Understanding The Key Differences Between Freestyle And Folkstyle Wrestling

Freestyle and folkstyle wrestling are two of the most popular grappling systems in the world. Wrestling is one of the first sports ever developed, and virtually every culture in the world has some sort of traditional wrestling practices. 

Folkstyle wrestling is mainly practiced in high schools and universities in the U.S., and it shares many similarities with freestyle wrestling, which is more popular worldwide. It is also known as collegiate or scholastic wrestling. Freestyle wrestling is a global sport, and it’s part of the Summer Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling. 

Freestyle and folkstyle wrestling share many similarities, but they also have some major differences. The most obvious being the different goals and rules for both sports and their point systems. 

The Main Differences Between Freestyle and Folkstyle Wrestling

While both styles share some similarities, each has its own unique qualities that set it apart. Let’s take a closer look at both wrestling styles.: 

Rule Differences

The main differences between freestyle and folkstyle wrestling are the different rules used during competitions, despite their goals being identical. Wrestling matches in either style are won by pinning down opponents or accumulating more points during the match. However, the point and scoring systems used in both styles are different.

• Pins: A pin requires you to keep your opponent’s shoulders on the mat for two seconds in folkstyle wrestling, while you only have to do it for a second in freestyle wrestling. As far as the scoring systems are concerned, folkstyle wrestling prioritises control, while freestyle focuses more on exposure.
• Takedowns: All takedowns are worth two points in folkstyle wrestling, while competitors can get one to five points in freestyle wrestling based on the takedown’s difficulty. For example, a takedown that doesn’t expose your opponent’s back might only score one point, while a high-amplitude slam would get you five points.
• Near Falls: Near falls are also scored differently. Folkstyle wrestlers earn two to four points based on how long a near fall is held. For example, a folkstyle wrestler can score up to four points by turning their opponent’s shoulders toward the mat and keeping it at a 45-degree angle at most. Freestyle wrestlers earn exposure points by putting their opponents’ backs on the mat for three seconds. 
• Reversals: Another noteworthy difference between the two is that folkstyle wrestling awards more points for reversals than freestyle wrestling.
• Hand Locking: Folkstyle wrestlers are only allowed to lock their hands around their opponent’s legs or torso when going for takedowns or pins. They are not allowed to lock their hands when riding opponents, but freestyle wrestlers are.
• Defensive Goals: The goal of defensive wrestlers in folkstyle wrestling is to escape, while freestyle wrestling is all about not letting your back get exposed.

Similarities

Freestyle and folkstyle wrestling share many similarities, which is why wrestlers who have trained in either can easily transition to the other. Both styles of wrestling are offsprings of catch wrestling. If you’re wondering, catch wrestling is a more brutal style of wrestling that doesn’t award points for successful techniques. The only way to win a catch wrestling match is by pinning or submitting your opponent. 

Many of the submissions used in BJJ were practised by catch wrestlers way before BJJ was developed in the mid to late 20^th century. Interestingly, these submissions were perceived to be too dangerous at that time, which led to freestyle and folkstyle wrestling being developed to make the sport more acceptable. The submissions and other techniques that were deemed dangerous were also removed, and a point-scoring system was created. 

Freestyle wrestling was developed to make catch wrestling a better fit for the Summer Olympic Games. Catch wrestling was once part of the modern Olympics, but it was later replaced by freestyle wrestling, a tamer version of the sport that emerged after feedback on its rough nature.

Best Style To Learn

It depends on what your future goals are. Learning either style makes you a competent grappler if you plan to eventually transition to another sport like mixed martial arts. Folkstyle wrestlers like Jon Jones are just as dominant in the sport as freestyle wrestlers like Arjan Bhullar. 

If you hope to one day compete at the Olympics, you’d be better off learning freestyle wrestling from the start. However, if you live in the U.S., you might not have any other choice but to learn folkstyle wrestling since it’s the norm. Fortunately, most of what you’ll learn transitions into freestyle wrestling, so you only have to make minor adjustments and familiarize yourself with the different rules. Most U.S. MMA fighters, like Demetrious Johnson, trained in folkstyle wrestling for most of their lives. 

While you can easily make a good argument that freestyle is the superior style since it’s less restrictive and recognized worldwide, folkstyle wrestling has its place. One of the reasons why wrestling is so popular in the U.S. is that folkstyle wrestling is the tamer of the two. Many parents aren’t exactly keen on having their child getting suplexed or slammed. Folkstyle removes these techniques used in wrestling, making it a better wrestling style for children. 

Most Effective For Submission Grappling And Mixed Martial Arts

No-Gi submission grappling (a BJJ style) and mixed martial arts are two of the fastest-growing martial arts. Many wrestlers transition to these martial arts since they sometimes offer more opportunities. You’ll be happy to know that both freestyle wrestling and folkstyle wrestling are excellent bases for these martial arts. 

The best grapplers these days are those who have trained in more than one grappling style. Knowing how to wrestle is a valuable skill to have in submission grappling matches if your BJJ is up to par. A BJJ blue belt with a wrestling background is usually a tougher challenge than a BJJ blue belt who has never trained in wrestling. Wrestlers are best known for their takedowns and control, while BJJ players are known for their submissions. Combine both and you’ll be a force to be reckoned with on the mat. 

Neither style has an advantage in submission grappling since hard slams and suplexes are often not allowed. However, freestyle wrestling is better suited for mixed martial arts since you’re allowed to slam or throw opponents as hard as you can. Many MMA fights have been finished with slams or suplexes. With that, we hope this clarifies the difference between the two styles, giving you a clearer picture and perhaps even shed light on which you should take up!

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