Cameron Allen
Nowadays, there is a plethora of combat sports and martial arts to learn from. Two popular disciplines are Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. This article will cover everything you need to know to decide which of these is for you.
Read below to learn all about which is:
- Harder to Learn
- Better for MMA Fighters
What is harder Wrestling or Jiu Jitsu?
Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu are both incredible martial arts that require a variety of different skills and techniques. Wrestling focuses mainly on takedowns, control, and pinning your opponent, on the other hand, Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes submissions and grappling techniques.
The difficulty of each sport can vary from person to person based on individual preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. It is common for some to find the physicality and intensity of wrestling more challenging, while others agree that the technical aspects and strategy of Jiu-Jitsu are harder to master.
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of personal preference, so choose what you enjoy more.
Differences between the sports
Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu are both fantastic martial arts, however, there are some key differences.
Wrestling primarily focuses on takedowns, control, and pinning. It involves a lot of physical and explosive strength, reflexes and agility.
On the other hand, Jiu-Jitsu is a Martial art that is more centered around submissions and grappling. It emphasizes using leverage through your bodyweight along with joint locks and chokes to gain an advantage over your opponent. It requires a deep understanding of technique, timing, and strategy.
Wrestling is often associated with competitions and tournaments, while Jiu-Jitsu is known for its practical application in self-defense. Both of these Martial arts offer unique challenges and rewards, so it ultimately comes down to personal preference goals.
Wrestling Requires More Athleticism
Both Wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu are very physically demanding and mentally draining sports. You need years of hard work and training under your belt to be good at either one of these Martial arts. However there are a few key differences when it comes to the athlete instincts and athleticism required.
Wrestling requires not just skill but also explosive and physical strength to overpower your opponent and efficiently perform takedown techniques. Wrestlers tend to also have excellent reflexes to counter their opponent’s moves. Endurance is also crucial, as a Wrestling match can be long, intense and physically demanding.
As for Jiu-Jitsu, it is a more effective fighting style. It is more technique than brute force, and requires a deeper understanding of body mechanics to effectively use leverage and control your opponents.
Both of these combat sports require athleticism, however they emphasize different aspects of it.
Wrestling Mindset
The wrestling mindset is truly unmatched, it’s all about mental toughness, discipline, and determination. Wrestlers must learn to be mentally prepared to face challenging opponents and overcome hard obstacles on the mat.
Wrestlers train to develop a strong work ethic, and discipline pushing themselves to their limits in training and constantly striving for improvement. They also learn to embrace the grind, as the sport requires patience and intense physical exertion through long and tough training sessions.
They develop resilience and build the confidence to bounce back from losses and setbacks. Overall, the wrestling mindset is about staying focused, being adaptable, and having the confidence to take risks and seize opportunities.
All in all, the wrestling mindset is a unique combination of mental and physical strength that sets wrestlers apart.
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What is better for MMA Fighters? Wrestling or BJJ?
When it comes to mixed martial arts, the entire combat family tree is utilized. Some MMA fighters are great at multiple fighting styles which allows them to dominate those who have only specialized in one or two fighting styles.
Wrestling provides a strong foundation in takedowns, control, and ground-and-pound, all of which are crucial aspects in Mixed Martial arts. Being a good wrestler will help you dictate where the fight takes place and dominate opponents with superior grappling and groundwork.
On the contrary, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on a variety of submissions, sweeps, and ground fighting techniques. These are highly effective in finishing fights or defending against opponents’ attacks.
Many big names in MMA have backgrounds in both wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, the reason for this is that sports complement each other well in an MMA fight and are form the same combat family tree.
Therefore it is not wise to place one over the other, in MMA fights, the more skilled you are in a variety of popular martial arts, the better.
The benefits of combining Wrestling and BJJ
Combining wrestling and BJJ techniques can be a game-changer in MMA fights. Being a skilled wrestler helps you perform effective takedowns and strengthens you as a ground fighter. When you combine these skills with Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which emphasizes entirely on-ground combat and submission techniques, you become a force to be reckoned with in the octagon.
Fighters who regularly train wrestling as well as become a top BJJ and wrestling athlete develop a solid skill set that allows them to easily get into dominant positions during fights. Essentially, both of these are just wrestling styles, this is why combining them makes for an excellent all-rounded athlete.
Similarities of Wrestling and BJJ
Wrestling and BJJ have several important similarities as they are pretty much just different wrestling styles. Both of these sports focus on grappling and ground fighting techniques, which means they involve a lot of groundwork and close-quarters combat.
In both wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you learn how to control your opponent, whether it’s through takedowns, pins, or wrestling submissions. Both of these disciplines require strength, agility, reflexes, and mobility, as well as mental toughness and strategy.
Technique and leverage is also hugely emphasized, this allows smaller fighters to easily overcome larger opponents. So, whether you’re on the wrestling mat or the BJJ mat, you will find that the two share many aspects.
Final Thoughts
With everything into consideration, it can be concluded that by a slight edge, wrestling is harder than Jiu-Jitsu and BJJ. However, this depends on you and your training conditions, if you have a good coach, discipline and a grind mindset, wrestling might be easier.
On the other hand if you are a quick learner when it comes to techniques and little details, Jiu-Jitsu might be easier for you.
None the less, both these sports are hard and it will take you years to master either one of them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s harder to learn, BJJ or Wrestling?
Both BJJ and Wrestling are difficult to master sports. They require years of dedication, hard work, and discipline. As for one being harder to learn than the other, it is hard to decide as there are many variables.
It is common for beginners to find developing wrestling skills significantly harder because of the intensity and physicality required in a wrestling match. On the other hand, some say that BJJ is harder because of the plethora of techniques involved. BJJ contains both submission grappling, wrestling and freestyle wrestling.
Overall, the sport that is harder depends on your strengths and weaknesses.
How do wrestling rules differ from BJJ’s rules?
The rules of wrestling and BJJ are quite different. In wrestling, your goal is to score points by taking your opponent down, getting them in a pinning position, or executing certain moves and techniques. The wrestling match is usually divided into periods or rounds. Points are awarded based on takedowns, escapes, and reversals.
In BJJ, the objective is to make your opponent tap out by applying joint locks or chokes. You can win matches by achieving a submission, accumulating points for dominant positions, or winning on advantages gained throughout the match.
Both sports involve grappling, however, it is the specific rules and objectives that set them apart.
Is Jiu-Jitsu a hard sport?
Indeed, Jiu-Jitsu is a very technical sport with a lot of competition. It requires years of hard work, discipline, and dedication to become one of the many great Jiu-jitsu fighters.
It is a grappling arts-focused martial art that has a huge variety of easy, intermediate, and difficult to master techniques that require an immense amount of practice.
Is wrestling one of the hardest sports?
Wrestling is indeed one of the hardest sports to become good at. At competitions like the Wrestling World Championships, you will find that the athletes who excel, are those decades of experience. Wrestling matches are long, intense and both mentally and physically draining and the same goes for training.
Training for wrestling compared to other sports is also significantly more difficult. There are a variety of superior takedowns and stand-up techniques you will need to learn, and also how to get into a dominant position or standing position during fights.
