"Wrestling is the best base" myth...

[Blackened]

Thinking back to my high school wrestling team, yeah, I would agree it's the best base... but I don't believe it's because wrestling techniques are necessarily better than those of other martial arts, I think it has A GREAT DEAL to do with the Strength (all functional) and Conditioning that accompanies a good wrestling program.

When a wrestler transitions into MMA, they are usually built like an ox already, all functional strength.

Discuss

 

[Steve08]

Yeah, it seems as though a lot of people think anyone who has been wrestling in high school or college for a few years could just enter a no-gi submission grappling tournament and clean house based on like... "mystical wrestler top control" or "explosiveness" or some shit, but the fact of the matter is you are gonna get tapped out like crazy without at least drilling submission defense, and if the guy is cunning you can still get tapped without being aware of how he may counter your defenses-- yet that opens up the need for yet MORE drilling, to rehearse defense -> counter -> re-defense sequences, etc...

And that's not even considering taking down a good MMA boxer who is going to be continually backpedaling or moving side to side, or basically, a guy who is going to use the threat of striking to outgrapple you. Can't get in on what won't stand in front of you.

But from what I have heard, the conditioning for collegiate or scholastic wrestling is very very similar to the conditioning necessary for MMA. So I would imagine that a guy coming from that background would probably have to spend WAYYYYYY less time getting in shape and the like.

 

[TeamSpaceMonkey]

Functional strength derp.

 

[Philosophy X]

Functional strength derp.

Agreed. I don't think it's the best base but it builds what is the best base which is Functional strength.

Anderson, GSP, Aldo, Barao (many more) all show that you don't have to start with wrestling to be the best.

 

[aRtFuL]

GSP said gymnastics is the best base and will take his kid to learn gymnastics first if he ever has one

 

[Redannihilation]

Saying wrestling is the best base, is due to the abilities of a solid wrestler to dictate where the fight takes place. If you're good at striking, but can't stay off your back it's not a good look, similarly you might be an amazing grappler with shitty takedowns which makes your grappling ineffective, but someone who can decide whether the fight goes to the ground or stays standing has the most options in a fight, hence best base.

 

[fan_of_fighting]

I think they say its the best base because takedowns seem to he worth more than anything else

 

[D1wrestla]

It has more to do with learning how to train hard, mental toughness, learning to cut weight, and the strength and conditioning plus the skills

 

[trident]

It's just the hardest sport you can take in your developmental years and if you are good at it, that means you are also good at working hard and stepping out onto a mat against one other opponent. This transitions well into MMA.

But, whatever, the best wrestler in MMA never wrestled, so go figure.

 

[UJustGotChaeld]

Thinking back to my high school wrestling team, yeah, I would agree it's the best base... but I don't believe it's because wrestling techniques are necessarily better than those of other martial arts, I think it has A GREAT DEAL to do with the Strength (all functional) and Conditioning that accompanies a good wrestling program.

When a wrestler transitions into MMA, they are usually built like an ox already, all functional strength.

Discuss

So how is it a myth then since you agree ...

Myth. Does not mean what you think it does perhaps.

 

[Bigj383]

Saying wrestling is the best base, is due to the abilities of a solid wrestler to dictate where the fight takes place. If you're good at striking, but can't stay off your back it's not a good look, similarly you might be an amazing grappler with shitty takedowns which makes your grappling ineffective, but someone who can decide whether the fight goes to the ground or stays standing has the most options in a fight, hence best base.

This^ the ability to control where the fight takes place is huge. Though success in wrestling doesnt automatically = success in mma. The core strength wrestlers have certainly doesn't hurt.

 

[Jobuden]

I think it is mainly because there are so many wrestlers in 'Murica.
Highschoolwrestling, Collegwrestling, University Wrestling Teams .... in wich Countries else do you have that big of a base of Wrestlers all over the country?
And since USA are the biggest source of fighters for UFC and the main MMA-Nation, and since you can't really make money by wrestling once you're out of school / college / university, if you want to stick with your sport, where else are you gonna go?
How many Brazilian MMA fighters (with out a question No 2 Nation for MMA) have a wrestling background?

 

[Philosophy X]

It has more to do with learning how to train hard, mental toughness, learning to cut weight, and the strength and conditioning plus the skills

This too. Not to mention that wrestling is highly competitive from junior division all the way up. Wrestlers are force to wrestle A LOT in seasons. Builds a lot of experience.

 

[aRtFuL]

I think it is mainly because there are so many wrestlers in 'Murica.
Highschoolwrestling, Collegwrestling, University Wrestling Teams .... in wich Countries else do you have that big of a base of Wrestlers all over the country?
And since USA are the biggest source of fighters for UFC and the main MMA-Nation, and since you can't really make money by wrestling once you're out of school / college / university, if you want to stick with your sport, where else are you gonna go?
How many Brazilian MMA fighters (with out a question No 2 Nation for MMA) have a wrestling background?

USA is pretty much the only place in the world where you can get a college scholarship by doing a specific form of combat sport.

 

[Blackened]

So how is it a myth then since you agree ...

Myth. Does not mean what you think it does perhaps.

Simply saying it's not the techniques that make it the best base, but the work ethic and strength based programs.

We are trapped in semantics I see.

 

[Blackened]

This^ the ability to control where the fight takes place is huge. Though success in wrestling doesnt automatically = success in mma. The core strength wrestlers have certainly doesn't hurt.

It is huge, but being able to stop a takedown isn't simply the techniques from wrestling. The core strength plays a huge role in TDD

 

[Steve08]

But, whatever, the best wrestler in MMA never wrestled, so go figure.

The best wrestler in MMA would also get smashed by a guy like Koscheck in an actual wrestling match, where he wouldn't have the threat of his truly outstanding jab to divert one's consciousness away from his narrow, but ultra-refined wrestling game.

Meaning... GSP can use his striking to outwrestle better wrestlers, and use his wrestling to outstrike better strikers... which... *gasp*... is actually the definition of Mixing Martial Arts.

What should be drawn from that is the knowledge that all the athleticism, mental toughness, and conditioning in the world will not give you effective, dynamic strategy.

 

[K1OlySbWrestler]

It has to do with wrestling giving one the total body control in balance to keep and disrupt another's. Remember full bull rush with the technique to choose how you will penetrate and the strength/conditioning of having done it millions of times is far superior to having to be mauled in order to apply your own techniques- say like a BJJ.

Also striking whether Boxing or better yet kickboxing of any variation and San Shou having to be the best of the multiple styles of kickboxing including Karate as it has the unbelievable wrestling base/strength with potentially murderous takedowns- is behind in Amateur wrestling when going full wrestling for wrestling as of course strictly wrestlers only do wrestling and don't have to mix it in with striking.

As you've read the combination of San Shou & amateur wrestling probably freestyle would be the ultimate sporting combative style and would trump every other the majority of the time. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that, but the limb is pretty thick as we've clearly went over the reasons why.

 

[nyduccie]

Wrestling is very clearly the best base if you want to win a fight and can brush up in the other aspects of fighting.

BJJ is the best if you can only train one discipline.

Any form of striking is the best if you want to make it in the UFC b/c its based on WWE style entertainment and not functional fighting.

 

[lowsingle]

HW-Cain wrestling
LHW-Jones wrestling
MW-Wediman wrestling
WW- hendricks/lawler wrestling/karate
LW-Pettis tkd
FW- Aldo BJJ
BW- Barao boxing? bjj? (hes said he started boxing since hw as a kid, idk how long hes been doing bjj)
FLW- Mighty mouse wrestling

either way wrestling>everything else combined