Grappling martial arts are a type of martial arts that focus on controlling an opponent through holds, locks, pins, and submissions rather than striking. Grappler martial arts teach students how to use leverage, balance, and positioning to dominate opponents, often by bringing the fight to the ground. Some of the better known grappling arts are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and wrestling. Grappling has a long history across many cultures and its effectiveness in real combat scenarios.
Whether for self-defense, sport, or fitness (or all 3), grappling martial arts offer various benefits like developing physical strength, increasing flexibility, body and spatial awareness, and strategic thinking. The ability to defend against a stronger or more aggressive opponent makes grappling a valuable skill for people of all sizes, fitness levels, and strength levels.
In this article, we will explore five grappling arts (a few listed here you may not know and may surprise you), compare them to striking arts (like taekwondo), and delve into the distinctions between two of the most well-known grappling styles: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling.
(Tip: If you are interested in beginning or sitting in on a class, head over to Google and search “Grappling Classes Near Me/Submission Grappling Near Me”. It’ll find everything based on your location.)
5 Popular Grappling Martial Arts
1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is probably the most famous grappling art today and one you’ve likely already heard of thanks to its use in MMA and general self-defense. BJJ focuses on using leverage and technique to control and force opponents to submit.
This is done by taking advantage of an opponent’s weakness when placed in a vulnerable and precarious position. It is primarily a ground-fighting martial art and emphasizes techniques like joint locks and chokeholds to force an opponent to surrender.
If you want a bit more on modern grappling techniques, take a look at the book Modern Submission Grappling on Amazon:
Full transparency: If you do end up purchasing this book, I do earn a tiny commission equivalent to a cup of coffee.
2. Wrestling
Wrestling, one of the oldest forms of combat, includes various styles such as Greco-Roman and freestyle. However, don’t think of wrestling as it appears in popularized and mainstream entertainment like the WWE and WWF. Real wrestling is still taught and practiced competitively and places emphasis on takedowns, pins, and controlling the opponent on the ground.
While it doesn’t focus on submissions like BJJ, wrestling teaches students how to gain superior positioning and maintain control of an opponent, which is crucial in both competitive and self-defense situations.
3. Judo
Judo is a Japanese grappling martial art that focuses on throws and takedowns. While Judo does include ground-fighting techniques, the sport emphasizes throwing an opponent to the ground with skillful use of balance and momentum and using an opponent’s weight against them.
The objective in a Judo match is to execute a clean throw or pin, earning a victory without striking. This makes Judo a great martial art for real-world self-defense applications.
4. Sambo
Developed in the Soviet Union, Sambo fuses elements of Judo and wrestling with a specialized focus on opponent submissions. Sambo comes in two varieties: Sport Sambo and Combat Sambo. Sport Sambo is similar to Judo with an emphasis on throws and pins.
Combat sambo, on the other hand, includes striking techniques alongside grappling. Sambo practitioners are known for their versatility, blending different techniques to dominate their opponents.
5. Luta Livre
In preparing for this article, this is the art that most surprised me and that I had only an acquainted knowledge. Luta Livre is a Brazilian submission wrestling art that developed alongside BJJ. While BJJ typically involves the use of a gi, a traditional martial arts uniform, Luta Livre is practiced without one. This gives the student more freedom to simulate a real-world scenario.
I mean, let’s face it—in the real world, you’re unlikely to have a chance to stop your opponent and change into your martial arts uniform, which places more emphasis on speed, strength, and explosive movements. It is similar to no-gi BJJ but incorporates more wrestling elements.
Are grappling martial arts better than standing martial arts?
This debate is probably as old as the arts themselves, and honestly, there are great arguments on both sides.
Standing martial arts, like boxing, Muay Thai, taekwondo, and karate, put great emphasis on striking your opponent. Punches, kicks, knees, and elbows will be used to subdue an opponent. Little attention, in my personal experience, is given to groundwork. Grappling arts, on the other hand, focus on controlling or submitting an opponent through holds and leverage, often by taking the fight to the ground.
Grappling arts are extremely effective in one-on-one combat, particularly in situations where the fight goes to the ground, which happens most frequently in real-life altercations. Even beginner grapplers can develop enough of a skillset so they can neutralize an opponent’s strikes by closing the distance and forcing a clinch or takedown, which is where grappling martial arts truly shine. In mixed martial arts, many students have backgrounds in grappling because they understand the importance of these skills in a real fight.
That said, striking arts are equally effective, particularly in situations involving multiple attackers, where space is limited, or when you have to think, well, on your feet. A skilled striker can knock out an opponent before a grappler has a chance to close the distance. The best martial artists tend to cross-train, combining grappling and striking to cover all ranges of combat. Ultimately, neither grappling nor striking is inherently superior; each has its strengths, and effectiveness often depends on the situation and the student.
At the time of writing this article, it’s worth mentioning that I’m just a day past obtaining my first degree black belt in ATA (American Taekwondo Association) martial arts, and I am now looking to continue training for the next few years in grappling martial art. I find that it’s best to cross-train. You never know what may happen in a real-world scenario, and it’s better to be fully prepared.
Just For Fun: Comparing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Wrestling
BJJ and wrestling are two of the most popular and effective grappling arts in the world (and I’m honestly considering BJJ as the next martial arts in my training journey). While both share the goal of controlling an opponent, they couldn’t be more different in their approach, techniques, and philosophies.
- Philosophy
- BJJ is often referred to as the “gentle art” because it relies on leverage and technique rather than brute strength. The main idea is that a smaller, weaker individual could defeat a larger opponent through the use of superior positioning and submissions.
- Wrestling, on the other hand, emphasizes strength, conditioning, and control. Wrestlers aim to dominate their opponent physically, using takedowns and pins to establish control.
- Techniques
- BJJ focuses heavily on ground fighting, teaching students to use their guard, submissions like arm locks, chokes, and joint manipulations, and transitions between positions.
- Wrestling, in contrast, emphasizes takedowns, pins and positional control without focusing on submissions. Wrestlers are known for their powerful double-leg and single-leg takedowns, while BJJ students excel at fighting from behind.
- Application in MMA
- Both BJJ and wrestling are staples in mixed martial arts. Wrestlers, I find, tend to be better at taking down an opponent and controlling where the fight takes place, while BJJ students are far more dangerous once the fight hits the ground due to their submission skills. You’ll find that MMA fighters are well-rounded and practiced enough so they blend both styles, using wrestling to dictate the fight and BJJ to finish it.
While both arts are highly effective, the choice between BJJ and wrestling often comes down to personal preference and goals. My brother-in-law is a professional wrestler and high school wrestling coach and swears that wrestling is superior to any other art. One of my best friends, Dre, has been a student of BJJ from his teens to his now early 40s, and his stance is—you guessed it!—that BJJ is king.
BJJ may appeal more to those looking for a self-defense system or a less physically demanding art, while wrestling is probably ideal for those seeking an intense, physically challenging discipline that builds strength and endurance. Both have their merits. It’s a matter of what feels best for you and your body.
But I can tell you that neither of them are a match for my striking skills in taekwondo, as their focus is primarily relegated to the ground.
Conclusion
Grappling martial arts offer a distinct and highly effective approach to combat. From Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s technical submissions to wrestling’s explosive takedowns, these arts provide valuable skills for self-defense, competition, and fitness. While the debate over whether grappling or standing arts are better will surely continue, the reality is that both have strengths and weaknesses.
The effectiveness of any martial art depends largely on the context and the individual practicing. For those interested in becoming well-rounded fighters, cross-training in both grappling and striking is the key to success. Ultimately, grappling martial arts hold a crucial place in the broader landscape of martial disciplines, offering practitioners the ability to control, subdue, and submit their opponents with skill and finesse.