BJJ vs Wrestling — What's the Difference?
BJJ and wrestling are both grappling arts but they're fundamentally different. Here's a clear comparison for beginners in Venice, CA considering which to start with.
Wrestling and BJJ are the two most common grappling foundations in combat sports — but they prioritize different positions, techniques, and goals. This post gives beginners in Venice, CA a clear comparison of both arts, explaining who each is best suited for and how the two can complement each other at Kaizen Academy.
If you're exploring grappling arts in Venice, CA, you've likely come across both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wrestling as options. Both involve taking opponents to the ground and controlling them. But the two arts are fundamentally different in what they prioritize, how they score, and what they're training you for.
Here's a clear breakdown.
The Core Difference in Goals
Wrestling prioritizes taking your opponent down and controlling them on top. A wrestling match is won by pinning the opponent's shoulders to the mat or by accumulating takedown and control points. Submissions are not part of competitive wrestling.
BJJ prioritizes gaining advantageous ground positions and forcing a submission. A BJJ match is won by submission (tap out) or, if neither competitor submits, by accumulated points for positional control.
The philosophical difference: wrestling is about control and pinning. BJJ is about control and finishing.
Takedowns: Wrestling's Advantage
Wrestling produces some of the most effective takedown artists in combat sports. Double legs, single legs, high crotch takedowns, and the numerous entries to these attacks are drilled thousands of times over years of wrestling training. A seasoned wrestler's takedown game is typically superior to a same-level BJJ practitioner's.
BJJ traditionally has a weaker standing game. This is why many high-level BJJ competitors actively train wrestling — the takedown component is a genuine gap that wrestling fills effectively.
Ground Control: Where BJJ Diverges
Once on the ground, BJJ's depth far exceeds wrestling's scope. Wrestling's ground work is focused on maintaining a top pin and preventing the opponent from standing. BJJ's ground work covers a vast technical universe: guard positions, sweeps, reversals, submissions from every conceivable position, leg locks, chokes, and the intricate transitions between them.
A wrestler with no BJJ training taken to the ground by a competent BJJ practitioner will typically be controlled and submitted regardless of their takedown ability. That's the leverage principle at work — more on how to submit someone bigger than you.
Which Should You Train?
Start with BJJ if: You're primarily interested in self-defense, submission grappling, or MMA training. BJJ's ground submission game is more comprehensive and applicable to a wider range of scenarios.
Start with wrestling if: You're specifically interested in wrestling competition, want the strongest possible takedown foundation, or are coming from a high school or college wrestling background you want to build on.
Train both if: You're serious about grappling or MMA. The combination of wrestling's takedowns and BJJ's ground game is the standard foundation for elite MMA fighters.
At Kaizen Academy, our adult BJJ program incorporates wrestling-based takedown fundamentals alongside BJJ's ground game — giving students a more complete starting point than pure BJJ instruction alone.
Curious how BJJ compares to full mixed martial arts? Read BJJ vs MMA.
Kaizen Academy is at 2014 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. First class is free.