knoxpk:
You make a sound comparison/analysis between Catch and BJJ.
I am by no means a "hooker", but have been including Catchwrestling in the mix of MMA that I study and practice. I've studied BJJ/Catch for about 6 years. I have received excellent BJJ instruction with instructors affiliated with Roy Harris, The Machados, Dean Lister, and others. I have had live training in Catchwrestling with Tony Cecchine at 5 of his weekend seminars around the country, and I have all the the videos on Catch he has produced.
Two important things Tony would teach at the seminars are: Understanding body mechanics, and then being inventive in the use of techniques. There are set techniques that you learn and repeat, but with an understanding of body mechanics in the Catch mindset, you see things you can do to submit someone, better. Tony would use the analogy of an improvisational jazz musician - give him a couple of notes, and he'll get something going. Give the Catchwrestler some limb and he'll do something with it. There are many ingenious holds/subs that Catch has that BJJ doesn't, but I've also "invented" stuff myself, while training with guys, due to that Catch mindset.
The guard position is very well exploited in BJJ, much more so than Catch. As was said, probably too much. Given, the background of Catch as a form of wrestling, being on your back in Catch is sort of an embarassment - you shouldn't be there. Remember, Catchwrestling is from wrestling, and wresters don't want to be on their backs. If you are there, it shouldn't be for long. It is a defensive position. I appreciate how BJJ prepared me to use that position, and I use it a lot, and am comfortable exploiting it (here I mean the closed guard, NOT the open guard). But I should say that there are a couple of submissions from Catch that I have added to the usual BJJ attacks from the guard. One submits just about every guy under 200 lbs., the other will quickly make anyone scream to submit.
My approach to MMA has always been to "learn/use what works". My BJJ is no-gi and I'm not interested in techniques that require a gi or 16 steps to complete. I started learning Catch within my first year of BJJ lessons. My BJJ classmates nicknamed me "the Catchwrestler" because I added and used several Catch techniques to my rolling style in class. My instructor and classmates were seeing me use some techniques and subs that they had never seen before. I would say BJJ is my core style, but I definitely have a larger arsenal of effective submissions/techniques that I have added to that from Catch.
As I said, with Catch and BJJ there are two different mindsets. BJJ has a more limited, and predictable, arsenal of techniques. Catch widens beyond BJJ's aresenal, and with its spontaneity and improvisational approach is less predictable than BJJ.
There is a DVD, a documentary that just came out from England called: "Catch: The Hold not Taken"
http://www.riverhorse.tv/CATCH/BuyDVD/buy_index.htm , that gives an excellent history of Catchwrestling. The Catch lineage is traced, from its early practicioners to it's influence in wrestling in the USA, and MMA in Japan. There is a direct influence in the Japanese MMA/NHB practitioners, due to Cathwrestlers who went to Japan a generation ago and taught them.
See how Sakuraba compares with Royce Gracie, and you see, at the extremes, how Catch compares with BJJ.
I hope that Tony Cecchine, and the few living old masters and understudies of Catch, can revive and pass on the knowledge before it disappears. The little I have learned has been a been a definite plus. I wish there was a Catch school, and a Catchwrestling curriculum. The growing popularity of the NHB events and the desire to "learn and use what works", might help in that revival.
In any case. I have mats at my place, and a small group of guys who come over to practice BJJ/Catch. If you are ever in the area of San Diego, you are welcome to get in touch, and I'll be happy to swap some techniques with you.
Good luck.
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