defense applications and in
law enforcement. The most common grappling techniques for self defense taught are escapes from
holds and application of
pain compliance techniques.
Grappling can be trained for self defense, sport and mixed martial arts (
MMA) competition.
Stand-up grappling
Stand-up grappling or sometimes
clinching, (in
judo called
tachi-waza, 立技"standing technique") is arguably an integral part of all grappling and
clinch fighting arts, considering that two combatants generally start fighting from a stand-up position. The aim of stand-up grappling varies according to the
martial arts or
combat sports in question. Its nature can be
defensive such as in
Aikido or
offensive such as in
Judo or
Wrestling. Defensive stand-up grappling concerns itself with
pain-compliance holds and escapes from possible
grappling holds applied by an opponent, while offensive grappling techniques include
submission holds,
takedowns and
throws, all of which can be used to inflict serious damage, or to move the fight to the ground. Stand-up grappling can also be used both offensively and defensively in combination with
striking, either to prevent the opponent form obtaining sufficient distance to strike effectively, or to bring the opponent close to apply, for instance,
knee strikes such as in
Muay Thai.
In
combat sports, stand-up grappling usually revolves around successful
takedowns and
throws. In
Judo a fight is over if one of the judoka score an
ippon, and in some sports such as
Glima, the fight is over once one of the opponents has fallen down.
Ground grappling
Ground grappling (called ne-waza
"ground technique" in Judo) refers to all the grappling techniques that are applied while the grapplers are no longer in a standing position. A large feature in most
martial arts and
combat sports featuring ground grappling is
positioning and obtaining a
dominant position. A dominant position (usually on top) allows the dominant grappler a variety of options, including: to attempt to escape by standing up, to obtain a
pin or hold-down to control and exhaust the opponent, to execute a
submission hold, or to strike the opponent. The bottom grappler is on the other hand concerned with escaping the situation and improving his or her positioning, typically by using a
sweep or reversal. In disciplines where the
guard is used, the bottom grappler may also be able to finish the fight from the bottom by a submission hold.
Applications
When unskilled fighters get embroiled in combat, a common reaction is to grab the opponent in an attempt to slow the situation down by holding them still, resulting in an unsystematic struggle that relies on brute force. A skilled fighter, in contrast, can perform takedowns as a way of progressing to a superior position such as a
mount or
side control, or using
clinch holds and ground positions to set up strikes, chokeholds and joint locks. A grappler who has been taken down to the ground can use defensive positions such as the
guard, which protects against being mounted or attacked. If a grappler is strong and can utilize leverage well, a takedown itself can be a form of attack -- the impact to the head can render some opponents unconscious. On the other hand, grappling also offers the possibility of controlling an opponent without injuring them. For this reason, most
police staff receive some training in grappling. Likewise, grappling
sports such as judo have been devised so that their participants can compete using full physical effort without injuring their opponents.
It should be noted, however, that heavier fighters - those with limited mobility, that's - use grappling to either pull their opponent close enough for a powerful hit or throw their opponent with enough force to temporarily cripple them.
Grappling is called
dumog in
Eskrima. The term
chin na in
Chinese martial arts deals with the use of grappling to achieve submission or incapacitation of the opponent (these may involve the use of
acupressure points). Some Chinese martial arts,
Aikido and some
Eskrima systems - as well as medieval and Renaissance European martial arts - practice grappling while one or both participants is armed. This practice is significantly more dangerous than unarmed grappling, and generally requires a great deal of training.
Types of Grappling
Some of the more well known systems of pure grappling are
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
Judo,
Freestyle wrestling, Russian
Sambo and
Wrestling.
In these arts, the object is either to take down and pin the opponent, or to catch the adversary in a specialized
chokehold or
joint-lock which forces him or her to
submit and admit defeat. There are two forms of grappling that dictate pace, and style of action: with a
gi and without. The gi form is known for its emphasis on grips using the gi, while the "no-gi" form emphasized body control of the torso and head. The use of the gi is compulsory in Judo and some sections of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition.
FILA
As described by FILA, grappling is a
wrestling style also called
submission wrestling or “submission grappling” which consists of controlling the opponent without using striking, in standing position or on the ground after a throw.
[Further Information]
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