grappling

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Hawaiian State Grappling Championships.

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, catch wrestling, Judo, luta livre esportiva, mixed martial arts, Sambo, and wrestling. FILA uses the term grappling interchangeably with the sport of submission wrestling.^[1]

Grappling is a mode of fighting used by many different martial arts around the world. It is not a distinct martial art; however, it is similar to striking in that it is a collection of techniques and strategies aimed at defeating an opponent. These can be subdivided into:

• Throws (as used in catch wrestling, judo, jujutsu, luta livre esportiva, sambo), shuai jiao and wrestling .
• Joint locks (as in aikido, Brazilian jiu jitsu, catch wrestling, Judo, hapkido, luta livre esportiva, and malla-yuddha).
• Pinning Techniques; a victory condition in wrestling and judo and used as transitional technique in others.

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 is 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 do not allow striking. Many combat sports, such as shooto and mixed martial arts competitions emphasize grappling while retaining striking as part of the sport.^[2]

Two wrestlers engaging.

Grappling is not 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 with 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 taught for self defense 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, 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. 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 from 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 some sports such as glima, the fight is over once one of the opponents has fallen down.

In judo, the aim of ne-waza^{[clarification needed]} is to obtain a chokehold, joint lock or to pin the opponent.

Ground grappling

Ground grappling refers to all the grappling techniques that are applied while the grapplers are no longer in a standing position. A large part of most martial arts and combat sports which feature ground grappling is positioning and obtaining a dominant position. A dominant position (usually on top) allows the dominant grappler a variety of options, including: attempting to escape by standing up, obtaining a pin or hold-down to control and exhaust the opponent, executing a submission hold, or striking the opponent. The bottom grappler is, on the other hand, concerned with escaping the situation and improving his position, typically by using a sweep or reversal. In some disciplines, especially those 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, choke holds, 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 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 is—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 grappling-oriented systems are Brazilian jiu-jitsu, luta livre esportiva, submission wrestling, catch wrestling, freestyle wrestling, judo, and Russian sambo.

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 (uniform) and without. The gi form is known for its emphasis on grips using the gi, while the "no-gi" form emphasizes 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 defined 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.^[1]

See also

• Submission wrestling
• Clinch fighting
• Combatives
• Grappling hold
• Grappling position
• Ground fighting

References