Grappling is a modern version of combat sports that requires focus, strength, discipline, and stamina. A basic query among any ardent combat sports lover will arise. How is it different? The difference is Grappling is not just a combat sport. It is an art to defend, protect you against a physically stronger opponent. Grappling originated from Brazilian Ji Jitsu which means the gentle way. It is an art to control your opponent using ground takedown, and control. To win about all you have to do is make your opponent tap out or you can win by points. This form of combat sports teaches you one thing, gentle and strong and controls your opponent using simple techniques. It is that form of martial arts that needs a bit of Judo, wrestling and submission hold like Rear Naked choke, Armbar, triangle choke. The difference with commercial MMA (Mixed Martial Art) is that in grappling Kicks, punches are not allowed.
In India, 360-degree sports in Kolkata India is a leading grappling training institute where all forms of hand-to-hand combats sports training are provided. This institute has excelled in producing state-level as well as national-level champions at a consistent pace. This is one place where at any point in time champions are made. People with casual working backgrounds, students who started hitting the training mats ended up being district level, state level, and in a few cases national champions. Sensei Partha Sarathi Sarkar is the owner, heart, and Soul of this grappling institute. He is the President working committee of the Grappling Federation of India. Along with that, he is the general secretary of the Bengal Grappling Association, East India in charge of the Kickboxing Federation of India. According to Partha Sir, the art of grappling is not about winning, submission and trophies. This sport teaches you to be strong both physically as well as mentally. Opponents might be physically stronger than you, with strong bloated-up muscles but one can dominate him/her using certain techniques. Now there are basically two forms of Grappling, GI and NO-GI, in GI you are allowed to grab the opponent’s clothes. No GI is the technique were not allowed to grab opponents' clothes and there is no traditional clothes are there in this form of fighting. People who are into judo, wrestling get an advantage in this form of sports reason being the art is all about ground and pound control. The fact is to be a complete Grappling player one has to be an expert in GI and NO-GI. Ruben Charles Maciel was considered the king of the featherweight division for continuous 4 years in a row and won a world championship at the age of 37. Marcelo Garcia ruled over in light to middleweight division is considered to be one of the most creative grapplers of all time.
In India, we have the grappling Federation of India (GFI) which is a governing body for grappling sports in India. GFI is recognized as a governing body by UWW, United World Wrestling which happens to the international Federation for Grappling and wrestling sports. They look after and scan talent from the grass root, develop, train and nurture talent from the district level, state level, and even from college, university-level tournaments. The main mission of this federation is to unite organize existing clubs so that the sports can be developed and taken at an international level where international talents can be created, champions are made of blood and sweat. Throwing some light on the kind of chokeholds applied in grappling,
- Strangles
- Triangle Choke
Front
Side
Back - Arm Triangle
- Guillotine Choke
- Peruvian Necktie
- Rear Naked Choke
JOINT LOCKS:
- ELBOW LOCK, (ARMBAR, straight armbar)
- 2 Bicep slicer.
- Shoulder lock
- Wristlock
Arm triangle, armbar, and Rear naked chokes popularly known as RNC are the most commonly used grappling moves applied at all levels of grappling. In the armbar, the arm of the victim is trapped in between my legs across my stomach with my hands grabbing the victims arm and pressing it against the elbow joint causing pain in the arm and tapping out. In RNC, rear-naked choke, opponent neck, and shoulder are trapped from behind using both the arms, and then both the arms are locked. Pressure is put on the neck causing stopping of blood circulation in the brain and cutting off the oxygen supply. The result is tapping out.
Sensei Partha Sir shared his thoughts on how sports somehow flourished in Kolkata. People are somehow a bit afraid to try out combat sports which include dealing with injuries. Partha sir shared his views on this being a guru, founder of grappling sports in eastern India mainly Kolkata. According to him, there is 4 class of grappling beginners who try out grappling. First of all, people who are very passionate about grappling, and ready to give sweat and blood to this sport. They are not afraid of injury, blood and are ready to push beyond limits to excel in this sport. 2nd ly people who are from bodybuilding background that works out in the gym and love their physique, muscles they are afraid of injury. But they try hard to excel in grappling. 3rd are those who want to learn grappling, acquire skill, strength, techniques but are somehow afraid of injuries. 4th classes of beginners are just time passers who are in the mood to just try out the sports for fun and hobby. They somehow believe that just to try out grappling for show-off and social media fun.
Partha Sir shared that among all the champions who are trained under him 85 percent are coming from a normal background who are either Students with a basic interest in grappling, kickboxing, etc. Shreya Nisha Mukherjee a state gold medalist once started off as a basic learner. Now she is aiming for nationals. She is a college student. The same goes for another state-level gold medalist Silvia Sultana. The form itself is like an art no less than painting, drawing, and singing. You can imagine a strong opponent trying to physically pin you down. You grab that person’s arm and bring it close to your body. You use your legs to grab and lock the opponent's shoulder and neck and tie up. That’s a triangle choke. The opponent’s physical strength is not going to give him an advantage. Another girl walked into the institute casually with an intention to learn grappling and be a fitness icon. Slowly and slowly with practice and dedication, she kept rising. Presently she is a 3 times national grappling champion one of the strongest in this field. Another grappler Sumona Mukherjee who happens to be a law student is a trained MMA fighter who has also trained herself in grappling, participated in state-level grappling events. According to her stamina is a day-by-day gradual process in grappling. Just like learning alphabets, then small words, then sentence formation and finally writing a paragraph.
The art of grappling is not just a combat sport, it is a way of life. It is a periodic process where you are trying to excel every day, trying to push your limits every day, and fail and try again. Strength and technique is the basic pillar of success for any strength-based combat sport. A raging bull seems unstoppable but the tiger is considered to be the king of the jungle. The reason is Bull is only strong, whereas tiger has both strength and technique. A grappler is physically and mentally tough to face challenges in life. Grapplers face injuries, stay out of the game and again come back rising. That’s the beauty of this sport. The real meaning of strength and endurance is to keep calm and composed in really tough situations. When anyone tries to build a career in grappling the basic objection comes from family. No future in combat sports, chances of injuries. But a strong person never gets affected by such negativity. Weak people tend to be aggressive and look for revenge but a real strong person tends to let go of small fights. Most importantly girls need basic self-defense in adverse situations where grappling helps as a protecting shield.
Grappling is that version that not only teaches fighting, ground control but also to a certain extent teaches how to handle life. That is the grappling way. Stay fit, stay strong.