I had so much fun stirring things up with my Wing Chun analysis that I thought I would do another comparing and contrasting Catch wrestling with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a supplement to Wing Chun training.
[u]Background: [/u]
Fights are unpredictable and the Wing Chun fighter would be wise to supplement his stand up training with a comprehensive ground system.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an art that specializes in groundfighting/groundgrappling. It was originally developed from Japanese judo/jujutsu. Catch wrestling also specializes in groundgrappling and has its roots in English/European catch-as-catch-can grappling traditions. Both systems have a variety of submissions (or hooks) designed to disable an opponent. The two disciplines have several theoretical and practical differences which are contrasted below:
[u]Fighting from an Inferior Position: [/u]
No matter how good your takedowns are, if you meet a better takedown artist or someone who is significantly larger than you are, you will probably end up on the bottom if the fight goes to the ground. Being on the bottom is a very disadvantageous position in which to find oneself. A fighter who can fight effectively from the bottom position significantly increases his chances of surviving or winning if he ends up in this inferior position on the ground.
BJJ has taken the basic bottom ground defensive position of Judo (the guard) and refined it to the point that a good BJJ fighter has as good or better chance of winning the fight as the person who is in the top position. There are literally hundreds of joint breaks, chokes, and sweeps in a variety of variations that have been developed in BJJ for use when on the bottom. The guard has become such a strong offensive weapon that some BJJ fighters even prefer to be in this position.
Catch wrestling, on the other hand, has not developed much of a repertoire of bottom fighting (some Catch wrestlers even speak disdainfully of the guard by calling it the “whore” position) and most Catch wrestlers prefer to attempt to regain the top position. However, this is easier said than done when one comes across a ground grappler who is talented (and/or bigger) at maintaining the top controlling position. Unfortunately, for the Catch practitioner in this situation, he doesn’t have much of an offensive arsenal when on the bottom.
[u]Mixing Strikes, Breaks, and Chokes: [/u]
Striking an opponent, breaking a joint, or choking him unconscious are the three main methods to incapacitate an opponent in an unarmed combative encounter. An art that successfully combines these three will have an advantage over an art that does not.
Most people understand that the BJJ system is made up of a large number of joint breaks and chokes. Many people are not as familiar with the ground striking in this art. BJJ is comprised of gi training and Vale Tudo (anything goes) training. The gi training is pure grappling and is made up of positioning, sweeps, chokes, and joint locks. BJJ Vale Tudo training is composed of striking, in addition to many of the submissions found in the gi training. Three of the four main positions that are given top priority in BJJ (the knee ride, the mount, and the back mount) are mainly striking positions.
By contrast, Catch wrestling is strictly a grappling art. Catch has many submissions, but does not include striking into the system. Without strikes and the understanding of the positions necessary to create powerful strikes, the Catch wrestler has a distinct disadvantage compared to the BJJ practitioner.
[u]Position Before Submission, Submission From Any Position: [/u]
An accomplished grappler understands the positions that allow for both maximum control and maximum opportunity to inflict damage to an opponent. Although he strives for a superior position, a competent grappler will have the knowledge and ability to finish an opponent if a joint break or choke presents itself from a less than ideal position.
BJJ strives to find a position that will provide the greatest control and/or allow for maximum damage to the opponent. The four positions that allow for these criteria are known as the side control position, the mount, the knee ride (or knee on stomach/knee mount), and the back mount. At the same time, a competent BJJ practitioner will know when to go for finishes from less than ideal positions such as the 1/2 guard, the guard, when mounted, or even when transitioning from one position to the next if the opportunity presents itself. BJJ has submissions from every position on the ground.
Catch wrestling has a different philosophy and places very little emphasis on positioning. Because of this, Catch practitioners will often attempt submissions when they have opportunities to first establish a position that will make these submissions less risky to apply. Catch wrestlers are also unsophisticated about the bottom guard position and, because of this, have relatively few offensive weapons from the bottom position.
[u]Use of Clothing: [/u]
Most real-life encounters involve both combatants fully clothed wearing shirts, sweatshirts, and or jackets. Being able to control an opponent and apply chokeholds using the opponent’s or one’s own clothing can add greatly to a person’s fighting proficiency on the street.
Due to its training with the gi, BJJ has a large range of techniques that can be used to control and disable an opponent using the opponent’s shirt, sweatshirt, or jacket. There are a wide variety of chokes available to the BJJ practitioner using not only the opponent’s clothing, but his own as well.
Catch wrestling, on the other hand, mostly ignores the importance of using clothing in fighting applications. Because of this Catch has no control or choke techniques using an opponent’s clothing.
[u]Conclusion: [/u]
My conclusion is that Catch wrestling is an inferior choice for grappling supplementation to Wing Chun. Wing Chun practitioners who wish to supplement their training with groundfighting would be much better served by Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
