Can You Use Jiu Jitsu in Wrestling? | Easily Explained

In this page, we will explain if you can use Jiu Jitsu in wrestling, if Jiu Jitsu can benefit your wrestling game, and if wrestlers train Jiu Jitsu.

Table of Contents

Can You Use Jiu Jitsu in Wrestling?

You can use Jiu Jitsu in wrestling to a certain extent. Jiu Jitsu will allow you to have an understanding of body positioning, leverage, and grips. Additionally the body-conditioning obtained from Jiu Jitsu rolls, will better help your endurance during wrestling. All of these skills can compliment your skill set when you're wrestling.

wrestling pin

However, you're not able to "Submit your opponent" via choke, hold, or joint lock, as it is illegal to do this in Wrestling.

Can Jiu Jitsu Benefit Your Wrestling Game?

Although the certain Jiu Jitsu skills mentioned above can benefit your wrestling game, there are limitations.

Wrestling Goals

The goal of Wrestling is to pin both shoulder blades of their opponent to the mat for two seconds.

This means that wrestlers are desperately avoiding their back to the mat.

wrestling back to the mat

Jiu Jitsu Habits

In Jiu Jitsu, some of the best grapplers fight the entire match with their back to the mat, and score submissions from that position.

If Wrestlers aren't careful, they can become a bit more open to having their back to the mat from practicing BJJ, and when they transition back to Wrestling, they have to shake that habit.

jiu jitsu grappling in gi

This doesn't mean Jiu Jitsu can harm your wrestling, it is simply something to keep in mind when training.

Wrestlers Training Jiu Jitsu

It is very common for wrestlers to train Jiu Jitsu during their off-season, or after their wrestling careers are over.

Wrestlers crossing over to Jiu Jitsu is typically much more beneficial, as the wrestlers have developed a unique skill set that can be used for both sports.

Wrestlers are very proficient at takedowns and maintaining top control, where as most BJJ practitioners don't have great takedowns, and would rather fight from the bottom (their back on the mat).

If a BJJ practitioner was in a wrestling match where they didn't properly master takedowns, and tried fighting from their back, they would be pinned.

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