The following explanation does not cover all of the aspects of submission wrestling or jujitsu by far, but it should give a basic understanding of what submission wrestling is.

Submission wrestling or submission grappling, judo, and some styles of jujitsu, most notably Brazilian, are sports/martial arts which are basically wrestling, with the addition of submission holds (chokes, armbars or arm locks, leg locks, etc.). A contest is won by forcing the opponent to surrender by the application of one of these moves. Some jujitsu and judo events can also be won by scoring "points" by throws and other techniques. Since the advent of the "Ultimate Fighting Championships" and other similar events over the past several years on pay per view cable, the popularity of this sport has massively increased. This is due in part to the success of fighters in these events with high levels of submission grappling skills. This sport is NOT related to professional wrestling in any fashion.

The goal of submission wrestling, or submission grappling is to cause your opponent to give up or "tap out". The tap out signal, where your opponents taps his hand or foot on the mat (or on you), is the signal that he concedes the match. In the version of submission wrestling covered on "The Practical Grappler Comprehensive Ground Submission Program" tape series, striking is not considered. This is the primary difference between what we call submission wrestling and "no holds barred (NHB)" events such as the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" , or "Extreme Fighting".

Submission wrestling incorporates techniques from martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Jujitsu, Sambo, Shoot fighting, Pancrase, No holds barred fighting (NHB), Judo, and sports such as Free style wrestling, and Greco Roman wrestling just to name a few.

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The primary goal in "sport" or "training" submission wrestling play is to get your opponent to submit. This can be done with a number of techniques including arm bars, shoulder manipulations, ankle locks, heel hooks, knee bars, chokes, neck cranks (very dangerous, should not be practiced), and even pins. The following will not describe all of the possible submissions, for example wrist locks (yes there are a few that work on the mat, although you will have little luck with most standing wrist locks against a skilled opponent), finger manipulations, hip cranks, elbow or knee pinches, and so on will not be described.

One important thing to note before describing these techniques, you should always have control of your opponents body before applying the technique, such that you can perform it slowly, giving him plenty of opportunity to submit. If your training partner is too stupid to submit, you should never continue to apply force to the point of injury.

Arm bars are techniques where the arm is forced into a position of hyperextension. If your opponent does not submit when in an armbar, damage will be done to the elbow joint, which could include cartilage damage, ligament or tendon damage, or broken bones.

Shoulder manipulations are techniques where the arm is forced into such a position so that the shoulder joint is affected. Having your arm twisted behind your back is an example of such a technique. If your opponent does not submit when in an shoulder manipulation, damage will be done to the shoulder joint, which could include cartilage damage, ligament or tendon damage, or damage to the rotator cuff.

Ankle locks come in two basic varieties, those that cause submission due to pain from Achilles tendon pressure, and those that hyperextend or twist the ankle joint such that damage in the ankle occurs. Again damage can include ligaments, tendons, and bones.

Heel hooks are techniques where a twisting force is applied to the heel, with the top portion of the foot immobilized, usually in the armpit. This puts stress primarily on the knee ligaments. These techniques are VERY dangerous, as injury occurs very quickly. after the first sensation of pain.

Knee bars are identical to arm bars, except the knee joint is forced to hyperextend.

Chokes are applied to the neck, and cut off blood flow to the brain and/or the breathing. If your opponent fails to tap, the choke will result in unconsciousness. Chokes applied directly to the front of the neck should be avoided, as damage to the trachea can occur. This could possibly even lead to death. As cognitive impairment has been cited as a possible result of frequent choking in Judo [Owens GR et al, J Sport Med Phys Fit, 1991], chokes should be applied with care, and those being choked should not try to "fight off" the choke for long periods of time, but rather should tap out.

It is possible to cause your opponent to submit with only a good pin. By putting large amounts of pressure on your opponent's chest can make it difficult for him to breathe, and can often result in a submission.

In conclusion, submission wrestling is a great way to stay in shape, and it is a lot of fun when practiced in an environment that emphasizes safety and personal growth.

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