I have a wrestling question. I started doing Greco Roman wrestling when I was 7 or 8. I trained in wrestling for about 4 years, and a year ago I started doing BJJ. What I noticed was that with the exception of ruggednes an balance plus a few throws, my Greco Roman wrestling hasn't helped me that much in terms of grappling, especially on the ground. However, when I do MMA I feel wrestling is absolutely essential to get the opponent to the wall or cage, dirty box, slam or take down. The fact that I don't find my wrestling background as useful in grappling... Is this because I am not enough skilled in wrestling or because Greco Roman is more relevant for MMA than submission wrestling? Thanks
(if you're doing gi, maybe switch it up to nogi?) Usually in BJJ any wrestling takedowns used are leg attacks and with greco you're using upper body attacks (if i recall correctly). As for the ground portion, although you're going to have an advantage over brand new white belts, there are certain ground habits that bjj guys learn that are different than what greco guys will learn. Leave your greco for competitions and just try to go into bjj with a blank slate.
I think that even if you cant adapt your greco roman wrestling moves to BJJ (which i find weird btw, i mean like a simple hip toss is easily a gi/no gi throw)anyways what you should have brought over is a good base and the conditioning that will help you with BJJ. From my personal experience, the only thing that wrestling helped me with was conditioning and a good base when i did BJJ, i also could do some nice hip tosses and double legs (adjusted slightly so i would not get guillotined) but most of the time we sparred starting on our knees so it didn't help me much ( the moves, the base and conditioning were good to have). You should think about trying judo if it interests you cause it is alot easier to transfer wrestling techniques (i do free style, but i assume greco roman has even more throws) to judo specially throws like a hip toss or an arm throw which in judo would be a ogoshi or an oppon sea nage. (correct me if im wrong about the terminology)
Randy Couture's book "Wrestling for Fighting" has an awesome Greco section in it specifically for MMA. I think you should check it out.
I agree about the Randy couture book, exellent reaad imo with regard to the op i would tell you that the best things about greco roman is (obviously) the throws, now when you compete in bjj they ususally start from standing and this is where you get to use the greco experience, on the floor and in class just try and concentrate on the techniques you have been learning and get them working in sparring. just my 02 m8
Greco does have applicable techniques to the ground. Any time you can snap your partner's head down into front headlock control, you can work your familiar turnovers to get him under you in side control and begin attacking. You also have armdrags and knowledge of how to use over and underhooks.
you probably dont notice how much your greco helps your bjj as you have been doing it for so long. i train in wrestling,judo and bjj and i feel wrestling and judo (basically greco in a gi) has given me a huge advantage in getting the takedown and there for the dominant position. you have to streighten your opponent up in bjj to get the greco/judo throws. a good way of doing this is to grab the edi with one hand push, when he pushes back, tug on the edi and snap his head down, this will force him so strieghten up or fall onto all fours were you can easily take his back. you will need to learn the judo grips and some grip fighting ect as the under hooks whizzers collar ties ect are hard to get when your opponent is wearing a gi. if i was you i would consider taking a few judo classes as with your greco background you will take to it like a duck to water.
