# amateur wrestling as martial art



## lonecoyote (May 24, 2004)

I'd like to learn to wrestle greco roman, freestyle, folkstyle, but the problem is that I'm an adult. Any other martial art you go into the dojo, check out a class, and pay your money and start training. Most wrestlers I know started in school. Wrestling wasn't offered at my high school. Anyway it just feels too late. I'm about to move back to oklahoma, which is a hotbed of wrestling, but how do I find anyone to teach me? I know its tough, but I want to learn. The positioning, takedowns, and defenses against takedowns, make more sense than a guard and mount thing in a street fight, especially in a group of people. I've trained mostly TMA stand up so far.


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## Cobra (May 24, 2004)

lonecoyote said:
			
		

> I'd like to learn to wrestle greco roman, freestyle, folkstyle, but the problem is that I'm an adult. Any other martial art you go into the dojo, check out a class, and pay your money and start training. Most wrestlers I know started in school. Wrestling wasn't offered at my high school. Anyway it just feels too late. I'm about to move back to oklahoma, which is a hotbed of wrestling, but how do I find anyone to teach me? I know its tough, but I want to learn. The positioning, takedowns, and defenses against takedowns, make more sense than a guard and mount thing in a street fight, especially in a group of people. I've trained mostly TMA stand up so far.


lonecoyote, there is nothing to worry about. Just sign up at the nearest USA Freestyle Club. They have PW's (3-4 years old) all the way to Open (18+). You probably can't do folkstyle anymore unless you are in colage. But you can well do freestyle and greco till you die. In fact, the Open freestyle and Greco team are the actual age groups and style that goes to the Olympics. So just look in the phonebook or go to the USA wrestling website and find a school nearest to you.


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## lonecoyote (May 24, 2004)

Thanks, cobra! That is great news. I'll do just that, and see what I can find out. Thank you for your help. Do you wrestle?


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## Cobra (May 25, 2004)

lonecoyote said:
			
		

> Thanks, cobra! That is great news. I'll do just that, and see what I can find out. Thank you for your help. Do you wrestle?


Yes, I do. Actually, I took this season off.


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## Shogun (Jun 1, 2004)

Has anyone ever grappled or had problems grappling w/a collegiate/amatuer/school wrestler? a couple of my friends are state level wrestlers, and I have grappled with them. I have a background of Japanese MA, and always find myself tied up pretty well, and on bottom ,but usually have a good opportunity to pull a good triangle or knee bar. wrestlers seem to put themselves into these attacks.
what is yous thoughts?


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## arnisador (Jun 1, 2004)

I've heard similar comments from BJJers--that wrestlers have good takedowns but when they get you down their approach leaves them open to a number of BJJ moves that would be either illegal or inappropriate in wrestling.


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## Rich Parsons (Jun 1, 2004)

arnisador said:
			
		

> I've heard similar comments from BJJers--that wrestlers have good takedowns but when they get you down their approach leaves them open to a number of BJJ moves that would be either illegal or inappropriate in wrestling.



Including strikes?
 :asian:


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## arnisador (Jun 1, 2004)

No, I meant locks that would not be legal, or that fighting from the bottom in the guard would be suicidal in wrestling but can be advantageous in (sport) BJJ. Strikes complicate everything--then add in the possibility (that I know you will be thinking of!) that someone has a knife they can draw!


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## Rich Parsons (Jun 2, 2004)

arnisador said:
			
		

> No, I meant locks that would not be legal, or that fighting from the bottom in the guard would be suicidal in wrestling but can be advantageous in (sport) BJJ. Strikes complicate everything--then add in the possibility (that I know you will be thinking of!) that someone has a knife they can draw!



I had a friend right after college who was a hish school assistant coach in wrestling. He wanted to learn martial arts. I thought it would be easy. I would instruct him in how to strike from his wresting moves. How to think about being hit when he enters.  It was too difficult for him to get over the illegal move portion.   He moved onto other interests, such as his new born child. (* Good for him  *)

I was just curious about the striking portion, if people found it hard to teach wrestlers, to strike.

Thanks Arnisador

 :asian:


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## Shogun (Jun 2, 2004)

It depends on how one is teaching them, probably. I have several experiences with this. in sparring or free fight (teaching, still) wrestlers seem to get frustrated with striking and shoot low. when on the ground, they ignore that they can still strike and they only concentrate on pinning and not submitting or kicking/punching (not in every case, I dont want to offend wrestler/martial artists). Then again, I know a high school wrestler that is a 3rd Dan in Taekwondo, and he is a helluva striker. I sparred with him once and although I thought he lacked power, he definitely made up for that in accuracy and speed. I used all my energy to block his kicks. 
The wrestlers I grapple with straight out tell me that they cant strike worth beans. I sparred with a guy who wrestled mostly, though had kickboxing experience, and he kept his guard too low.


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## Rich Parsons (Jun 2, 2004)

Shogun said:
			
		

> It depends on how one is teaching them, probably. I have several experiences with this. in sparring or free fight (teaching, still) wrestlers seem to get frustrated with striking and shoot low. when on the ground, they ignore that they can still strike and they only concentrate on pinning and not submitting or kicking/punching (not in every case, I dont want to offend wrestler/martial artists). Then again, I know a high school wrestler that is a 3rd Dan in Taekwondo, and he is a helluva striker. I sparred with him once and although I thought he lacked power, he definitely made up for that in accuracy and speed. I used all my energy to block his kicks.
> The wrestlers I grapple with straight out tell me that they cant strike worth beans. I sparred with a guy who wrestled mostly, though had kickboxing experience, and he kept his guard too low.




I never said all were bad or difficult to teach. Only one.

And I tried to teach it from the ground where he felt more comfortable.

 :asian:


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## Shogun (Jun 2, 2004)

I know.
I was refering to my own experiences.


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## psi_radar (Sep 2, 2004)

Rich Parsons said:
			
		

> It was too difficult for him to get over the illegal move portion.   He moved onto other interests, such as his new born child. (* Good for him  *)
> 
> I was just curious about the striking portion, if people found it hard to teach wrestlers, to strike.
> 
> ...



It was definitely hard for me. I'd say it's common for wrestlers. Getting the upright posture/ fighting stance was super difficult too. I always wanted to get into a crouch. I'm over it now, though.:EG:


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## Han-Mi (Sep 2, 2004)

wrestling is another sport, like judo, TKD, boxing and other martial arts can be.  Gotta play by the rules. No biggie, it can still be applicable on the street if you know what modifications to make.


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## Kane (Sep 3, 2004)

Just because it is a sport, doesn't mean it isn't effective in a street fight or against ANY other Martial Art.

A BJJ fighter would probably beat a wrestler in a submission match, but some of those positions like the triangle choke or whatever cannot be so easily done in a real fight. If a wrestler gets the BJJ fighter on his back, all the wrestler has to do is punch him until the BJJ fighter gets knocked out. Meaning the guard isnt always as effective on wrestlers as many people think.


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## jfarnsworth (Sep 3, 2004)

arnisador said:
			
		

> I've heard similar comments from BJJers--that wrestlers have good takedowns but when they get you down their approach leaves them open to a number of BJJ moves that would be either illegal or inappropriate in wrestling.



Personally speaking of course. I found it difficult to make a transition from standard wrestling to JJ. One of the reasons is that after taking an opponent down we are ingrained to stick him on his back. In JJ that's not the case. So while I'm "out of position" thinking of sticking someone on their back I'm getting choked and locked quicker than I can think. Another, if I'm in someone's guard position it's very uncomfortable feeling like this guy is on his back and I'm not winning 'cause I can't get around his legs. If I do somehow get around most certainly I've found I get arm locked. Because my arms are down. Some of the positions we just did not have to deal with much less were they legal.


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## JDenz (Sep 9, 2004)

I never had much of a problem besides for learning to protect my legs from leg locks.


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