MMA101 - Wrestling

At MMATraining.com we bring you news on the sport, offer you a chance to buy your favorite MMA products in our store and provide training tips and programs from the elite athletes competing in the sport today. As a new feature we are producing a set of “101″ overview reports on the disciplines that make up mixed martial arts. We hope you enjoy them and find it useful for the beginner piecing together all that goes into these amazing athletes that compete in professional mixed martial arts.

Definition

Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two competitors in which each wrestler attempts to gain an advantage over and control of, their opponent. Physical techniques which are used in wrestling are clinching, holding, locking, and different forms of leverage. The basic principles of wrestling are closely related to those of military hand-to-hand combat or self-defense systems. Many styles of wrestling are known all over the world and have long histories. Amateur wrestling has been an Olympic sport for over one hundred years. Today, most athletes competing in MMA train in wrestling and many suggest that wrestling is the building block of a successful MMA fighter.

Competitive wrestling is most known for its competitions held at Olympic and college levels. As opposed to striking, wrestlers attempt to defeat their opponents on the ground through various takedowns, holds, and grappling techniques. Traditional wrestling is scored on a point system for forcing an opponent out of bounds, taking an opponent to the mat, pinning an opponent’s shoulders and other ways. In an MMA ring or cage, wrestlers typically need to combine their skills with other techniques such as strikes and submission holds to win a match. Many variations of wrestling exist, the two most common are Greco Roman and Freestyle.

Greco Roman Wrestling

Greco-Roman is an international discipline and an Olympic sport. In Greco-Roman wrestling, it is forbidden to hold the opponent below the belt, to make trips, and to actively use the legs in the execution of any action. Recent rule changes in Greco-Roman increase opportunities for and place greater emphasis on explosive, ‘high amplitude’ throws. One of the more well known Greco-Roman wrestlers is Alexander Karelin from Russia. Some of MMA’s best have competed in Greco Roman wrestling at a high level including Randy Couture and Dan Henderson.

Freestyle Wrestling

Freestyle wrestling, like its American counterpart, collegiate wrestling, has its greatest origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling and the way to win in Freestyle wrestling is by pinning your opponent on the mat. Freestyle and collegiate wrestling, unlike Greco-Roman, also both allow the use of the wrestler’s or his opponent’s legs in offense and defense. Mixed Martial Arts is filled with athletes who have come from a strong freestyle wrestling background. Some famous MMA stars who came from wrestling are Matt Hughes and Brock Lesnar.

To Learn More

To learn more about wrestling in the USA please visit the official site of USA wrestling at http://www.themat.com/

To learn more about wrestling in Canada please contact http://www.wrestling.ca/

To Learn more about International Wrestling please visit the International Federation of Wrestling Website here: http://www.fila-wrestling.com/

And if you ever want to research some of the greats in wrestling a trip to the International Wrestling Hall of Fame might be in store for you. http://www.filahalloffame.com/