5 Different Types of Grappling in MMA

Ever since Royce Gracie stormed the world back at UFC 1 with his dominant BJJ-based gameplan, fans of the sport have come to understand the importance of grappling in the game of MMA. Being able to transition from the clinch into a takedown and then hold the ground position, eventually progressing to a ground and pound or a submission – this is what separates a complete mixed-martial artist from someone that takes the one-trick pony approach.

Grappling is not something to be underestimated in any case. It’s a skillset that’s composed of several different grappling-based martial arts – different types of grappling in MMA - such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo sambo and catch wrestling. It’s important to distinguish these martial arts in MMA, take what you need from each and implement it int your MMA game.

What is Grappling in MMA?

Grappling pertains to the sets of moves you can use to control, take down and submit your opponent, without the use of any direct strikes. Grapplers use their physical strength as well as positional knowledge and leverage to control and dominate their opponents. Grappling transpires both while standing up and on the ground.

One of the main skillsets of grappling is taking your opponent down. Takedown types include double-leg takedowns, single-leg takedowns, suplex etc. Being able to successfully take your opponent down will give you a significant positional advantage that you can capitalize on. However, you will also need to learn the principles of positional control in order to maintain your dominant position while using your strength, body weight and leverage in the process.

If, on the other hand, you find yourself in a bad position while grappling, you will need to know how to escape. Starting with basic moves like the “shrimp”, graduating to more advanced concepts like framing to create space between you and your opponent, while at the same time being mindful of your opponent’s ability to strike you while grappling – being able to escape unfavorable positions is a difficult-to-learn skill in itself.

You will need to rip out fight-ending submissions which will lead to your opponent having no other option than to tap out. There’s a whole menu of effective submission moves: kimura locks, triangle chokes, rear naked chokes, armbars, leglocks etc.

Lastly, grapplers also need to be aware of the position of theirs and their opponent’s body relative to the cage/octagon – including the ability of the opponent to strike them at any point during grappling. This creates major differences in the way you can implement grappling as opposed to standalone grappling competitions.

1. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and a sport that originated in Brazil in the early 20^th century. BJJ originally drew from Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo. It’s said that the originator of BJJ is Mitsuyo Maeda of Japan, who taught the Gracie family of various grappling principles, which eventually evolved to what’s known as BJJ.

The main principle of BJJ is using leverage to subdue and submit opponents that may very well be physically stronger than yourself. You start by taking your opponent down, taking a dominant position like side control and advancing your position to mount and back take – and finally submitting your opponent using chokes or joint locks, making them tap out.

BJJ is an excellent skillset that can teach you a great deal about controlling your opponent, using your body as one unit to advance your position and doing a submission. However, BJJ is not a striking art – and it works best once you clinch up with your opponent. You’ll need distance management and the principles of striking to buff up your BJJ knowledge. Also, BJJ is not really known for its takedowns, which means you’re more than likely to need some wrestling skills, as well.

Perhaps the best-known active UFC fighter that uses BJJ is Charles Olivera, a former champion. He’s known to wear down some of his opponents and submit them, using the principles of BJJ.

2. Wrestling

Wrestling is considered to be one of the oldest forms of unarmed combat in history, having been present in human life across several thousand years. The two most important styles of modern wrestling are freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling.

In freestyle wrestling, wrestlers are allowed to attack the legs, meaning there’s single-leg takedowns, double-leg takedowns, throws and trips. In Greco-Roman wrestling, wrestlers aren’t allowed to attack below the waist. This means that wrestlers only use upper-body clinches, body locks and throws while wrestling.

Being able to wrestle will give you an explosive base to perform takedowns while maintaining your balance. You’ll note that some of the best wrestlers in the UFC are relentless with their pressure until the opponent finally caves in and allows the takedown. By mixing in wrestling with BJJ, you can wear down your opponent into bad positions which will eventually lead to submissions and tap uts.

Legendary wrestlers in the UFC include names like Georges Saint Pierre, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier. These are all guys that have successfully mixed in wrestling in their gameplans and dominated their opponents to become some of the best fighters in the history of the sport.

3. Judo

Judo was founded in 1882 in Japan, by legendary judoka Jigoro Kano. The goal in judo is to use balance, timing and leverage to overcome the opponent – hence the rough translation of “the gentle way”. Judokas use throws while grip fighting and finding balance. There’s also groundwork involved, known as “ne-waza”. Judokas also learn how to “break their falls” and fall down safely when thrown.

In MMA, using judo principles will help you destabilize your opponent and throw them to the ground. At the same time, you’ll know how to fall down safely and decrease the risk of injury.

One of the best-known judokas in MMA history is Ronda Rousey. At her peak form, she dominated her opponents using judo principles – she took them down and submitted them with ease.

4. Sambo

Sambo was developed in the Soviet Union near the beginning of the twentieth century. The name of this martial art comes from the Russian term SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, which translates to self-defense without weapons. Sambo is a unique blend of wrestling, throwing, takedowns and submissions. The two main variants of this martial art are sport sambo and combat sambo. The former involves grappling and submissions without any direct strikes, while the latter includes punches and kicks as well as grappling. This makes combat sambo similar to MMA, albeit it has its own unique rules and traditions.

Given that the rules of combat sambo are similar to MMA, it makes perfect sense that combat sambo practitioners will do well in MMA. Some of the best-known sambo practitioners in MMA include names like Islam Makhachev, Merab Dvalishvili and Shavkat Rakhmonov.

5. Catch Wrestling

Catch wrestling is a style of wrestling that’s geared towards submissions. It’s known for the aggressive wrestling pressure of its practitioners, as well as the relentless pressure, pinning and submissions. Catch wrestling originated in Britain during the 19^th century. It became so popular that it spread to the United States where it became a staple in professional wrestling. Catch wrestlers use takedowns and rides, while doing pressure through pins and, finally, they perform submiss\\

Some legendary catch wrestlers in MMA include Josh Barnett – known as a former UFC heavyweight champion – and Kazushi Sakuraba, also known as the Gracie killer.

Which Grappling Style Is Best for MMA?

The effectiveness of each of the aforementioned grappling styles heavily depend on the fighter’s skills, predispositions, training and the ability to integrate the techniques into a solid gameplan. Of course, your level of success will also be influenced by the type of opponent you’ll be fighting against.

Practically all of the skills that you’ll learn on your route to grappling mastery will complement each other. By learning to do clinch work, you’ll also be able to see and even create openings so you can take your opponent down. Knowledge of how to use your body in grappling will allow you to use leverage and advance to more dominant positions and eventually submit your opponent – or ground-and-pound them into oblivion.

Never underestimate the importance of grappling skills in MMA. The more you learn, the better off you’ll be and the more unpredictable will your style be to your opponents. Luckily, good grappling coaches aren’t hard to find given the popularity of the top-five grappling sports and martial arts, so there’s no excuse whatsoever not to drill your takedowns, positional controls and submissions.