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Many times, when my sensei teaches me a technique, he takes reference from either wrestling or grappling. I always thought the two are different terms for the same art until the master told me that it's not the case and wrestling is different grappling. But, I still couldn't understand the difference between the two. Can someone help me understand it clearly.

mattm
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The Apache
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2 Answers2

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Grappling is a more generic, umbrella term than wrestling. Striking from a Muay Thai clinch, for example, is part grappling but not wrestling.

Standard disclaimers apply, however, that people use words differently and in ways that disagree.

mattm
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Quite frankly, there is no objective difference between the two, so it's more likely simply a distinction created by your teacher. Most likely, he's differentiating between Western techniques one might see in amateur Greco-Roman wrestling, and grappling techniques seen in something like Brazilian Jujitsu.

Macaco Branco
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  • I disagree. Wresting is a kind of grappling, but not vice versa. For example, you would be wrong to call BJJ or Judo "wrestling". – LemmyX Jan 11 '20 at 21:18
  • What do you see as the distinction? – Macaco Branco Jan 11 '20 at 22:14
  • I don't. Asking the difference between wrestling and grappling is like asking the difference between music and country. It's not that they are different, but one is a subcategory of the other. – LemmyX Jan 12 '20 at 21:39
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    {nods} That's fair. I will keep my answer up as it is, but I do appreciate your input, which agrees with mattm's answer. – Macaco Branco Jan 12 '20 at 21:44