3 Key Skills College Wrestling Brings to Submission Grappling (That Freestyle & Greco Don’t)

When people talk about wrestling for submission grappling or MMA, most default to freestyle or Greco-Roman. While both are valuable, college (folkstyle) wrestling develops a completely different set of control-based skills that translate extremely well to no-gi grappling and MMA.

Folkstyle is built around ride time, mat control, and standing back up, not just takedowns and throws. These priorities create athletes who are comfortable dominating from top position and escaping from bottom — two areas where many submission grapplers struggle.

Here are three major skills college wrestling brings that conventional wrestling styles often don’t emphasize.

1. Hand Control Instead of Hand Locks = Better Posture Control

In folkstyle wrestling, you cannot lock your hands in the referee’s position. Instead, wrestlers must use:

Chops
Claws
Spiral rides
Wrist control
Cross-body rides
Tight waist variations

This rule forces athletes to develop independent limb control and pressure-based riding, rather than relying on body locks.

Why This Matters for MMA

In MMA, this becomes extremely valuable:

One hand can control posture
The other hand is free to strike
You can maintain pressure without committing both arms

This mirrors real ground-and-pound control far better than locked-hands body control.

Why This Matters for Submission Grappling

In no-gi grappling, these riding mechanics create:

Strong posture breakdowns
Constant off-balancing
Openings for back exposure
Forced reactions into dominant pin-style positions

Even without strikes, these controls give you the leverage needed to flatten opponents and begin attacking transitions instead of stalling.

2. Folkstyle Rewards Riding — Something Most Grapplers Lack

One of the biggest differences between college wrestling and jiu-jitsu is the reward structure.

In folkstyle:

You score for holding someone down
Ride time matters
Control is prioritized

In jiu-jitsu:

You often score and immediately disengage
Holding pressure isn’t rewarded the same way
Many athletes rush submissions instead of establishing dominance

Why This Creates Better Top Players

College wrestlers learn how to:

Stay heavy without burning energy
Maintain mat returns
Chain rides together
Break posture repeatedly
Prevent escapes instead of reacting late

This creates a mindset of dominance before offense.

For submission grapplers, this means:

Fewer scrambles
More fatigue on your opponent
Better setups for back takes, leg drags, and front headlock attacks
Higher finishing percentages

If you can hold someone down comfortably, submissions become easier — not harder.

3. Fighting Up From Bottom (Four-Point Game) Builds Real MMA Translations

Modern MMA has evolved past playing guard for long periods. The current meta emphasizes:

Standing up
Wall wrestling
Building base from bottom
Exploding to your feet

College wrestling develops this instinct early.

Because folkstyle scoring rewards escaping and returning to your feet, athletes become extremely skilled at:

Four-point base movement
Hand fighting from bottom
Hip heists
Sit-outs
Stand-ups
Chain escapes

Why This Transfers So Well to MMA

In MMA, the ability to:

Avoid being held down
Stand up quickly
Reset to striking
Force clinch
3 Key Skills College Wrestling Brings to Submission Grappling (That Freestyle & Greco Don’t)

Is a massive advantage.

Instead of accepting bottom positions, folkstyle-trained athletes treat bottom as a temporary phase, not a long-term strategy.

Bonus: Rides, Splits, Cradles & Pins = Real Control Systems

College wrestling also builds comfort using: