There are many choices for sports and martial arts available for people trying to learn a new discipline. Many curious eyes land on wrestling, and people have started to wonder if it’s worth trying.
Is Wrestling Worth It?
Wrestling is worth trying. There are plenty of physical and mental benefits involved in training, and wrestling carries over to many other forms of martial arts very easily, like MMA. Some of the world’s best MMA fighters have wrestling backgrounds.
In this article, I’ll talk about what makes wrestling worth trying, how it can benefit you, and some aspects of wrestling that may not be for everyone.
What Are the Benefits of Doing Wrestling?
The benefits of wrestling include keeping participants in great shape, teaching them helpful self-defense techniques, and preparing them for many other martial arts disciplines. Wrestling also teaches tactical fighting skills, such as punching, kicking, grappling, and encourages quick-thinking.
Wrestling Is a Great Way To Learn Self-Defense
Rather than focus only on attack or defense, wrestling focuses on both, making it a great way to learn self-defense. You may not always be able to kick or punch someone in a real emergency. So, wrestling techniques could come in handy when trying to incapacitate someone.
The mental aspect of reading your opponent can come in handy when face-to-face with a real opponent. That quick thinking can save a life in a dangerous situation. Wrestling teaches calmness even when fighting, and that level of discipline can help in a challenging situation.
Takedowns are such a vital part of wrestling, and these techniques can come in handy when faced with a threatening situation. Wrestlers constantly train to bring down their opponents before they can react, which can undoubtedly help self-defense.
Often, the key to self-defense is speed. Sometimes you need to act quickly before the other person does, or you may need to outrun someone else.
Wrestling is a fast-paced discipline. So often, wrestlers are ready to act first. Because wrestling involves intense cardio, outrunning someone shouldn’t be much of a concern.
Wrestling Helps You Stay in Fantastic Shape
Wrestlers are arguably the most in-shape of any discipline. Wrestling doesn’t just focus on strength. It requires an intense level of cardio, and wrestlers have to be quick on their feet to execute takedowns and holds properly.
Without proper fitness, a wrestler will struggle with executing moves and completing a match. So, fitness is the key to success and is often found quickly among wrestlers who want to succeed.
What Are Some of the Difficulties of Wrestling?
Getting into proper shape and developing mental discipline are common difficulties that most wrestlers face upon starting wrestling. It can take a long time to get better at wrestling, too.
For most beginners, getting into wrestling can be challenging because they need good cardio, strength, and diet. A certain level of fitness needs to be met before wrestlers can compete to prevent injuries.
Weight and wrestling shape must be maintained at all times because wrestlers are weighed before competing.
Mental discipline is another tough challenge that wrestlers face. A large part of wrestling is trying to plan your next move while predicting your opponent’s next move. Not only does your body need to be ready to fight, but so does your brain.
One of the most frustrating aspects of wrestling is how long it can take to get good. Because of the intense physical and mental aspects of wrestling, it can take a long time before you’re ready to step into a ring. On top of all this, wrestlers are also constantly trying to improve themselves.
So, while constantly training, working out, and learning to predict their opponent’s moves, wrestlers are also faced with the challenge of learning and remembering new moves.
Will Wrestling Make You Better at Other Sports?
Wrestling will make you better at other sports. No matter which sport you choose, wrestling can prepare you for the fundamentals of any sport. The fundamentals include high discipline, intense cardio, and mental toughness to help you succeed.
How Wrestling Prepares You for Other Martial Arts
Wrestling is a unique martial arts discipline because it is a melting pot of other disciplines. So, success in wrestling can often translate to success in other areas. If you decide to move to another field, you will already have a lot of valuable training to take with you.
Wrestling teaches some of the easiest ways to bring your opponent to the ground while protecting yourself. Many martial arts are about trying to read your opponent, and wrestling hones in on those mental aspects allowing wrestlers to become better all-around competitors.
Many Wrestlers Become Successful MMA Fighters
MMA fighters like Brock Lesnar, Tito Ortiz, and Daniel Cormier have been vocal about their wrestling background. Not only are they proud of their roots, but many fighters are vocal about the benefits of starting in wrestling.
Other disciplines don’t encourage takedowns using legs. Wrestling encourages single and double-leg takedowns, which is one of the first things that MMA fighters need to learn how to do. For most other martial arts, fighters are forced to learn these takedowns quickly. So, wrestlers have an advantage in MMA training.
Wrestling Can Help You Prepare for Other Sports
Beyond other martial arts, wrestling can prepare you for any other sport you may want to try. The exercise regimen that wrestlers abide by is no joke, and the intense level of cardio can translate easily to other sports that may also require it.
A large part of sports is hand-eye coordination, and wrestling can help develop this. Wrestlers often watch their opponents’ subtle movements that give away their plans.
This level of quickness with seeing a twitch and reacting creates an outstanding level of hand-eye coordination and can easily be transferred to a different sport.
Wrestling is worth a try if you want to develop your mental and physical strength, but be aware of the challenges you will face. If you decide that wrestling is for you, don’t be afraid to explore other disciplines and sports because wrestling can help prepare you for just about anything.
Interested in Wrestling? Check Out My Recommendations
| Looking For Gear To Use When You Train? |
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| If you are interested in training Wrestling, here is some of the gear I recommend: Best Ear Guards(Headgear) Best Mouth Guard Best Wrestling Shoes Best Groin Protection |
| Want To Learn To Fight, But Don’t Want To Go In Person? |
| CoachTube has online training videos for Wrestling, Boxing, MMA and more. And best part is you can do it all from your home allowing you to go at your own pace. Check them out here. |
| Interested In Training Other MMA Fighters? |
| Click here to check out the MMA Conditioning Association and see what you need to become an MMA conditioning coach and begin training fighters. |
