Submission wrestling

Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elements of various martial arts such as various wrestling styles, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Submission wrestling is practiced both as a competitive sport and as a training method for self-defence and mixed martial arts (MMA).
In ancient Greece, pankration emerged as a popular combat sport around the 7th century BCE. Pankration combined striking and grappling techniques, including joint locks and chokes, and was even included in the Olympic Games. In Japan, jujutsu became prominent in the 17th century. Jujutsu focused on using an opponent's energy against them and included techniques like joint locks, throws, and pins.
Jigoro Kano later developed Judo in the late 19th century, incorporating many grappling techniques from jujutsu, Judo influenced the development of various grappling styles around the world in particular Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Other styles of submission grappling also emerged, such as freestyle wrestling and sambo in the Soviet Union, which blended elements of Judo and traditional wrestling. All of these grappling arts contributed to the development of submission wrestling.
Some Mixed martial arts schools and fighters may use the term submission wrestling to refer to their grappling methods while avoiding association with any one particular martial art. The label is sometimes also used to describe the tactic in mixed martial arts competition of relying primarily upon submission wrestling skills to defeat an opponent.
The term "no-gi" usually refers to a form of competition and training that does not use the gi, the "combat kimono" worn in traditional martial arts. "No-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu" is often used as a synonymous of submission wrestling in some circles, thanks to this art being a primarily ground fighting and submission seeking fighting style.
In submission wrestling, the primary objective is to force an opponent to submit through the application of joint locks, chokes, or other submission holds. Unlike freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, which often involve pinning an opponent's shoulders to the ground for victory, submission wrestling emphasises techniques that can lead to a submission such as tapping out or verbally submitting.
Submission wrestling competitions, often referred to as no-gi, grappling tournaments or submission-only events, can vary in rulesets. Some competitions allow competitors to use strikes, while others focus solely on grappling techniques. Points may be awarded for takedowns, dominant positions, and near-submissions. However, the ultimate goal is to secure a submission, which ends the match.
Combat Jiu-Jitsu (CJJ) is a submission grappling style innovated by American BJJ black belt Eddie Bravo in 2013. Following the success of his Eddie Bravo Invitational (EBI) events, Bravo decided to create a martial art aimed for self-defense that could also be used in competition. Inspired from Pancrase matches as well as from the original Gracie Challenge.
CJJ incorporates No-Gi BJJ techniques while adding open palm strikes allowing competitors to strike each other on the ground to open up the defense, CJJ matches are won by submission within the regulation period, or a winner is determined by EBI overtime rules.
First ran as competitive matches during his invitational events, starting with EBI 11 in 2017, the first Combat Jiu-Jitsu World event took place in 2018. Since then, multiple world champions have been crowned and the first team world championship took place at the end of 2022.
Combat Submission Wrestling (CSW) is a modern form of submission wrestling (and MMA system) developed by Erik Paulson, former Shooto light heavyweight champion. It includes grappling, submissions, and striking. It is a style that borrows elements and techniques from grappling styles including catch wrestling, Shooto, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu along with striking styles such as boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
Hayastan Grappling System or Hayastan Freestyle Wrestling, is a submission grappling style developed by multiple grappling black belts Gokor Chivichyan and Gene LeBell that blends elements of judo, sambo, catch wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. This system includes all forms of submissions, including leg locks, footlocks, kneebars, heel hooks, shoulder locks, wrist locks, neck cranks, body cranks, chokes and others.
American Jiu-Jitsu is a combination of wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu developed in the US. The first person who was associated with this term was MMA fighter Jake Shields, who stated that it was an "Americanized" form of BJJ. In 2019, Keenan Cornelius, a BJJ black belt from San Diego, founded his personal academy that he named Legion American Jiu-Jitsu (AJJ). After that, he started to explain the style to the media, which caused a backlash from the Brazilian community, although Cornelius continued promoting his academy.