Being a martial arts freak, you obviously know that in striking vs grappling, the crown fits grappling. But what if two grapplers go head to head against each other? For example, BJJ and wrestling practitioners. Can BJJ beat wrestling, or will the game turn the other way around?
Both Brazilian Jiu jitsu and wrestling are compact forms of grappling Arts, but when finding what’s better wrestling or Jiu Jitsu, surely, no one can surpass BJJ, where the powerful takedowns cause the opponent wrestler to give off.
So, to find out in what aspects BJJ can beat wrestling, grasp a cup of tea, and stick by us till the end!
Why can BJJ Beat Wrestling?- The 3 Reasons!
Where wrestling uses athleticism to make acrobatic takedowns and pin their opponent to the ground, BJJ focuses on subtle takedowns and submissions to turn the game in their favor by controlling their opponent’s limbs. So, yes, BJJ beats wrestling by using various principles of dynamics.
Here are a few reasons why in “Brazilian Jiu jitsu wrestling comparison”, BJJ takes the throne:
1. No Submissions in Wrestling
The turning point that gives BJJ a huge advantage over wrestling is that you can use all the techniques used in BJJ in wrestling, and one of them is submissions.
In wrestling, the winning point is based on pinning your opponent to the ground, doing a reversal, or executing a clean takedown. But you can’t go for submissions like chokes and locks.
Locking the hands of the opponent on the ground simply makes you out of the game. So, despite gaining the dominant position, a wrestler can’t end the fight.
And that is exactly what happened in the fight between Royce Gracie and Dan Severn. Despite being physically less strong than Severn, Royce was able to submit to him and win the fight.
2. BJJ Focuses on Principles and Not Physical Strength
An average bout of wrestling lasts for 6 minutes (3 rounds of 2 minutes each). So, you are more trained in speed and quick execution.
But in BJJ, you work at a slow pace and focus on strategies and follow the laws of momentum and dynamics to control the opponent’s body.
That is why BJJ is effective for women of all ages and is surely the most learned martial art. So, where the fighting style is far easier and slow in jiu jitsu wrestling requires explosive bursts all the time.
3. Pulling Guard
Pulling guard is another reason why not only can BJJ beat wrestling but can also dominate over various other forms of Martial Arts.
The BJJ practitioner can easily grab a wrestler in his world by pulling the guard. In contrast, a wrestler needs to execute an accurate takedown to do the same, which is quite difficult to execute instantly.
And with this, the answer to “Can BJJ beat wrestling?” sums up quite well. Now let’s briefly look at the other side of the story.
In What Aspects is Wrestling Better than BJJ?
Although BJJ is a clear-cut winner over wrestling, there are few situations in which wrestling gets its game up. A few are:
- The conditioning of wrestling is much better than that of BJJ. There is a proper warm-up routine based on cardio. However, BJJ involves a very light and relaxed warm-up based on walking, jogging, and sometimes skipping the rope. That is why wrestlers have better cardio and strength than BJJ practitioners.
- In BJJ, the staple technique of the game is pulling the guard and bringing the opponent to the ground. But if the wrestler is good in the “Stand on feet” game, the BJJ practitioner gets in trouble.
- When we consider BJJ vs wrestling MMA and UFC scenarios, the best fighters are those with a superior stand-up game, like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedv, and Jon Jones.
How does BJJ Help Wrestling?
Combining BJJ with wrestling is one of the best combos to go for, and if you are aiming to enter the MMA world, nothing can be better.
- BJJ training makes you more aware of the positioning of your opponent’s body. As a result, you will be cognizant of how to get control over your opponent using wrestling takedowns.
- Wrestlers learn how to work on backs and execute submissions. On the other hand, BJJ practitioners learn how to up their standing game.
So, in short, both of them learn some new stuff and techniques to make their skills get better than before.
How Many BJJ Practitioners in the World?
The fact that BJJ makes it to the top 10 Martial Arts list can be well justified by the stats that nearly 2,945,240 people practice BJJ, and many more are going to enter the BJJ world in the coming decade.
Marcus Almeida, the best BJJ fighter in the world, states in his interviews that BJJ has helped him become not only physically strong but poise and calm too.
BJJ vs Wrestling- Which is Effective in MMA?
When choosing between BJJ vs wrestling MMA ideal sport; there is no second option but BJJ, as you have a better grip on not only the execution of different techniques and submissions but also on how to defend yourself and put yourself in prime winning positions.
Conclusion- The Final Thought!
There is no second thought that both BJJ and wrestling are incredible forms of grappling to learn. But when both of these come hand-in-hand, no one can surpass the effectiveness of BJJ.
And with this, the umbrella of “Can BJJ beat wrestling” closes. So, gear up, and learn the form you have more interest in!
