In the grappling world, it's easy to get confused by terms like BJJ, submission grappling, submission wrestling, and no-gi grappling.
At first glance, they may seem similar or even the same—athletes rolling on mats, chasing submissions, and showcasing incredible technical skills. But dig a little deeper, and you'll uncover distinct differences that set these styles apart.
Whether you're a seasoned practitioner, a casual fan, or someone new to martial arts, understanding the key distinctions between BJJ and submission grappling can help you appreciate the nuances of these art forms.
Is There a Difference Between Submission Wrestling and Submission Grappling?
Technically speaking, submission grappling and submission wrestling are the same thing said differently. But we can make a subtle distinction between the two.
Submission wrestling is an umbrella term for a multitude of styles that allow submission holds as a way to win a match. The long list includes popular styles such as BJJ, catch wrestling, judo, sambo, and many others.
Submission grappling can be used as a replacement term for submission wrestling, but in the current era of grappling, the term is used predominantly to describe the specific style of no-gi grappling used in competitions such as the ADCC, WNO, UFC Invitational, and many others.
Some people also consider no-gi BJJ and submission grappling to be the same thing, but further distinctions make this somewhat incorrect, and you will see why further down in the article.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the meat and bones of the article and dissect what separates these two closely linked styles.
BJJ vs Submission Grappling: Differences in Grappling Styles
Uniform- No-gi vs Gi Grappling
The single most crucial factor that influences nearly every other difference is clothing. Traditional BJJ is practiced with a BJJ gi, which may be gripped, tugged, and used to manipulate and submit the opponent.
BJJ is a form of jacket wrestling alongside other popular styles like judo and sambo. As the name suggests, these styles allow gripping of the uniform while grappling, whereas styles like Olympic wrestling and submission grappling do not allow the use of the clothing.
Submission wrestling does not involve a gi, and grapplers wear tight rash guards and BJJ shorts, with some rulesets even allowing competitors to grapple topless.
As mentioned, the key difference is that the clothing cannot be used in any way during grappling.
We will examine why this makes a huge difference in how the game is played between BJJ and submission wrestling.
Techniques and Submissions
The gi not only offers solid grips but also opens up many submissions, specifically gi chokes. The lapel and sleeves provide access to an extensive arsenal of chokes, including bow and arrow chokes, baseball bat chokes, brabo chokes, and many more.
On the other hand, the gi also makes chokes accessible without the gi, such as the Darce and Anaconda, more difficult to finish because the fabric gets in the way.
Another key difference between the techniques is leg locks. While they are accessible regardless of whether you wear a gi or not, the competition rulesets used in the IBJJF, which is the biggest BJJ governing body, bans some leg attacks like hell hooks for all ranks, including black belts competing in the GI.
Lower belt levels, including purple belts, still have a minimal arsenal of permitted leg attacks and leg entanglement positions.
At the same time, leg locks and leg entanglements are a key part of submission grappling. For a few years, heel hooks were the highest percentage finish in competitions, and leg locks still amount to many of the submission finishes.
So, in the gi, you have access to gi chokes but very few leg locks. In no-gi grappling, it's the other way around.
Competition Rules and Organizations
Main Organizations
The main governing body for gi BJJ is the IBJJF. There are a few other prominent organizations, but the competition rules are more or less the same. The IBJJF also has a no-gi division.
Submission grappling does not have a single governing body. Competitions are organized by countless national organizations at the lower levels, while the ADCC is considered the pinnacle of the sport.
Furthermore, submission grappling has evolved into a professional sport not dissimilar to MMA and boxing.
Promotions like the WNO, UFC, ONE FC, Polaris, EBI, and others hold pro-level events structured much more in the likeness of a pro boxing event, unlike the open tournaments of the IBJJF.
BJJ Competitions Rules
The IBJJF ruleset for gi BJJ is much more conservative and restrictive than any submission grappling rules, including the IBJJF's own no-gi divisions.
There are a lot more limitations regarding allowed submission, uniform requirements, and various other rules.
Submission grappling, in general, is far less limited, particularly at the professional level, when there are very few restricted techniques outside of what is considered dirty moves and things like spiking the opponent on their head.
Furthermore, the IBJJF rules are much more stringent in terms of disqualifications. Even attempting a banned technique can result in a direct DQ, and many actions can immediately get you disqualified, including wardrobe malfunctions and slight misconduct.
Another thing characterizing gi competitions is advantage points, which are used to resolve tiebreaks.
Advantages are given when you are on the verge of completing a submission or achieving a position. While this is a good practice on paper, in reality, it leads to more disputes than it solves.
Submission grappling has too many different rulesets to list. Each promotion makes slight variations, usually to answer common criticism and to improve the viewing experience in the case of professional events.
The most popular ruleset is the one used by the ADCC. Under these rules, no positive points are awarded during the first half of the match.
For instance, in a 10-minute qualifying round match, you cannot win positive points for the first 5 minutes, and the same is true for the first 10 minutes of a 20-minute finals match.
This rule aims to promote actively hunting for submissions rather than playing only for points.
Match Pace
The cotton gi creates a lot of friction during grappling and heavily influences the pace. First, the fabric-to-fabric contact produces friction but also absorbs sweat.
When wrestling in a rash guard, even more so if someone is topless, competitors get more and more slippery from sweat as the round progresses.
Naturally, this means holding on to someone in a position or finishing a submission is usually more challenging, or at least it is done differently than with a gi.
The gi also reduces overall speed by providing grips. You can grab any part of your or the opponent's gi, including the lapels, sleeves, and legs. These solid grips are difficult to break and can lead to slow grip battles.
Securing and breaking gi grips is an essential aspect of BJJ that is completely missing from submission wrestling.
Because there is less friction and fewer grips available, submission grappling matches and sparring are typically faster and more dynamic. Static situations quickly turn into scrambles, leaving less room for a slow and methodical approach.
The gi adjustments is another strategy for slowing down the pace of match. According to IBJJF regulations, competitors have a maximum of 20 seconds to adjust their gi, which, in more extreme cases, may amount to a couple of minutes of downtime in a whole match. This is a luxury no-gi grapplers don’t have.
Physical Demands of BJJ vs. Submission Grappling
Physical attributes like strength, speed, and endurance are more critical in submission grappling than in BJJ, which is a result of the main differences we’ve already outlined.
The less friction and the absence of gi grips mean you need to rely more on your raw strength and explosive power than you would in the gi.
Of course, submission grappling is also a highly technical style and the stronger man doesn’t always win, just like you will also need considerable physical attributes to effectively grapple in the gi.
However, the importance of strength, agility, and speed is much greater in no-gi. At the same time, in the traditional BJJ uniform, there are many more options to tailor your game plan around techniques and strategies that require much less physical attributes.
Similarities Between BJJ and Submission Grappling
While Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling have notable differences, they have much more similarities, coming from their shared foundation that makes them complementary martial arts.
Both prioritize techniques designed to dominate opponents on the ground and most techniques overlap between BJJ and submission grappling.
Arm bars, triangle chokes, guillotines, and rear-naked chokes are staples in both styles. The underlying principles, such as leverage, balance, and timing, remain the same regardless of whether you’re training with or without a gi.
Practitioners of BJJ and submission grappling often train in both disciplines to improve their overall game.
BJJ players benefit from no-gi’s faster pace and focus on athleticism, while submission grapplers can enhance their technical precision through gi training. This crossover enriches a grappler’s skill set and adaptability.
Is There A Difference Between No-Gi BJJ and Submission Grappling
Many people equate no-gi BJJ with submission grappling, and they are not far from the truth. The only real distinction between the two is that the rulesets prioritize different techniques and tactics.
A quick example is how takedowns are scored under ADCC and IBJJF no-gi rules. In ADCC, a takedown ending the opponent’s guard is worth 2 points, while a clean one ending in side control or mount is 4 points. Under IBJJF rules, a takedown is 2 points, regardless of the particulars.
The same goes for sweeps. In the ADCC, there is a distinction where you end up, while in IBJJF, there isn't.
In addition, sitting on the ground without pulling guard on the opponent (typical in BJJ) is penalized. These scoring criteria favor a wrestling approach more than it does a classical BJJ one, at least in the standup.
This, among other reasons, is why there are many competitors with backgrounds like wrestling and sambo, even MMA in submission grappling, while in the no-gi divisions of the IBJJF, you'll generally see only pure BJJ practitioners.
But all in all, no-gi BJJ and submission grappling are almost the same, and you won't be mistaken if you use the terms interchangeably. The distinction between the two are a few rule tweaks which change how the game is played slightly, not the whole game.
Summary
Submission wrestling is an umbrella term for many styles, of which BJJ is one. The term submission grappling is mostly used to label no-gi grappling, which is still mostly jiu-jitsu but with heavy influences from other styles like wrestling, catch wrestling, sambo, and judo.
The main distinction between the two is the uniform. Traditional BJJ requires a gi, which plays a heavy role in the grappling. Submission grapplers wear rash guards and shorts, which cannot be used while wrestling, changing the game drastically.
In essence, BJJ and submission grappling are two sides of the same coin. While their differences cater to unique preferences and styles, their shared principles make them invaluable tools for grappling enthusiasts, MMA fighters, and self-defense practitioners alike.
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