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THE BENEFITS OF TAKING A GRAPPLING CLASS AT TRAIN. FIGHT. WIN.

If you primarily visualize images of striking and kicking over takedowns and submission holds when thinking about mixed martial arts (MMA), you might not be aware of the significant role grappling has played in the evolution of the sport. While fierce strikes and devastating kicks dominate highlight reels, professional MMA fighters with strong grappling skills have long secured the most victories. In fact, a 2017 study of elite-level MMA competitors determined that “grappling activity and technique accuracy are of particular importance in achieving victory.”

Tallahassee-based Train. Fight. Win. co-owner Sky Rudloe began his MMA career as a grappler and understands how effective grappling techniques can be. He also knows that grappling classes efficiently build whole-body strength, boost endurance, and optimize mental focus. Thus, the Train. Fight. Win. studio incorporates grappling in many of its classes and training and offers grappling as a stand-alone program.

WHAT IS GRAPPLING IN RELATION TO MARTIAL ARTS?

Grappling has been a distinct form of martial art since ancient times, as evidenced by the popularity of wrestling in ancient Greece and pehlwani that was practiced in India starting in the 5th Century B.C. Some martial arts, such as Muay Thai, also incorporated grappling techniques in their specific fighting disciplines.

As a martial art, grappling emphasizes gripping, grabbing, and holding techniques designed to submit opponents under your physical control, whether on the ground or upright. Professional “mixed” martial arts incorporated grappling techniques from the get-go, with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) playing a dominant grappling role in the rise of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in the 1990s. Other grappling disciplines, such as wrestling, Judo, and Sambo, are also widely used across the MMA spectrum, both professionally and amateur.

GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES IN MMA

Grappling techniques are designed to help you gain a dominant position over your opponent by submitting them to grips, holds, pins, chokes, and armbars until they are under your complete control. Naturally, grappling also involves using defensive moves to prevent you from being dominated by your opponent.

While the different grappling disciplines are similar, all have their distinct differences. For example, while wrestling focuses on moves designed to take opponents down to the ground—and prevent themselves from being taken down—BJJ utilizes many effective on-the-ground techniques. In fact, BJJ fighters often win many fights while on their backs because the discipline has more on-the-ground submission and attack moves from the bottom position than on the top. Judo adds an emphasis on throws and unique chock holds into the mix, while Sambo adds some sweeps, strikes, and other moves not specifically used by the other disciplines.

SKILLS LEARNED IN GRAPPLING

Grappling incorporates countless different methods to successfully secure physical dominance over your opponent or evade your opponent’s moves to dominate you. In general, the primary skills a novice grappler needs to learn include:

  • Moves to take your opponent to the ground.
  • Moves to avoid takedowns.
  • Submitting an opponent with chokes and joint locks.
  • Escaping from your opponent’s submission moves.
  • Reversals, throws, and sweeps to gain a more dominant position.
  • Clinch moves to restrict the opponent’s offensive actions.
  • On-the-ground pinning and controlling techniques

THE BENEFITS OF GRAPPLING

Grappling activates every muscle in your body, which makes it a full-body workout that builds strength and endurance. Learning to move your body more effectively increases coordination and mental focus.

The moves learned in grappling serve as an effective self-defense tool, giving you a potent edge if facing an assault. Depending on the circumstances, self-defense grappling techniques can be just as effective as striking techniques in deterring an assailant. While MMA practitioners often argue about which is the most effective for self-defense, at Train. Fight. Win. you can learn self-defense techniques in both disciplines.

Combined, all of grappling’s benefits will enhance your self-confidence, while the discipline, patience, and perseverance needed to master the art will carry over into your day-to-day life.

Did we mention that grappling is fun? Trust us, it is, and you can find out for yourself when you join us on your first day. Train. Fight. Win. co-owners Sky and Alissa Rudloe emphasize having fun with MMA classes, with a multi-faceted approach used to ensure their program does not become repetitive and dull.

READY TO TRY GRAPPLING—CONTACT FIGHT. TRAIN. WIN. TODAY

If you would like to learn more about the unique benefits of grappling, sign up for a class at Tallahassee-based Train. Fight. Win. Boost your physical and mental fitness and expand your self-confidence by contacting us today at (850) 727-8421.

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