Welcome to WrestlingPedia™ -- The Wrestling Encyclopedia

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Hulk Hogan to body slam Kasabian for checking into hotels under his name
26 Jan 2012 at 10:00pm
Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is ticked off with rock band Kasabian after he found out that the gro...
Hogan calls Warrior an "idiot," says they can't do business
27 Jan 2012 at 1:51pm
Sports Vibe in the U.K., calling Warrior an "idiot" and saying he never sees them doing business ...
What makes Hogan's "nipples and wiener" stand up
27 Jan 2012 at 1:51pm
CTV News about the effect a battery pack in his back can have on normal bodily functions. "It's a...
TNA Hypes Hulk Hogan and Sting’s Return to the Ring
27 Jan 2012 at 1:14pm
TNA IMPACT WRESTLING MADE HISTROY LAST NIGHT IN NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND AS HOGAN, STING AND ANGLE WRE...
Tons of Mick Foley News and Notes
27 Jan 2012 at 1:14pm
- Mick Foley appeared on last night's episode of 30 Rock. If you missed it, the episode should be...
Tickets on Sale For the ROH-CHIKARA Double Header in Chicago
27 Jan 2012 at 1:13pm
***TICKETS ON SALE NOW*** Ring of Honor Wrestling & CHIKARA both are excited to announce a specia...
Shane Douglas Discusses Extreme Reunion, TNA, Ric Flair, More
27 Jan 2012 at 1:13pm
From Bob Colling and www.IYHWrestling.com.: Shane Douglas Interview Recap from In Your Head Wrest...
[VIDEO] CM Punk Discusses Brock Lesnar, MMA and Pro Wrestling, More
27 Jan 2012 at 1:13pm
I can't watch this, can someone tell me if he whines? I can't handle anymore of his whining like ...

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The World of Wrestling:
Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of their opponent. Physical techniques which embody the style of wrestling are clinching, holding, locking, and leverage. Avoiding techniques likely to lead to serious injury, wrestling has aspects of ritual fighting, but its basic principles are closely related to those of military hand-to-hand combat or self-defence systems. Many styles of wrestling are known all over the world and have long histories, and sport wrestling (particularly amateur wrestling) has been an Olympic sport for over 100 years.

International Disciplines:
Wrestling disciplines defined by FILA, are broken down into two categories; International wrestling disciplines and folk wrestling disciplines. According to the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, there are five current International wrestling disciplines acknowledged throughout the world. They are Greco-Roman Wrestling, Freestyle Wrestling, Grappling, Beach wrestling and Sambo.

Greco-Roman:
An international discipline and an Olympic sport. "In Greco-Roman style, it is forbidden to hold the opponent below the belt, to make trips, and to actively use the legs in the execution of any action." Recent rule changes in Greco-Roman increase opportunities for and place greater emphasis on explosive, 'high amplitude' throws. One of the most well known Greco-Roman wrestlers from the United States is Rulon Gardner.

Freestyle:
An international discipline and an Olympic sport. "In free style, it is allowed to hold the legs of the opponent, to make trips and to actively use legs on the execution of any action." In Freestyle, one's back cannot be on the mat for more than two seconds, regardless of the location of the shoulders and provides many techniques that folkstyle wrestling would consider "stalling" It is thought to have originated from English catch wrestling, and is currently the international style in which women participate in competition.

Grappling:
Style also called submission wrestling or “submission grappling” which consists of controlling the opponent without using striking, in standing position or on the ground after a throw, and to make him or her abandon thanks to immobilisation techniques such as locks. Grappling plays an important role in the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and can be used as a self-defence technique. It brings together techniques from Freestyle Wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, folk American wrestling (catch-as-catch-can), sambo and judo.". Grappling is also used to describe the skills used in mixed martial arts competitions, differing from the FILA definition.

Beach Wrestling:
Apparently in a bid to give wrestling greater appeal to television audiences, FILA adopted beach wrestling as an official discipline during 2004-2005. Beach wrestling is standing wrestling done by wrestlers, male or female, inside a sand-filled circle measuring 6 meters (20 ft) in diameter. There are only two weight categories, heavy and light. The objective is to throw your opponent or take your opponent to his or her back. The wrestlers wear swimsuits rather than special wrestling uniforms. Wrestlers may also wear spandex or athletic shorts.

Sambo:
A martial art that originated in the Soviet Union (particular Russia) in the 20th century. It is an acronym for "self-defence without weapons" in Russian and had its origins in the Soviet armed forces. Its influences are varied, with techniques borrowed from sports ranging from the two international styles of Greco-Roman and freestyle to judo, jujitsu, European styles of folk wrestling, and even fencing. The rules for sport sambo are similar to those allowed in competitive judo, with a variety of leglocks and defense holds from the various national wrestling styles in the Soviet Union, while not allowing chokeholds.

Folk Style Disciplines:
Folk wrestling describes a traditional form of wrestling unique to a culture or geographic region of the world. There are almost as many folk wrestling styles as there are national traditions. Folk style is also used acrossed the United States in high school wrestling. Folk style is competed state wide in all states. Some states wrestle in classes depending on how large each school is. Others states have large tourneys that each individual has to win or place in order to move on to the final tourney, the State Championship. The sport allows mostly males to wrestle, although women are slowly introducing themselves to high school wrestling. Folk style is also held state wide in some states through the states wrestling associations. Holding tourneys on weekends for anyone of all ages to participate.

Examples of folk styles include Backhold Wrestling (from Europe), Catch-as-catch-can (from England), Kurash from Uzbekistan, Khuresh from Siberia, Lotta Campidanese from Italy, Pahlavani from Iran, Pehlwani from India, Penjang Gulat from Indonesia, Schwingen form Switzerland, Shuai jiao from China, Ssireum from Korea, and Yagli güres (Turkish oil wrestling).

Folk wrestling styles are not recognized by FILA internationally.

Collegiate Wrestling:
Sometimes known as scholastic wrestling or folkstyle wrestling is the commonly used name of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in the United States. A modification of the style is practiced at the high school and middle school levels, and also for younger participants. The term is used to distinguish the styles of wrestling used in other parts of the world, and for those of the Olympic Games: Greco-Roman wrestling, and Freestyle wrestling. There are currently several organizations which oversee collegiate wrestling competition: Divisions I, II, and III, of the NCAA, NJCAA, NAIA, and the NCWA. Division I of the NCAA is considered the most prestigious and challenging level of competition. A school chooses which organization to join, although it may compete against teams from other levels and organizations during regular-season competition. The collegiate season starts in November and culminates with the NCAA tournament held in March.

Professional Wrestling:
Modern professional wrestling combines wrestling with performing art as a simulated sport. While it features athletic maneuvers requiring skill and training, match spots and outcomes are scripted, unlike other forms of wrestling. Performers mostly utilize the traditional Anglo-American catch wrestling holds. Professional wrestling is centered on feuds driven by angles, which creates wide promotional attention for popular events held at large venues like Madison Square Garden and often broadcast on television and pay-per-view. Although professional wrestling still attracts a wide public fan base, its most popular recent period was the 1980s-2000s, with famous world champions such as Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Chris Benoit, The Rock, The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bret Hart becoming cultural icons.

Puroresu:
Japanese professional wrestling, also known as puroresu, is treated as a sport rather than the entertainment style of wrestling found in North America. There are no storylines, feuds or any sort of angle found in puroresu. The matches are all about athleticism and skill. Another technique found in puroresu is that most of the wrestlers use shoot style strikes and complex submission moves. This means that the wrestlers are more prone to injury. Popular Japanese wrestlers include Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama and KENTA.

As a Martial Art:
Wrestling has gained respect among martial arts practitioners, especially with the advent of mixed martial arts competition. Early competitions saw wrestlers defeat stylists from more traditional, striking-oriented styles such as karate and kickboxing. Randy Couture (UFC heavyweight champion) and Dan Henderson (current PRIDE champion in the 183 division and formerly 205 pound division champion) both competed extensively in collegiate and Greco-Roman wrestling before beginning their careers in mixed martial arts. Other fighters coming from amateur wrestling include: Matt Lindland, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, Urijah Faber, Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida, Kevin Randleman, Mark Kerr, Don Frye, Dan Severn, Mark Coleman, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson, Rashad Evans, Jeff Monson, Matt Horwich, Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto, Brock Lesnar, Gray Maynard, Matt Hamill, Benji Radach, Gerald Harris, Antonio McKee, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Schultz, Aaron Stark, Devin Cole, Antoine Jaoude, Roy Nelson, Shad Lierley, Mark Schultz, Brandon Vera, Melvin Guillard, Josh Koscheck, Renato Sobral.

Many other prominent and successful fighters began their training in various forms of wrestling, and fighters from non-wrestling backgrounds often pursue wrestling training to complement their other skills.

Amateur Wrestling:
The most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA (Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées or International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles): Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style. A similar style, commonly called collegiate (also known as scholastic or folkstyle), is practiced in colleges and universities, secondary schools, middle schools, and among younger age groups in the United States. Where the style is not specified, this article refers to the international styles played on a mat.

Arm Wrestling:
A sport with two participants. Each participant places one arm, both put either the right or left, on a surface, with their elbows bent and touching the surface, and they grip each other's hand. The goal is to pin the other's arm onto the surface, with the winner's arm over the loser's arm.

Grappling:
Refers to the gripping, handling and controlling of an opponent without the use of striking, typically through the application of various grappling holds, choke holds, and counters to various hold attempts. Grappling forms an important part of both ground fighting and standing clinch fighting. Sports that use grappling include Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, mixed martial arts and Wrestling. FILA uses the term grappling interchangeably with the sport of submission wrestling.

Grappling is a mode of fighting used by many different martial arts around the world. It is not a distinct martial art, but rather, similarly to striking, a collection of techniques and strategies aimed at defeating an opponent, these can be subdivided into:

* Throws (as used in Glima, Judo, Jujutsu, Shuai jiao and Sambo).
* Joint locks (as in Aikido, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Hapkido and Malla-yuddha).
* Pinning Techniques; a victory condition in Wrestling and Judo and as as transitional technique in others.
Most include all of the above aspects while others focus on one. There is no definite dividing line between the sections as locks may be used in throws and a throw may lead directly to a pin. A possible fourth category are sweeps and escapes, used to improve position in ground fighting either escaping from or moving into a position where a lock or pin may be better applied.

Mixed Martial Arts:
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport in which a wide variety of fighting techniques are used, including striking and grappling.

Modern mixed martial arts tournaments as a popular phenomenon emerged in 1993 with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, based on the concept of pitting different fighting styles against each other in competition with minimal rules in place, in an attempt to determine which system would be more effective in a real, unregulated combat situation. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, mixed martial arts events implemented additional rules for the safety of the athletes and to promote acceptance of the sport, while maintaining as much of the original no-holds-barred concept as possible. Since these changes, the sport has grown rapidly, to the point of setting pay-per-view records.

The history of the modern MMA event can be traced to the Gracie family's vale tudo martial arts tournaments in Brazil starting in the 1920s, and early mixed martial arts matches hosted by Antonio Inoki in Japan in the 1970s. The fighting concept of combining various combat disciplines gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the emergence of Bruce Lee and his theories of mixing various martial art styles. The sport gained international exposure and widespread publicity in the United States in 1993, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Royce Gracie dominated the Ultimate Fighting Championship, sparking a revolution in the martial arts, while in Japan the continued interest in the sport resulted in the creation of the PRIDE Fighting Championships in 1997.

Pankration:
An ancient sport and a martial art introduced in the Greek Olympic games in 648 BC. Many historians believe that although pankration was not one of the first Olympic sports, it was likely one of the most popular. Some also argue it to be the first all-encompassing fighting system in human history. This is a strongly debated issue in the academic community.

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