The Greco-Roman Style

Another slight difference is the stance a wrestler takes in Greco-Roman. It's more of an upright stance since they don't have to worry about leg attacks. This also allows them to get their hips in deeper for throws.
 
Since there is some confusion about it in the thread there are no foot sweeps in greco. In mma Randy Coutoure can use a lot of things he cant use in greco competition. And its not like he havent done folkstyle wrestling before greco...
 
To clear some things up a bit...

3) Throws are always harder on the body than leg attacks. I guess you don't do/have never done Greco? I did Judo for 7 years, and I had to quit, not because I didn't want to do it anymore, but because I couldn't risk repeated injuries to my knee and lower back. I never had any problems as a wrestler at all. So now I have been doing BJJ for 4 years, and no problems. "Pinnacle of Wrestling" is debatable, but really subjective. In Russia, freestyle is what you do when you are not good at Greco.

4) Rulon won because of the new rules at the 2000 Olympics. They were locked up, and Karelin let go of that lock, thereby awarding Gardner 1 point for breaking a clinch. There was no "judges decision", and there are none in Olympic wrestling.

" Gardner got that point when Karelin broke his hands on a clinch early in the second period, the point American silver medalist Matt Ghaffari could not get in his 1-0 overtime loss to Karelin in Atlanta in 1996"
http://espn.go.com/oly/summer00/wrestling/s/2000/0928/785614.html

5) Greco guys usually have small legs and phenomenal backs and upper body strength. Stronger at what? They are probably stronger for doing throws.

rory_44 said:
ok, just to clear some things up.
1)there is absolutely no attacking the legs in greco. no sweeps, no trips, no entaglments; you can't touch the legs period. If you even use your legs as a pivot point to move your opponents body over you are penalized.
2)Randy Couture is a better greco wrestler, but he also was a division one folkstyle wrestler, which means that hes great at leg take downs too.
3)greco is not seen as the pinnacle of wrestling, and it is not harder on the body.
4)Rulon Gardner did not beat Karelin by outgripping him, he was awarded the judges decision becaue karelin had one more passivity warning than he did.
5) greco guys are not stronger than freestyle guys
6) the rules of greco have been changed this year to make it more spectator friendly, it honestly is like a new sport
:redface:
 
also the reason why couture, who is a greco wrestler primarily, does well in free/folk style is because a lot of greco guys dont start straight in greco, since its not primarily taught at the school level. schools mostly teach free/folk in north america, its afterwards wrestlers branch into greco. im sure he has years of experience in both styles.
 
I appreciate your point of view. I guess I was mistaken about the Karelin match.

However, I have done both greco and freestyly, and I am in fact a former national Greco champion here in Canada. http://www.wrestling.ca/results/article.php?id=11 I won the 69kg weight class. I find greco throws a lot easier than leg attacks. Freestyle is how I blew out my knee and shoulder, and I've never had anything but bruises from greco.

Greco guys are definetly not stronger. They might have better technique for throwing, and better hips. But freestyle requires a lot more full body strength.

tequilaman said:
To clear some things up a bit...

3) Throws are always harder on the body than leg attacks. I guess you don't do/have never done Greco? I did Judo for 7 years, and I had to quit, not because I didn't want to do it anymore, but because I couldn't risk repeated injuries to my knee and lower back. I never had any problems as a wrestler at all. So now I have been doing BJJ for 4 years, and no problems. "Pinnacle of Wrestling" is debatable, but really subjective. In Russia, freestyle is what you do when you are not good at Greco.

4) Rulon won because of the new rules at the 2000 Olympics. They were locked up, and Karelin let go of that lock, thereby awarding Gardner 1 point for breaking a clinch. There was no "judges decision", and there are none in Olympic wrestling.

" Gardner got that point when Karelin broke his hands on a clinch early in the second period, the point American silver medalist Matt Ghaffari could not get in his 1-0 overtime loss to Karelin in Atlanta in 1996"
http://espn.go.com/oly/summer00/wrestling/s/2000/0928/785614.html

5) Greco guys usually have small legs and phenomenal backs and upper body strength. Stronger at what? They are probably stronger for doing throws.

:redface:
 
rory_44 said:
I appreciate your point of view. I guess I was mistaken about the Karelin match.

However, I have done both greco and freestyly, and I am in fact a former national Greco champion here in Canada. http://www.wrestling.ca/results/article.php?id=11 I won the 69kg weight class. I find greco throws a lot easier than leg attacks. Freestyle is how I blew out my knee and shoulder, and I've never had anything but bruises from greco.

Greco guys are definetly not stronger. They might have better technique for throwing, and better hips. But freestyle requires a lot more full body strength.

Pardon me, but how can you not know about one of the biggest Greco matches in recent history? And Greco guys are definitely stronger, example Karelin.
 
you're using the most dominant and freakishly strong figure the sport has ever seen as the standard for all greco guys? not that i know shit about greco, its just a bad example.

i could just be talking out my ass here, but wasnt karelin the first guy at his weight strong enough to do that wierd pickup/turnover move? whats that called? - its all over the subfighter.com highlight.
 
colinm said:
you're using the most dominant and freakishly strong figure the sport has ever seen as the standard for all greco guys? not that i know shit about greco, its just a bad example.

Its not just Karelin. Simple logic suggests that it takes more strength to control the opponent without legs.
 
colinm said:
explain this logic, i don't understand it.

Greco guys, being forced to use only their upper body develop much denser and higher core strength in their torso
 
colinm said:
explain this logic, i don't understand it.

Try picking up someone while holding two ways: With one arm nder the knee, and the other around the waist, like freestyle, then with both arms around the waist.

The second will require more strength to secure a grip and more explosiveness to make up for the higher placement of the grip.
 
here's the thing that bugs me...you're making greco into a "bearhug and lift" contest. upperbody judo throws are all about body positioning and momentum and your hips and they require little strength if you set them up right...granted you don't have a gi in greco, but wouldnt the principles be the same?

i mean, what takes more strength, executing a well timed hip throw, or driving right through your opponent's sprawl on a double leg?

edit: missed your post darwinist...i'd half buy that, i just don't think you'd get too far in greco using all upperbody strength to try to impose your will on an opponent with technique.
 
Darwinist said:
One thing: When you say no leg attacks, does that mean no reaps or footsweeps either? Or can you attack the legs using your own legs?

I
 
Real quick for all of you who never did greco and are just making assumptions based on the knowledge you have from watching olympians. I did greco for about 5 years and won a state championship for the state of california at 145 lbs. Now 1st thing is greco also have shots, ours just come up around your body as opposed to your legs. 2nd, in greco, you dont lift with your arms or torso you are still taught to use your hips and legs for any "power" throw. This is just to let you all know now please continue the argument
 
rory_44 said:
I appreciate your point of view. I guess I was mistaken about the Karelin match.

However, I have done both greco and freestyly, and I am in fact a former national Greco champion here in Canada. http://www.wrestling.ca/results/article.php?id=11 I won the 69kg weight class. I find greco throws a lot easier than leg attacks. Freestyle is how I blew out my knee and shoulder, and I've never had anything but bruises from greco.

Greco guys are definetly not stronger. They might have better technique for throwing, and better hips. But freestyle requires a lot more full body strength.
anywhere you know of out west that teaches GR?
 
i'd disagree. I'd say freestyle requires more strength simply because there are more power based moves. I'm sure you Judo guys can back me up, but when you do a big throw its not power that gets it done, its technique.
Freestyle feels like a lot more of a dogfight.
I found a couple of clips of the best greco wrestler around right now. Karam Gaber. Check it out, this guy beats on world class athletes like they stole something.
http://www.karamgaber.com/video/index.html
 
dam very nice rory44 those vids brought back some memories ;)
 
Back
Top