Grappling styles are martial arts that concentrate on defeating an opponent on the ground. While most grappling styles train on a limited amount of stand up fighting, the idea behind it is to take an opponent down and defeat him or her with a choke, a lock or any other number of techniques designed to damage an opponent.
As opposed to relying on brute strength alone, most grappling styles utilize leverage, conditioning, precision and a knowledge of anatomy to defeat an opponent. Grappling arts are very precise arts. A student of a grappling art will be taught to be very aware of one's own body, and of the movements of the opponent. A skilled grappler will be able to feel an opponent's intentions with their movements and will be able to control the fight.
Grappling arts appeal to a wide variety of people, including experienced martial artists from other styles. A truly well rounded martial artist will be able to defend himself both while standing and on the ground. Grappling arts are a good choice for those who can give a serious commitment to training, as skill will only come through extensive practice with many different training partners. A prospective student should also be comfortable with prolonged close contact with training partners for obvious reasons.
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