Greco-Roman wrestling is, along with freestyle and collegiate wrestling, one of the three forms of the sport most commonly practiced in the Western world. Like other sports, especially combat sports, participating in Greco-Roman wrestling carries many benefits for teens and young adults willing to put forward the effort involved.
About Greco-Roman Wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling developed during the early 19th century, and was intended to mimic the competition of traditional Olympic wrestling as depicted in Greek and Roman artistic representations. In most respects, it follow the rules and conventions of freestyle wrestling. But participants in Greco-Roman wrestling may not grab an opponent by the legs, or use the legs to restrain an opponent to secure a pin.
Benefits of Competitive Sports
Greco-Roman wrestling is a competitive sport practiced by teens and adults. Like other competitive sports, it contributes to personal growth by encouraging teamwork, sportsmanship and physical fitness. As a combat sport, it can build both patience and physical toughness by requiring an athlete to maintain his cool even when being physically manhandled by another participant.
Benefits of Wrestling
Wrestling of all sorts carries benefits beyond their status as competitive sports. Many are physical -- wrestling conditioning is a brutal full-body workout that requires cardiovascular conditioning, sprint capacity and impressive body strength compared to weight and size. Wrestling is also an individual sport within a team framework. When in a match, a wrestler has only himself to blame for mistakes or credit for success -- and the results of those mistakes and successes matter to his entire team.
Benefits of Greco-Roman Wrestling
The unique benefits of Greco-Roman wrestling lie mostly in the techniques. By removing the legs from meaningful contribution, the sport develops upper-body strength better than other forms of wrestling. Successful takedowns and throws in competition rely more on timing and center of balance, meaning wrestlers develop a sensitivity to motion more akin to that of judo or aikido than other forms of wrestling. The standard competitive season for Greco-Roman wrestling also happens during the off-season for other wrestling styles. Participation can keep a serious wrestler "in the game" year-round.
References
- Andy Brick; Wrestling Coach; Hillsboro, Oregon
- Britannica: Greco-Roman Wrestling
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