Why isn't grappling more popular?

[CyberFreq]

1) It's like the gayest sport there is!


2) It's still relatively new to the modern world. Yes I know it's been around forever but it's just never caught on because it's often not flashy enough for the majority of people. Judo only gets by because of its throws.

3) It's too hard to just pick up. Anyone can pick up a basketball and play a short pickup game; anyone can grab a football and throw it around; but not everyone can roll with everyone for 4-5 minutes.

4) Not everyone is willing to plunk down the $100+ monthly for years just to get one promotion. People want results NOW, not a year and a half (and $1500) from now.

5) Not everyone is willing to say 'I am going to suck at this for a few month before I get remotely okay with it.'

 

[InfiniteWit]

it's gay.

 

[YeahBee]

I think that the lack of competition also plays a factor in some way

if you are a member of a soccer team or any other teamsport or whatever you have a game each week almost. heck if it is very recreational you may only have a game and don't practise

the belts may put stress on people, it becomes more serious then it really is

 

[wildman1717]

One of the few biggest regrets was not wrestling in high school under the whole lame gay excuse. Too bad because my HS had a really strong wrestling program. I finally picked up judo and wrestling and wished I had done both earlier.

As do I buddy, as do I.:icon_cry2

 

[knoxpk]

Really? Grappling isn't popular?

Isn't Judo the most or one of the most practiced martial sports in the world?

Check out HS wrestling in the USA:

TEN MOST POPULAR BOYS PROGRAMS

Participants
1. Football - 11-player, 1,112,303
2. Track and Field - Outdoor, 558,007
3. Basketball, 545,145
4. Baseball, 473,184
5. Soccer, 383,824
6. Wrestling, 267,378
7. Cross Country, 231,452
8. Tennis, 157, 165
9. Golf, 157,062
10. Swimming and Diving, 130,182

Schools with teams
1. Basketball, 17,869
2. Track and Field - Outdoor, 15,936
3. Baseball, 15,699
4. Football - 11-player, 14,105
5. Cross Country, 13,647
6. Golf, 13,543
7. Soccer, 11,139
8. Wrestling, 10,254
9. Tennis, 9,499
10. Swimming and Diving, 6,556


The top 10 states for boys wrestling participation were: 1. California (27,469); 2. Illinois (16,213); 3. New York (13,932); 4. Ohio (13,804); 5. Michigan (11,564); 6. North Carolina, (10,283); 7. Pennsylvania (9,900); 8. New Jersey (9,375); 9. Wisconsin (8,337); 10. Florida (8,332)

 

[mikey diablo]

Popular in what way? I love grappling, but honestly it's boring as hell to watch. Fun to do, but boring to watch. It'll never be popular unless there are some type of anti stalling rules put in place. That would go against the whole idea though. On the other hand Judo did outlaw low body attacks so you never know.

Though my high school didn't have a wrestling team, I also at the time thought wrestling was gay.

 

[Thrawn33]

Essentially sums it up. In high school all I ever heard was "You wrestle? I would never do that. I don't want some other guys balls rubbing on my head."

No one in my HS would have the guts to seriously say that to a wrestler (joking around was another story). For some reason or another we got the most respect in the school (maybe not love, but respect for sure).

 

[knoxpk]

No one in my HS would have the guts to seriously say that to a wrestler (joking around was another story). For some reason or another we got the most respect in the school (maybe not love, but respect for sure).

Yeah, even the football players showed respect when they would come to practice. It was a humbling experience, they just played an entire season and are presumably in shape yet they were puking before the end of day 1.

Most would quit but the ones who hung in there would end up being pretty decent. Football trains for athletic ability, explosiveness and power while the wrestling team primarily trained for muscular and cardiovascular endurance.

 

[Lutador011]

Unless you grapple....grappling matches are boring

 

[knoxpk]

Unless you grapple....grappling matches are boring

Honestly, even then they are. I am a big fan of wrestling, Judo and BJJ but if the match starts slow, I am unlikely to watch. It has to start fast and stay fast for me to really be interested in it as a spectator.

 

[keylocke]

1) It's like the gayest sport there is!


2) It's still relatively new to the modern world. Yes I know it's been around forever but it's just never caught on because it's often not flashy enough for the majority of people. Judo only gets by because of its throws.

3) It's too hard to just pick up. Anyone can pick up a basketball and play a short pickup game; anyone can grab a football and throw it around; but not everyone can roll with everyone for 4-5 minutes.

4) Not everyone is willing to plunk down the $100+ monthly for years just to get one promotion. People want results NOW, not a year and a half (and $1500) from now.

5) Not everyone is willing to say 'I am going to suck at this for a few month before I get remotely okay with it.'

I think you nailed is with your answers.

I remember doing Taek Won Do when I was 10, and I got my first belt in like 6 weeks, after going to class twice a week for 2 hours and learning katas. I got my second belt 2-3 months after than and so on. Didn't really learn anything useful other than being able to kick people in the face, which is almost impossible to do in a real fight. Man, the majority of TKD is just totally useless. Also, you need no fitness whatsoever. No real sparring.

When I started BJJ at 23, it took me 3 months just to get a white stripe on my belt! I honestly reckon an advanced blue belt in BJJ beats most TMA BBs.

The fitness, strength, cardio in grappling is just so beyond most other sports, and it takes so long be confortable doing it, and you're always learning, and there's always someone much better than you. It takes a lot of dedication.

Today in my BJJ class I got to spar with an american collegiate wrestler, and holy shit was he strong, once he got a gable grip around my waist he would just rag doll me, and I'm heavier and taller than him. Back to learning again!

 

[djbrujoh]

[SIZE=-1]_homophobia
_big learning curve
_People want results NOW

Scale is based on the average traffic of football from United States in 2010.

brazilian jiu jitsu [/SIZE][SIZE=-2]0[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]
mma [/SIZE][SIZE=-2]0.12[/SIZE] [SIZE=-1]
football [/SIZE][SIZE=-2]1.00[/SIZE]

 

[Joose]

It's called life.

People have so many things they can do instead of grappling, or they just don't have the time in between work/school/home.

And lets face it, grappling matches are boring to watch unless you know the intricate details.

 

[Sir Galahad]

I love it for all the right reasons. :icon_chee

 

[GSparky]

I believe that it's because there isn't enough coverage of grappling sports. I turn on ESPN Sportscenter & I see more football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, golf, Tennis & did I say baseball. But you never hear about grappling. I do believe if they made a part in the newspaper regarding all the high school wrestling & Submission grappling competetions that grappling would blow up.

You have to go online to watch any grappling. Also, due to how easily it is to get involved in all the other sports compared to submission wrestling or how much attention you get for playing all the other sports compared to high school wrestling, people don't care about it as much.

I don't see this changing until they start clearing a portion of the newspaper to wrestling & submission wrestling competitions. Also covering big events such as state & national championships on the high school & college level. Also covering Olympic level wrestling on the news & newspapers would bring more exposure to grappling. Grappling just has little to no exposure compared to all the other sports. Not that people don't like grappling, they just don't know anything about it & that leads to them not caring.

 

[nni]

I believe that it's because there isn't enough coverage of grappling sports.

Maybe because most people prefer other sports.

 

[Thrawn33]

Yeah, even the football players showed respect when they would come to practice. It was a humbling experience, they just played an entire season and are presumably in shape yet they were puking before the end of day 1.

Most would quit but the ones who hung in there would end up being pretty decent. Football trains for athletic ability, explosiveness and power while the wrestling team primarily trained for muscular and cardiovascular endurance.

For all the guys on my wrestling team that played football, football was just something to get you in shape before wrestling season.

The best was messing with the basketball team. If we were to "aquire" a basketball we'd place it in the middle of the mat and dare one of them to come get it. Most of the time their coach would have to ask our coach to get control of us, but occasionally one of the players would come try and get the ball.

And woe betide the fool who stepped on the mat in their basketball shoes......

 

[Uezama**]

i really have no idea why it isnt popular. every man wrestled with his friends when he was a kid. hell, i wrestle with my friends still and im 18. shits fun haha.

 

[ThatOGD0n]

This just about sums it up. But seriously, a lot if kids in high school said they wouldn't because it was gay. Others saw how hard we worked and how much we ran. Football players didn't believe us when we told them one normal wrestling practice was harder than a 2 a day. And then others would come and try it, throw up a coulpe times and never come back. Its a complicated issue whith as many reasons for people to not like it as there are those people. Its like a religious man wondering why everyone doesn't worship his god. To each their own.

Lol that's true.
I remember one practice we had to run the track and the track team was there.
I guess they thought they were better than us because they said some things that I can't recall that didn't really sit well with us. One of my friends replied by saying "This is just our warm up. Let's see you do this and meet us in the wrestling room so we can kick your asses."
None of them showed up.

 

[knoxpk]

For all the guys on my wrestling team that played football, football was just something to get you in shape before wrestling season.

The best was messing with the basketball team. If we were to "aquire" a basketball we'd place it in the middle of the mat and dare one of them to come get it. Most of the time their coach would have to ask our coach to get control of us, but occasionally one of the players would come try and get the ball.

And woe betide the fool who stepped on the mat in their basketball shoes......