What Is Grappling? Wrestling, BJJ, and Submission Wrestling Explained
Grappling is a category of combat sports and martial arts focused on controlling, throwing, and submitting an opponent using holds, takedowns, and ground techniques — without striking. If you have ever watched wrestling, judo, BJJ, or submission wrestling, you have seen grappling.
Grappling vs Striking
The fundamental difference between grappling and striking arts is the method of controlling an opponent:
- Striking arts (boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, karate): competitions are won by landing strikes on the opponent
- Grappling arts: competitions are won by controlling the opponent, taking them to the ground, and either holding a dominant position or forcing a submission
Many modern combat sports like MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) combine both striking and grappling.
Types of Grappling
Grappling encompasses many distinct disciplines, each with its own techniques and rules:
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) — emphasizes ground fighting and submissions. Available in gi and no-gi formats. Multiple federations with different rulesets (IBJJF, AJP, ADCC, AIGA, Grappling Industries).
Wrestling — focuses on takedowns and controlling an opponent on the ground. Freestyle and Greco-Roman are the Olympic disciplines. Collegiate wrestling is dominant in North America.
Judo — Japanese martial art focused on throws (nage-waza) and ground fighting (ne-waza). Olympic sport with strict rules limiting ground fighting time.
Sambo — Russian martial art combining judo throws with wrestling and leg locks. Sport sambo allows submissions; combat sambo also allows some strikes.
Submission Wrestling (No-Gi Grappling) — a hybrid style combining techniques from BJJ, wrestling, and sambo. ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) is the premier submission wrestling competition.
Catch Wrestling — a historical Western wrestling style that emphasizes pins and submissions.
What Makes Competition Grappling Different from Training
In training, most submission attempts are completed slowly, giving the opponent time to tap out before injury. Competition grappling uses the same techniques but with referees enforcing rules about which techniques are allowed for a given level.
The key elements of a grappling competition:
- Scoring: Points are awarded for achieving dominant positions (takedowns, guard passes, mounts, back control)
- Submissions: Win the match instantly when the opponent taps out or goes unconscious
- Time limit: Matches have a set duration; the score at the end determines the winner if no submission occurs
- Tiebreak rules: Vary by federation — some use advantages, some use referee decision, some use overtime
Federation Rules Vary Significantly
One of the most confusing aspects of competitive grappling for beginners is that different federations have substantially different rules. A technique that is legal in one organization may be illegal in another.
For example:
- Heel hooks are legal in ADCC advanced divisions but banned in most IBJJF gi divisions
- Guard pulling results in a penalty point in ADCC but is neutral in IBJJF and AJP
- Advantages are used in IBJJF but not in AJP or ADCC
Before competing, always verify the specific rules for your federation, division, and format. Use the interactive rules reference on this site to check what is allowed for your exact situation.
Why Grappling Skills Transfer Between Sports
The foundational techniques of grappling — takedowns, positional control, escapes — transfer across different disciplines. A skilled wrestler who adds BJJ ground skills becomes a complete grappler. A judoka who adds leg lock defense becomes more competitive in submission wrestling.
This is why grappling has become a crucial component of MMA, military and law enforcement combatives, and self-defense training worldwide.