Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting or simply grappling, is a competitive martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates elements of various grappling arts such as various wrestling styles, judo, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Submission wrestling is practiced both as a competitive sport and as a training method for self-defence and mixed martial arts (MMA).

In ancient Greece, pankration emerged as a popular combat sport around the 7th century BCE. Pankration combined striking and grappling techniques, including joint locks and chokes, and was even included in the Olympic Games.^[1][2] In Japan, jujutsu became prominent in the 17th century. Jujutsu focused on using an opponent's energy against them and included techniques like joint locks, throws, and pins.^[2]

Jigoro Kano later developed Judo in the late 19th century, incorporating many grappling techniques from jujutsu, Judo influenced the development of various grappling styles around the world in particular Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Other styles of submission grappling also emerged, such as freestyle wrestling and sambo in the Soviet Union, which blended elements of Judo and traditional wrestling. All of these grappling arts contributed to the development of submission wrestling.^[2]

Mixed martial arts schools and fighters may use the term submission wrestling to refer to their grappling methods while avoiding association with any one art. The label is sometimes also used to describe the tactic in mixed martial arts competition of relying primarily upon submission wrestling skills to defeat an opponent.^[3]

The term "no-gi" usually refers to a form of competition and training that does not use the gi, the "combat kimono" worn in traditional martial arts. "No-gi" Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the most well-known subset of submission wrestling, with the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship considered its most prestigious tournament.

In submission wrestling, the primary objective is to force an opponent to submit through the application of joint locks, chokes, or other submission holds. Unlike freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, which often involve pinning an opponent's shoulders to the ground for victory, submission wrestling emphasises techniques that can lead to a submission such as tapping out or verbally submitting.^[4]

Submission wrestling competitions, often referred to as no-gi, grappling tournaments or submission-only events, can vary in rulesets. Some competitions allow competitors to use strikes, while others focus solely on grappling techniques. Points may be awarded for takedowns, dominant positions, and near-submissions. However, the ultimate goal is to secure a submission, which ends the match.^[3]

• Catch wrestling: Also called "catch-as-catch-can", the style of grappling (without the gi) originated in Lancashire, Northern England and later became the dominant wrestling style in America during the 19th century, has experienced a resurgence during recent years due to MMA popularity. Early professional wrestling was once competitive catch wrestling before the sport slowly transitioned to sportive entertainment during the mid-1920s, with amateur catch wrestling becoming Olympic freestyle and collegiate wrestling.
• Judo: A Japanese martial art focusing on high-impact throws, pins, joint locks, and chokes. It is also an Olympic sport, practiced wearing the judogi, but has been adapted to submission wrestling purposes.
• Japanese ju-jutsu or jujutsu: An ancient art of Japanese wrestling/grappling that places a heavy emphasis on joint locks, chokes, and throws. Uses a gi traditionally, but training without one is not uncommon.
• Sport sambo: A Soviet (Russian) style of grappling that typically uses a jacket, but without gi pants. Sambo uses leglocks, but most styles do not permit chokes.
• Brazilian jiu-jitsu: An increasingly popular style with great emphasis on ground grappling. It involves training with and without a gi.
• Luta livre esportiva (pt): A Brazilian form of submission wrestling adapted from catch wrestling, trained without a gi.
• Malla-yuddha: One of the oldest practiced forms of submission/combat wrestling, originating in pre-partition India, malla-yuddha is divided into four parent techniques, each named after particular Hindu gods and legendary fighters: Hanumanti concentrates on technical and positional superiority, Jambuvanti uses locks and holds to force the opponent into submission, Jarasandhi concentrates on breaking the limbs and joints and applying tracheal chokes while Bhimaseni focuses on sheer strength.
• Pehlwani: The premier wrestling style of South Asia. It is descended from Malla-yuddha and the Persian varzesh-e bastani.
• Pankration: Originating from ancient Greece, it combines elements that today are found mainly in the punches of boxing (pygmachia) and in the kicking of many martial arts (laktisma) with moves from the also Greece-originating wrestling (pale) and joint locks, thus creating a broad fighting sport similar to today's mixed martial arts.
• 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu: An American hybrid of no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu founded by Eddie Bravo, influences from American folkstyle wrestling and Jean Jacques Machado's (a grappler with several missing digits) style of BJJ. More focus on no-gi half-guard and guard techniques that may be considered unorthodox in BJJ.
• Shoot wrestling: A Japanese martial art (without the gi) based on catch wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and Greco-Roman wrestling, which later incorporated judo, sambo, karate, and Muay Thai. The major sub-disciplines of shoot wrestling are Shooto and shootfighting, along with Combat Wrestling.
  • Shooto: A Japanese martial art consisting of catch wrestling, judo, jujutsu, sambo, and kickboxing developed by professional wrestler Satoru Sayama.
  • Shootfighting: A Japanese martial art consisting of Muay Thai and catch wrestling.
  • Combat wrestling (ja): A style of shoot wrestling founded by elite wrestler and MMA coach Noriaki Kiguchi (ja).
• Shuai jiao: A Chinese style of wrestling that incorporates throws and chin na (joint locks).

• ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship
• International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
  • World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
  • European IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
  • Pan IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
  • Brazilian Nationals Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
• Polaris Pro Grappling
• United World Wrestling
• NAGA
• Grapplers Quest
• One Championship

• Styles of wrestling