Best Grappling Martial Arts (Top 4)
Grappling is one of if not the most important aspect of fighting. Knowing how to take the opponent down and fight on the ground is truly a game changer when it comes to self defense. This is because most people know how to throw a strike. But, they would be lost if the fight hits the ground.
Grappling martial arts also play a key role in modern MMA, notably wrestling and jiu jitsu. In some way, you can’t compete in MMA without grappling skills which shows you how vital it is in any form of fighting.
In this article, we are bringing you the best grappling martial arts humans have ever created. Our list consists of fighting styles that all include sparring and competition.
Without further delay, let’s see which are the best grappling martial arts, and what makes them so special
4. Judo
Founded by the great Kano Jigoro, Judo is a grappling based martial art and an Olympic sport since 1964. It embraces a hard method of training and it is very practical in real life situations as well.
Judo puts a lot of emphasis on powerful throws, trips, sweeps as well as joint locks and chokes. And we must point out it is a very hard martial art to train and its fighters are among the strongest people on the planet.
Why is Judo so effective?
First of all, Judo is a martial art that will teach you all about balance, leverage, and how to use the opponent’s weight against them. The main goal is to take the rival down using throws, sweeps, or trips. Once the fight is on the ground, Judo teaches you how to apply chokes and joint locks to submit them.
Many people don’t know Judo is a precursor of many other great fighting styles like BJJ. As you are going to see later in this article, BJJ emerges from Judo. Most useful BJJ techniques like triangle choke, armbar, or throws all come from Judo. This gives you a great insight into how great and influential Judo is in the grappling world.
If you need proof of how useful Judo can be used in a fight, look no further from its role in modern MMA. Some of the best fighters in history like Ronda Rousey have come into the sport from Judo.
How does Judo training look like?
All Judo students wear a traditional Gi uniform which consists of a cotton jacket and pants. This is not just a type of clothing you wear since judokas use it to grab on it and perform various techniques. Like a true traditional art, classes ask for strict discipline and mutual respect between all the students.
When it comes to workouts, Judo is among the hardest martial arts to train. Grabbing, pulling, and executing various throws and other techniques is not easy by any means. In fact, it is an intense full-body workout that will get you in top shape over a short period of time.
3. Sambo
In our opinion, Sambo is the most underrated martial art when it comes to grappling. Founded in the 1920s in Russia, Sambo never became popular in western countries. This is because the western culture leans towards some other arts like wrestling or BJJ.
But don’t be delusional thinking that Sambo is less effective. It stands for a unique mix of Judo, Wrestling, and jujutsu put into one style of fighting. That’s why it is often seen as the most complete grappling art.
Why is Sambo so effective?
Founded in the 1920s, Sambo originates from Russia, and in some way, it looks like the modern MMA. However, how does it resemble modern MMA if it is a grappling martial art? Well, Sambo has two forms out of which one is a grappling only and the other one which includes striking:
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Sport Sambo- this form of Sambo is grappling only and fighters are not allowed to throw any strikes. It is very similar to catch wrestling and Judo but it differs when it comes to rules. For instance, Sport Sambo fighters can’t use chokeholds which you can in Judo. But on the other side, they can apply leg locks that are not allowed in Judo.
Combat Sambo- this form of Sambo covers both grappling and striking which makes it very similar to MMA. Fighters have a wide range of weapons at their disposal like kicks, punches, knees, and elbows. And once the fight goes to the ground, they can apply various submissions.
Sambo is perhaps the only art that will teach you both wrestling takedowns and how to fight on the ground. This unique mix of grappling techniques from various fighting systems really prepares you for any type of fight. And of course, it is a great base for MMA as well.
2. Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the oldest combat sports that has been a part of the Olympic games since day one. In the western world, it is by far the most popular grappling art, and even a part of the culture in some way. Even though it doesn’t include striking, wrestling has always been among the best hand-to-hand fighting styles.
Look no further from modern MMA fighting if you are looking for any proof. According to the stats, most UFC champs came from wrestling.
Why Wrestling is so effective?
Wrestling has many forms and the most popular two are Greco-Roman and Freestyle. Here is how they differ from one another:
Greco-Roman — in this form, holds below the waist are not allowed. This means wrestlers can’t use single/double leg takedowns or trips. The emphasis is on holds above the waist and throws.
Freestyle — also known as collegiate wrestling, this form originates from catch as catch can wrestling. Unlike in Greco Roman, fighters can grab the opponent both above and below the waist.
Wrestling matches well against other styles, including striking. If we look at MMA, wrestlers are masters in level changing under the punch or catching a kick to score takedowns. We have seen many elite strikers being afraid to put their skills to work against wrestlers.
Training sessions are brutal, they contain full body workouts that are cardio intense. It is a type of work that asks for every single muscle, even the smallest in your body to work together and be in top shape. Scoring just a single takedown requires a lot of effort and energy, now imagine doing that for hours.
But despite being hard, wrestling is still one of the most popular sports for kids in the US and the entire western world. It teaches you all about discipline and how important it is to work hard to achieve your goals.
1. Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ)
In our opinion, BJJ is the best grappling martial art one can learn for both self defense or MMA. Even though wrestling is nothing less useful, the finishing abilities of BJJ fighters are what makes BJJ better. It teaches you to always find a way to finish the rival no matter what type of situation you are in.
Founded in the 1920s on a Judo base, BJJ got popular with the birth of modern MMA around seven decades later in the early 90s. At the time, MMA events were basically street fighting venues without rules in which we could see style vs. style matchups for the first time. During these wild times, BJJ emerged as the most effective art thanks to Royce Gracie who beat all the fighters from other arts.
BJJ teaches you various types of sweeps, trips, and throws one can use to advance the fight to the ground. Rolling on the ground is where BJJ is the most effective and better than other grappling styles. There are hundreds of joint locks and chokeholds one can apply to beat the opponent.
This is crucial for self-defense since every human can throw a punch. But, not many of us know how to stop the takedown or defend against submissions. A striker or average person would be totally lost on the ground with a BJJ fighter.
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