Best Grappling Martial Arts For MMA (Top 4)

MMA is the most complex combat sport where fighters from all martial arts compete in freestyle matches under limited rules. But over the years, the grappling segment has emerged as the most important and dominant element of the sport. In fact, a study has shown that grappling arts have produced far more UFC champions than striking systems combined. 

If you are interested in getting into MMA, enrolling in one of the grappling martial arts presented below would be a great idea. Training in these systems enables you to develop a strong base and to transition to cage fighting much easier than fighters from other martial arts.

Judo

Judo is a Japanese grappling-based martial art developed by Kano Jigoro in the 19th century. It is a safer variation of the famous military system called “Jujutsu” and the two arts share many techniques in common. The concept focuses on standup grappling and taking the opponent down utilizing powerful throws, trips, and sweeps. Once the exchange goes to the ground, the key is to subdue the opponent with different pins, holds, as well as chokes, and joint locks.

What makes Judo good for MMA?

Judokas are more than present in modern MMA and many of them have reached the highest levels of the sport. However, bear in mind that judo skills are effective as long as you are mixing them with techniques from other arts, primarily wrestling. 

First, judokas are physically among the strongest athletes in the world to the point it is impossible to overpower them during the exchanges. On top of that, they have incredible balance, coordination, and the ability to distribute weight to always stay on their feet, which is very important in MMA. And above all, they are masters in executing different takedowns from the clinch position and have many tricks up in their sleeves that other fighters, including wrestlers, are not aware of. 

Also, Judo is a precursor to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and the two arts share a lot in common. While Judo focuses on throws, BJJ is more about groundwork and the arts complement one another to a great extent. As a skilled judoka, you will have a much easier time developing strong BJJ skills because all of the techniques are quite similar.

Sambo

Sambo is a Russian military combat system and a popular combat sport, notably across the eastern part of the world. In MMA, it was put on the map by the great Fedor Emelianenko, and later Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. It is considered to be one of the most effective combat systems, not just for MMA but self-defense in general.

What makes Sambo effective in MMA?

Sambo might be the only martial art that covers all the aspects of modern MMA, and the entire concept also fits well within the rules of the sport. However, bear in mind that there are two variations of the system called “Combat Sambo” and “Sports Sambo”. These two differ a lot in just about every aspect and the following is a short explanation.

Combat Sambo is a versatile military system that also became a sport. The system is a mix of different striking and grappling techniques, which is the reason why it resembles modern MMA. The main techniques come from martial arts such as boxing (punches), and kicks (karate), and the emphasis is on different wrestling, jujutsu, and judo techniques. So overall, Combat Sambo is a hybrid mix of striking and grappling, while Sports Sambo focuses entirely on grappling.

Sport Sambo is, in some way, a safer variation of the military version. It doesn’t include any striking which makes the injury rate much lower. In terms of techniques and rules, it is very similar to Judo except for the fact that Sambo puts a lot of emphasis on leg-locks. The overall approach is also different as Sambo fighters tend to be more aggressive in chasing the finish.

The only major downside of the system is its lack of presence in the Western world. The Western martial art market is dominated by wrestling and BJJ, and you will have a hard time finding a Sambo school. Even if you do, the difference in teaching methods and overall quality of training would be substantial. 

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

BJJ is among the most popular martial arts in modern times. One of the key reasons behind its rise over the past two decades is the dominance of BJJ-based fighters in the UFC. As a system, BJJ is entirely grappling-based and it doesn’t include any striking. Its origins come from judo and the two systems share a lot in common. The key difference is the emphasis because jiu-jitsu focuses more on the ground fighting aspect.

What makes BJJ so effective in MMA?

BJJ plays a big role in modern MMA where grappling and ground fighting is the most important segment of the game. While an athlete can get away with the lack of advanced striking skills, it is almost impossible to reach the high levels of the game without solid BJJ skills. Sooner or later, the lack of ground skills will catch up on you.

BJJ is effective because it is all about technique, and leverage, and the learning curve is long. While it takes a year or two for an MMA athlete to learn how to strike, it may take them up to 10 years to learn how to grapple. During this time, they must learn how to score takedowns, maneuver into dominant positions, execute chokes and joint locks, learn escapes, and develop many, many other skills. And this is why BJJ fighters, and grapplers in general, have such a big advantage when they transition to MMA. 

Skill-wise, BJJ is the best when it comes to securing a dominant position and finishing a fight with submissions. Judo might have better throws, wrestling better takedowns, but you must have BJJ skills in order to finish the fight. 

But as for any other martial art, BJJ on its own is not enough for a person to be a good MMA fighter. The one-dimensional approach does not work anymore, and you must have all-around skills in order to succeed.

Wrestling

According to many coaches, fighters, and other experts, wrestling is the most important skill in MMA. This is confirmed by a study that showed that wrestling has produced the most UFC champions in the history of the promotion. And MMA fans consistently see high-caliber wrestlers making a transition to cage fighting and enjoying instant success.

In fact, most MMA fighters who got into the sport in their 30s and have managed to reach the highest levels of the UFC actually came from wrestling. And you don’t need to know anything else to realize how important this skill is.

Why wrestlers are so dominant in MMA?

The key reason is the fact that wrestlers are the ones who choose where the fight takes place against any other style. Wrestlers are the ones who can use their skill to take any person, regardless of how good their BJJ or Thai boxing is, and advance to the mat. And once there, they have all the skills and athleticism to keep the opponent on the bottom for the entire round or fight. The rules also go slightly in their favor because the one who scores takedowns or controls the match from the top is usually the one who wins the fight.

Next, wrestlers have a much easier time developing all-around skills for MMA. Upon switching to MMA, most wrestlers heavily focus on developing proper boxing skills. They need maybe a year to incorporate solid punching techniques, movement, and footwork into their game and they are all-around athletes.

Fighters from other styles, however, must wrestle for years to learn how to stop a takedown or wrestle their way back to their feet. And even with years of practice, they will probably never be capable of stopping wrestlers from doing what they know best. 

Jorge Masvidal, for instance, has wrestled at American Top Team throughout his entire career. But still, he couldn’t stop his opponent, Colby Covington, from scoring multiple takedowns in their fight.

Wrestlers are also physically and mentally strong because their training sessions are brutal. They are also very disciplined, fast learners, and already have a lot of experience competing in tournaments. Or in other words, they know what it takes to succeed in the fighting game.