wrestling

[TJS]

Yes but i dont generaly find it very effective, but I just probably met some bad people at it...

statistics say otherwise. Wrestling isint complete but it is proabably the best base you can have to build off of wether you want to become a standup or ground fighter.

[Menjo]

I agree it does build a strong base for ground fighting or stand up.

[Kajukenbopr]

as a martial art.... if it is what people watch on tv, i think its more of a show than actual martial arts. but if taken to real context if could get to be martial arts like judo........maybe.........you get the idea....

olympic wrestling- pretty much like a martial art though I dont see how many people would find it comfortable to fight like that to defend themselves. yes, a martial art....

[Kajukenbopr]

I'll stay with my kajukenbo and the arts that are part of it

[Sam]

yeah i think we all will stay with our own MAs , but i would agree that Wrestling in generaly is pretty effective.

[Gothic_coop]

Wrestling teaches a Martial Artist how to be more aggressive and find what a wrestler calls mat awareness. You learn how to go from what ground fighters call the Clinch to the ground with more movement. I have wrestled in Greco-Roman, Freestyle, and Collegic competitions I have also learned (not studied) Judo and Sombo to help with takedowns and throws. In this aspect I think any martial artist can learn a great deal from wrestling. I am now studying a martial art that involve punching and kicking and ground fighting to go along with my takedowns and throws.

Even the Master of my school wants me to show other students wrestling to help them learn takedowns in a different way.

[Muaythaiboxer]

in my opinion there is not a better art to start with than good old wrestling. even a wrestler with limited strikeing skills can usually beat a good striker with poor ground skills but we have all seen that in MMA.

[Menjo]

thats true but are wrestlers trained to be able to take and dodge stirkes or do they just take it and charge?

[Daedalus]

thats true but are wrestlers trained to be able to take and dodge stirkes or do they just take it and charge?

No they change levels and shoot in for the takedown. Usually it is the ones who ONLY practice taking and dodging strikes that find themselves in a world of hurt in a fight against a wrestler. Wrestling is the ultimate base for a martial artist because it teaches you how to control your opponent which is the first step to beating your opponent.

[White Warlock]

Studied high school and collegiate here, yes... it is very effective at controlling, manipulating the opponent. No, it does not have finishing techniques because in training, your goal is to pin the person on his back (the exact opposite of what you want to do in a real fight, or in a NHB).

It is one of the best, if not the best, for conditioning, and conditioning is key. Absolutely essential.

However, the weaknesses are obvious. Wrestlers don't practice with consideration for locks, chokes, appendage breaks (as in fingers), or strikes, so if someone mixes any of that in, their game is disrupted. In many cases they either fall full victim to such things, or they lose focus and break off until they can re-evaluate. In some cases, they become more aggressive, and try to resort to similar tactics while still maintaining their wrestling actions. But, without cross-training, they just can't go there.

Still, the base of wrestling is powerful, and combines well with just about any system to strengthen a fighter... make him more well-rounded.

And, to clarify, we're NOT talking about the stupid WWF 'all-show, no-go' wrestling so popularized by Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. Most everything they do... doesn't work in a real confrontation.