Catch wrestling in the context of "Joint lock"

Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves different grappling-type techniques, such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. Many different wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sports, and military systems.

Wrestling comes in different forms, the most popular being professional wrestling, which is a form of athletic theatre. Other legitimate competitive forms include Greco-Roman, freestyle, judo, sambo, folkstyle, catch, shoot, luta livre, submission, sumo, pehlwani, shuai jiao, and more. Wrestling first appeared in the ancient Olympic Games as an event during the 18th Olympiad in 708 BC. There are a wide range of styles with varying rules, with both traditional historic and modern styles. The term "wrestling" in Modern English originated from the late Old English term wræstlunge.

A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opponent (knockout, KO), or attacking the opponent in a specific or designated technique. Combat sports share a long history with the martial arts.

Some combat sports (and their national origin) include boxing (Greek-British), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Japanese-Brazilian), catch wrestling (British-American), jujutsu (Japanese), judo (Japanese), freestyle wrestling (British-American), Greco-Roman wrestling (French), karate (Chinese-Okinawan-Japanese), kickboxing (numerous origins, mainly Southeast Asian), Lethwei (Burmese), mixed martial arts (numerous origins), Muay Thai (Thai), sambo (Soviet/Russian), sanda (Chinese), savate (French), taekwondo (Korean), Vale Tudo (Brazilian), pankration (Ancient Greek), luta livre (Brazilian), and folk wrestling (various).

Professional wrestling, often referred to as pro wrestling or simply wrestling, is a form of athletic theater centered around mock combat with the premise that its performers are competitive fighters.

Professional wrestling gradually developed from competitive catch wrestling in the late 19th century, when wrestlers and promoters began staging matches with predetermined outcomes to exhibit more excitement and draw larger audiences. Over the course of the 20th century, it was increasingly known that professional wrestling was scripted, but the appeal for fans shifted from its competitive element to the entertainment value; wrestlers subsequently responded by incorporating drama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunts into their performances, while maintaining the pretense of engaging in a competitive sport. Eventually, the term "professional wrestling" was legally defined as a non-sport by various government regulators because legitimate wrestling was effectively confined to amateur enthusiasts.

Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman. High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the United States are conducted under different rules and termed scholastic and collegiate wrestling. U.S. collegiate women's wrestling is conducted under freestyle rules.

Freestyle wrestling, like collegiate wrestling, has its origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling. In both styles, the ultimate goal is to throw and pin the opponent to the mat, which results in an immediate win. Unlike Greco-Roman, freestyle and collegiate wrestling allow the use of the wrestler's or the opponent's legs in offense and defense.

Shoot wrestling is a Japanese hybrid grappling style and combat sport. Shoot wrestling incorporates techniques from various wrestling, submission grappling, kickboxing and karate styles. It was particularly inspired and influenced by catch wrestling, a form of wrestling with submissions that was the predominant style of professional wrestling in the 19th and early 20th century, at the time a legitimate competitive sport and not yet predetermined.

Shoot wrestling originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit (puroresu) of the 1970s, particularly stemming from the influence of wrestlers Karl Gotch, Lou Thesz and Billy Robinson, all who had an enduring popularity in Japan due to their serious submission wrestling style. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their excitement, diminishing or eschewing the theatrical elements and acrobatics, looking more similar to an actual, unscripted fight. The name "shoot wrestling" comes from the professional wrestling term "shoot", which refers to any unscripted occurrence within a scripted wrestling event.

Luta Livre (Portuguese: [ˈlutɐ ˈlivɾi], lit. freestyle fighting or wrestling), known in Brazil as Luta Livre Brasileira (lit. Brazilian freestyle fighting) or Luta Livre Submission, and also Brazilian Submission Wrestling, is a Brazilian martial arts and combat sport created by Euclydes Hatem in Rio de Janeiro. Primarily a mixture of catch wrestling and kosen judo, there is also ground striking with the hands, feet, knees and elbows. Notable practitioners include Marco Ruas, Ebenezer Fontes Braga, Johil de Oliveira, Alexandre Franca Nogueira, Renato Sobral, Gesias Cavalcante, Pedro Rizzo, Darren Till and José Aldo.

There are two styles: esportiva ("sporting") and combate ("ground strikes"); both styles are no-gi. In esportiva competitions, grappling techniques are the only techniques allowed to subdue the opponent. Another style developed later is called "Luta Livre Vale Tudo", which is similar to the modern MMA style which allows both standing and ground strikes and submissions. Consequently, it is important to calmly strategize and execute moves with the aim to force the opponent to submit via armlock, leglock, choke or necklock, or to win by points (i.e. takedowns, domination position). Punches, kicks and other "hard" techniques are not allowed as this is considered more a sport than actual combat. Combate, on the other hand, includes striking techniques on the ground; palm strikes and kicks are allowed, but the ground fight and submissions are still the largest elements. This is also the form used in MMA-style fights.

Pehlwani, also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla-yuddha. The words pehlwani and kushti derive from the Persian terms pahlavani (heroic) and koshti (wrestling, lit. killing) respectively, meaning Heroic wrestling. A practitioner of this sport is referred to as a pehlwan (Persian word for hero) while teachers are known as ustad (Persian word for teacher or master) or guru.

One of the most famous practitioners of Pehlwani was The Great Gama (Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt), who is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Kodi Rammurthy Naidu was another example. Brahmdev Mishra is another example of an Indian wrestler who was known for his technique and physique not only in India but all over the world. Pehlwani is one of the sports that influenced catch wrestling, which in turn partially inspired folkstyle wrestling, freestyle wrestling, and mixed martial arts (MMA).

Wrestling at the Olympic Games was contested at the first modern Olympics, in the form of Greco-Roman wrestling, held in Athens in 1896. Wrestling would appear at every Summer Olympics held since then, with the exception of the 1900 Summer Olympics when wrestling did not appear on the program. Freestyle wrestling (or catch-as-catch-can wrestling as it was called prior to the 1924 Summer Olympics) and weight classes both made their first appearance at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Women's freestyle wrestling competition was first held at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2013, the IOC voted to drop wrestling from the Summer Olympic program. The president of the sport's governing body, FILA (now United World Wrestling), resigned after a subsequent motion of no confidence, and several of the FILA leadership followed suit. After new leadership stepped in and revisions to the program for the 2016 Summer Olympics (including rule changes and additional women's competitions), wrestling successfully campaigned to be readmitted back onto the Summer Olympic program.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Portuguese: jiu-jitsu brasileiro [ʒiw ˈʒitsu bɾaziˈlejɾu, ʒu -]), often abbreviated to BJJ, is a self-defense system, martial art, and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. It is primarily a ground-based fighting style and involves taking one's opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and then using a number of techniques to force them into submission such as joint locks, chokeholds, or compression locks.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu was first developed by the Brazilian brothers Carlos, Oswaldo, Gastão Jr., and Hélio Gracie around 1925, after Carlos was taught jujutsu and catch wrestling in 1917 by either Mitsuyo Maeda, a travelling Japanese judoka, or one of Maeda's students Jacyntho Ferro. Later, the Gracie family developed their own self-defense system that they named Gracie jiu-jitsu. BJJ eventually became a distinct combat sport of its own through innovations and practices, and is considered essential for modern mixed martial arts.