Wrestling exists in many different forms, although many of these forms have evolved from each other. Some wrestling matches have the outcome written by a team of writers, and others call for one competitor to make the other one submit before the match can end. Learning the differences between these wrestling types remains important to understanding how each sport works.
Professional Wrestling
Professional wrestling, also known as sports entertainment, combines story lines, choreography and athleticism at every event. Although every match has a predetermined outcome, fans love the entertainment value that these events provide. Ring psychology helps increase audience participation during the match, in which a good guy, called a face, and a bad guy, called a heel, do battle. Despite its predetermined finishes, professional wrestling requires a great deal of skill when participating.
Freestyle Wrestling
Freestyle wrestling allows you to use many different maneuvers to gain an advantage over your opponent and score points. You receive points for takedowns, throws or rolling your opponent into a dangerous position. You win the match if you have more points than your opponent has at the end of the match or pin your opponent's shoulders to the mat. You must avoid committing fouls, such as biting, kicking and head butting, during a match. The Summer Olympic Games feature a freestyle wrestling tournament.
Greco-Roman Wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling features many similarities to freestyle wrestling, except you cannot use your legs offensively or defensively during a match. All body contact with an opponent must remain above the waist, making it more difficult to secure a takedown. You must maintain contact with your opponent throughout a takedown and cannot flee a hold when an opponent attempts to take you down. At the end of every period, the competitors take turns going into par terre position, which occurs when once wrestler goes to his hands and knees and his opponent can come behind him and attempt an offensive maneuver. Greco-Roman wrestling also is a medal sport in the Summer Olympics.
Submission Wrestling
Submission wrestling remains a prevalent discipline in mixed martial arts, as you learn a number of different submission styles. Although the rules in traditional submission wrestling prohibit chokeholds, many competitors now use moves like the rear-naked choke to finish a match. Arm-bars, wristlocks, neck cranks and guillotines all hold importance during a submission wrestling match. When submission wrestling, you want to get your opponent into a submission and make him quit, while escaping any submission attempts that he puts on you.
References
- "Ringside: A History of Professional Wrestling in America"; Scott Beekman; 2006
- International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles; International Wrestling Rules; December 2006
- USA Wrestling; Rule Book & Guide to Wrestling; 2011
- "Say Uncle!: Catch-As-Catch Can Wrestling and the Roots of Ultimate Fighting, Pro Wrestling & Modern Grappling"; Jake Shannon; 2011
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