Greco- Roman or Freestyle Wrestling for Taller Guys?

[Adnan Adil]

Hi, guys! I am primary striker almost with no grappling background (despite of the fact I like it). My experience in grappling is quite humble. In street fight I use grappling many times to take down my opponents and to ground and pound thme or just to hold them down. The truth is that I just improvise. I use front head lock and then I sweep them on the ground with ease. I consider that this move is probably easy for me, because of my size advantage (mainly height).
When we roll with my friends, who are also almost pure strikers with few exceptions, I am considered for a real monster in the clinch. Probably, because of my height advantage and that I am lanky with not bulky arms, I am able to use the double underhooks at will. Everybody thinks that I am the best in the clinch. While when we use freestyle rules or just make drills for double takedowns, I feel a little bit uncomfortable.
So my question is if I take on wrestling, which style would be more suitable for tall and lanky guy like me? My primary goal would be to try some low class competition. So should I stick to my freestyle habits from the street (which I use with so great success) or to try the clinch- oriented greco- roman?

P.S. What are my chances, if I take on wrestling, because many people crticize me that I don't stick to the striking and prefer grappling, because of my physique- I am tall and with wide frame, but I am light. When I gain weight it is usually not clean muscle mass.

 

[rmongler]

Snap downs to front headlock are good in pretty much any ruleset of wrestling.

 

[jack36767]

Just wrestle

 

[selfcritical]

And if you have multiple coaches of different wrestling styles, just train with the one who's the best coach

 

[ArtemV]

I would say freestyle, personally. Give both styles a chance and train before you make a choice. You can't really go wrong with freestyle to make mma wrestlers struggle for takedowns.

 

[Idonotbelieveit]

Taller guy I'd say Greco

Long and tall in clinch would be brutal

But saying that hendo and Lind land are Greco gods and are average height

 

[Adnan Adil]

Being at the same weight, but being taller than my opponents theoretically makes me a little bit weaker from them (and on strength training most of my friends are stronger from me), but when we clinch I am so dominant. That is why I am asking for the greco- roman. And about the freestyle- the sweeps are really great advantage. And I have no option for a gym with both greco and freestyle coaches, that is why I am thinking before trying.

 

[jack36767]

Who has the the best coach

 

[Adnan Adil]

Who has the the best coach

This is good question, but it is also a hard question. Everybody claims that has the best coach and team at all. I told you, that I don't have a lot of grappling experience and it is very hard to determine something like this. Plus the fact- I don't know many wrestlers... and also if I ask them, they probably are going to propose their gym. That is why I think it is very hard to decide. And I wonder in the gym under which ruleset tall guy like me would be more comfortable.

 

[jack36767]

This is good question, but it is also a hard question. Everybody claims that has the best coach and team at all. I told you, that I don't have a lot of grappling experience and it is very hard to determine something like this. Plus the fact- I don't know many wrestlers... and also if I ask them, they probably are going to propose their gym. That is why I think it is very hard to decide. And I wonder in the gym under which ruleset tall guy like me would be more comfortable.

Try them both out

 

[Sapp]

How tall are we talking here? 6'8?

 

[Adnan Adil]

How tall are we talking here? 6'8?

No, no... I am much shorter- 6 and 2 (188 cm). When I train hard my weight is around 187 pounds (85 kg.), but usually I am around 176 pounds (80 kg.). This doesn't mean that I can not be much lighter or heavier and to speak with numbers from 152 pounds (69 kg.) to 243 pounds (110 kg.). So I can change my weight, but of course this comes at a price. Mainly when I am heavier, I carry a lot of fat. My body structure is light (without carrying a lot of mass normally), but quite wide- especially in the shoulders, waist and the hips. So generally I am not a giraffe.

 

[Sapp]

No, no... I am much shorter- 6 and 2 (188 cm). When I train hard my weight is around 187 pounds (85 kg.), but usually I am around 176 pounds (80 kg.). This doesn't mean that I can not be much lighter or heavier and to speak with numbers from 152 pounds (69 kg.) to 243 pounds (110 kg.). So I can change my weight, but of course this comes at a price. Mainly when I am heavier, I carry a lot of fat. My body structure is light (without carrying a lot of mass normally), but quite wide- especially in the shoulders, waist and the hips. So generally I am not a giraffe.

I am also a reasonably tall guy (194cm, 88kg), so I have a little experience. To generalise, the ruleset of Greco is more suited for taller wrestlers (and can be easier on the knees), but you should try both and see which you prefer. Are you looking to compete in wrestling? Your original post seems to suggest that you're training for MMA/self defense.

 

[Adnan Adil]

I am also a reasonably tall guy (194cm, 88kg), so I have a little experience. To generalise, the ruleset of Greco is more suited for taller wrestlers (and can be easier on the knees), but you should try both and see which you prefer. Are you looking to compete in wrestling? Your original post seems to suggest that you're training for MMA/self defense.

Sapp, you seem to be even taller than me, so you probably know even better what is to have height advantage/ disatvantage. For now I have no competition experience, despite of the fact that there were time periods in which I have trained very, very hard combat sports. I have desire to test myself in some competition and why not wrestling? As I told you in the beginning my freestyle arsenal it is learned from the street, so I don't pretend to be wrestler. And about the Greco- I think that I am too light for this. I doubt that I would be able to withstand the brute strength of the heavier guys.

 

[Daniel Fox]

Sapp, you seem to be even taller than me, so you probably know even better what is to have height advantage/ disatvantage. For now I have no competition experience, despite of the fact that there were time periods in which I have trained very, very hard combat sports. I have desire to test myself in some competition and why not wrestling? As I told you in the beginning my freestyle arsenal it is learned from the street, so I don't pretend to be wrestler. And about the Greco- I think that I am too light for this. I doubt that I would be able to withstand the brute strength of the heavier guys.

There have been really good Greco Wrestlers that were tall, and really good Greco wrestlers that were short. do what @jack36767 says, try them both out. Regarding learning Freestyle wrestling from the street, it is much too technical, you need formal training regardless of the style. Even if you feel more suited for one style, I would chose the club with the better coach. Lastly,there are weight classes, so you are not too light for the sport, you would be in the 85 Kilo division, wrestling against other 85 Kilo guys.

 

[dsdoubled]

Don't forget, everything you could get from Greco (throws, really strong clinch, brutal on top with gut wrenches/gator rolls, etc.) you will also get from freestyle. People have this misconception that only Greco guys can throw you or kill you in the clinch. Not true. Its just that bc Greco is limited to those elements plus a few more, it is more associated with clinch fighting. Freestyle will teach you all the same as Greco and then some. Including leg attacks and leg attack defense. Plus, if you are looking to use it for MMA or street fighting you're going to at least want to know how to defend and deal with someone shooting at your legs. Try freestyle first, when it come s time to learn the throws, tell your coach you really want to get into it.
Also, don't take anybody's word for it, find out who coaches at what gym and look up their credentials.

 

[Adnan Adil]

There have been really good Greco Wrestlers that were tall, and really good Greco wrestlers that were short. do what @jack36767 says, try them both out. Regarding learning Freestyle wrestling from the street, it is much too technical, you need formal training regardless of the style. Even if you feel more suited for one style, I would chose the club with the better coach. Lastly,there are weight classes, so you are not too light for the sport, you would be in the 85 Kilo division, wrestling against other 85 Kilo guys.

My skills are very limited. İ can not know exactly which style is better based only on my personal knowledge. I find the Greco similar to the boxing- you can concentrate on fewer things and be more relaxed during match, while the freestyle is more like the kickboxing- you constantly think for many possible attacks, but you also have more weapons, especially the kicks and knees to the head and body. So in both styles you can have se advantages. And about the weight- a guy who is on the same weight as yours, but shorter is usually stronger. So for now I do not have any problems with this, but I don't have many sparring partners. Plus this- isn't Greco with more pushing and pulling, tao actions in which I am inferior to guys who I usually outwrestle?

 

[jack36767]

Questions like “which is better for taller guys” actually somewhat irritate me (not in a serious way just pet peeve) because it doesn’t account for the things that actually matter more such as

Personality, athleticism, hips, feel, aptitude for picking things up quickly, work ethic, what techniques do they like best matter way more

 

[Adnan Adil]

Don't forget, everything you could get from Greco (throws, really strong clinch, brutal on top with gut wrenches/gator rolls, etc.) you will also get from freestyle. People have this misconception that only Greco guys can throw you or kill you in the clinch. Not true. Its just that bc Greco is limited to those elements plus a few more, it is more associated with clinch fighting. Freestyle will teach you all the same as Greco and then some. Including leg attacks and leg attack defense. Plus, if you are looking to use it for MMA or street fighting you're going to at least want to know how to defend and deal with someone shooting at your legs. Try freestyle first, when it come s time to learn the throws, tell your coach you really want to get into it.
Also, don't take anybody's word for it, find out who coaches at what gym and look up their credentials.

Yeah, man, I agree. The Greco's focus is bigger on the clinch work, but it hasn't got some of freestyle's rules. For MMA I think that the doubles are extremly useful, but for street fighting... not sure. I have never done shots and also I have never seen someone to make shot. I am not sure are the lollies useful on the street. Interesting piece of advice- first the freestyle and after this the Greco. In striking is reverse- first the more limited- boxing and after this- adding some leg techniques!

 

[Daniel Fox]

Yeah, man, I agree. The Greco's focus is bigger on the clinch work, but it hasn't got some of freestyle's rules. For MMA I think that the doubles are extremly useful, but for street fighting... not sure. I have never done shots and also I have never seen someone to make shot. I am not sure are the lollies useful on the street. Interesting piece of advice- first the freestyle and after this the Greco. In striking is reverse- first the more limited- boxing and after this- adding some leg techniques!

For self defense I think both styles are very good, try them out, check out the club, the coach, and which style you adapt to better. Everyone is different.