# Why do Wrestlers do so well in MMA?



## Freestyler777 (Nov 5, 2007)

Just trying to spark some lively interaction.

Before the early MMA events in America in the mid -90s, most people thought wrestling was a useless school sport.  

Now, people see it as one of the most effective systems, and the success of wrestlers in MMA is unmatched.

It is obvious that the bias against wrestlers was not just unfounded, but completely contrary to the reality!  Wrestling is a great martial art.  

But what about it makes wrestlers so succesful in MMA?


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## MJS (Nov 5, 2007)

Freestyler777 said:


> Just trying to spark some lively interaction.
> 
> Before the early MMA events in America in the mid -90s, most people thought wrestling was a useless school sport.
> 
> ...


 
This is only my opinion.   Looking at some of the wrestlers that competed in the early UFcs, ie: Severn, Kerr, and Coleman, they really didn't seem as up to par on submissions, however, they had some awesome takedowns, takedown defense and the ability to keep someone down.  Once they became more exposed to submissions..well, IMO, they were really a big force to deal with.


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## Sorros (Nov 5, 2007)

When ever you hear TDK and Karate guys getting ready for a MMA fight, you never hear the wrestlers say I took some karate and kicking lessons to get ready for the fight.
You always hear the Karate guys say, I have been working on my grappling and BJJ, Judo, submissions.
Once a grappler gets hold of you, your Katas, air punching and air kicking goes out the window. Their toast


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## Jai (Nov 5, 2007)

agreed, I didn't I took up wrestling in high school to better learn closer quarter combat and grappling so I had a better chance of making it out of a bad situation in one piece. Alot of stand up fighters have trouble with wrestlers because once they are on their backs its a new element of fighting that most are not prepared for. I think this is why wrestlers do well in MMA and in general. They drill for years on take downs, defense of take downs, hard powerful slams. You through in some ground and pound style offense and they are very dangerous.


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## Dave Leverich (Nov 5, 2007)

Actually though I do hear some wrestlers who come asking help with kicking (some hands but usually kicking). I think the answer's been posted above though on why wrestling works, it's just not the only part of the solution.


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## Sorros (Nov 5, 2007)

Your right, the best MMA grapplers lately have the whole package, hands and Muay Tai kicks.


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## Carol (Nov 5, 2007)

Sorros said:


> Your right, the best MMA grapplers lately have the whole package, hands and Muay Tai kicks.



I agree...they are good all-around fighters.  

Plus, the better-known fighters all have their fights put to film on a regular basis.  This allows everyone - including the challengers - to see where a specific fighter's individual's strengths and weaknesses are.  Good incentive to not leave many holes in your game.


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## Sorros (Nov 5, 2007)

You know Carol, youv'e been watching that Rich Franklin video, Over and, Over, and Over again.


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## Carol (Nov 5, 2007)

Sorros said:


> You know Carol, youv'e been watching that Rich Franklin video, Over and, Over, and Over again.



:angel: :angel: :angel:


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## Sorros (Nov 5, 2007)

Check out my post on Dillman Knock out post , tonight.


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## Andrew Green (Nov 5, 2007)

Wrestling teaches you to control the fight, which is probably the most important piece.  The superior wrestler controls the clinch, and controls whether the fight stays standing or goes to the ground, and if it does go to the ground, chances are they are on top, and likely to stay there.

Throw some basic boxing and submission defence into that and you got a fighter.  Throw some good boxing and ground and pound in and you got a really good fighter.

If fights are being matched well, chances are it won;t be the same guy that is best in the middle of the ring, against the fence and on the ground.  The better wrestler has a better chance of being able to choose which of those fights he wants.


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## Marginal (Nov 5, 2007)

Sorros said:


> Your right, the best MMA grapplers lately have the whole package, hands and Muay Tai kicks.


Not all of them. Some get by just by laying on top of the other guy and boring the crowd to death.


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## Freestyler777 (Nov 6, 2007)

When I said wrestling was underrated, that is referring to pre-1993, when MMA came to America.  Everyone back then seemed to think groundfighting was ineffective, and that wrestling was not a martial art.  

Now, wrestling is considered one of the most successful martial arts, alongside BJJ and Muay Thai.  I know muay thai is kickboxing, but both wrestling and BJJ deal with groundfighting, something that went from unknown/hated/biased against to the most sought after instruction. 

How did people miss out on this crucially important phase of unarmed combat?


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## Dave Leverich (Nov 6, 2007)

Many didn't miss out, the Judoka are all grinning .
I think it's like anything, the world has gotten smaller as the information highway has gotten faster and easier to get on. I remember 20 years ago looking for a short game to augment my TKD, I looked to the chinese styles originally (KF/TC) as I knew they covered the shorter range. I'd heard of a Judo school, but it was a good 30 miles away, so I stuck with TKD/KF/TC.
Hindsight being 20/20 I probably would have done more wrestling heh.


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## Selfcritical (Nov 6, 2007)

Dave Leverich said:


> Many didn't miss out, the Judoka are all grinning .
> I think it's like anything, the world has gotten smaller as the information highway has gotten faster and easier to get on. I remember 20 years ago looking for a short game to augment my TKD, I looked to the chinese styles originally (KF/TC) as I knew they covered the shorter range. I'd heard of a Judo school, but it was a good 30 miles away, so I stuck with TKD/KF/TC.
> Hindsight being 20/20 I probably would have done more wrestling heh.




One is conditioning- No other high school/collegiate athletes have as consistent and well-rounded of a fitness regimen as wrestlers. Fighting is an athletic activity, and the best athletes tend to win. 

Two is time put in- How many other martial arts have people working at least an hour of fully resistant sparring in whatever range they're in 5 days a week from middle school through college? A wrestler from the midwest almost certainly has years more experience than his opponent.


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## Freestyler777 (Nov 6, 2007)

Selfcritical said:


> One is conditioning- No other high school/collegiate athletes have as consistent and well-rounded of a fitness regimen as wrestlers. Fighting is an athletic activity, and the best athletes tend to win.
> 
> Two is time put in- How many other martial arts have people working at least an hour of fully resistant sparring in whatever range they're in 5 days a week from middle school through college? A wrestler from the midwest almost certainly has years more experience than his opponent.


 
Brilliant!


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## cohenp (Nov 12, 2007)

As a wrestler, who moved into mma, I think a big part of it is body awareness and how you handle yourself in awkward positions. Body awareness is a huge part of grappling and it's something that's focused on allot in wrestling. Fully half of a wrestling warm up is various rolls and gymnastics that are supposed to increase body awareness. 

The other parts of it have been covered, when I stepped into mma I already had three years of takedowns and takedown defense and three years of clinch and rolling on the ground.  It teaches you things that become instinct over time, things like being heavy on top and knowing where you are as you go through a full roll. 

Within a month or two of mma I was drilling clinch work and take downs, and me on top ground and pounding, with a guy who was supposed to be making his pro debut. It all came from drilling all that stuff.

The problems with being a wrestler came up mostly in getting submitted.  The problem was that I didn't recognise any submission attempts or the positions I would get submitted from so I got caught in allot of submissions. The other problem was my pure striking, I got caught left and right and that was just lack of experience.  After drilling for longer and sparring I started to learn combinations that led into take downs or that got me into the clinch. Then on the ground even if my submissions weren't great I could recognise submission attempts and avoid them purely through being able to move my body in space the way I wanted to. 

Conditioning is the other big factor I think too. When I'm at wrestling conditioning is a big part of practice.  Probably atleast a quarter of a practice is entirely conditioning. That's on top of full go wrestling too.  I think wrestling is just a great basis.

Well that's my first post in a new forum. This looks like a good site. Thanks for all the help guys.


-Cohen


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## Tez3 (Nov 12, 2007)

In the UK I know of only two pro rules fighters who have a wrestling background, one's Iranian and the other Georgian. Wrestling and MMA haven't come together much here at all, the fighters we have from a non- standup background are from Judo and BJJ.
I'm very tired of yet another thread where people ar saying 'oh karate is rubbish' slagging off katas, 'air punching' etc. I know several successful fighters who've come from a TKD background, Micheal Bisping started BJJ then karate and kickboxing.I know one Sami Berik who comes from a CMA background.
http://www.bisping.tv/biography/

Incidentally he made his debut MMA fight on our promotion, Pride & glory, he's in the States at the moment as he's headling the next UFC there. 

Wrestling is only one of the martial arts that is in _MIXED_ martial arts, I'm not downplaying it's importance but please don't slag off other styles.


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## Freestyler777 (Nov 14, 2007)

I'm not criticizing the other martial arts, I am just wondering how was wrestling so overlooked by the general american public.  Before MMA in america, people laughed at wrestling!  I should know, I wrestled too.  Thank you Cohen for a well thought out reply.  

And Tez, no offense, but Britain is not big on wrestling to begin with (you told me so in a previous post), so it would seem obvious that most of their MMA guys are not wrestlers.


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## Tez3 (Nov 14, 2007)

The wrestling we have is the traditional regional wrestling, I don't think you have anything really like it in the States. There's Cornish, Cumberland, Scottish, Lancashire (catch as catch can) and a few others.

I know I keep saying about Uk MMA but people keep forgetting that MMA is more than the UFC and the States! Even in the States MMA is more than MMA, and yes I know they are probably the biggest promotion and claim they started the whole thing!


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