Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Catch Wrestling
Quick answer
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and catch wrestling met in the Gracie family: Hélio Gracie learned catch from Orlando Americo “Dudú” da Silva and brought its elements into his jiu-jitsu. BJJ scores positions and wins by submission after a choke or a lock, catch under the Snake Pit Wigan rules wins by pin (fall) or submission, forbids chokes and permits knee and ankle locks. Neither is Olympic.
At a glance
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Brazil | United Kingdom |
| Origin | 20th century (present form) | 19th century (present form) |
| Founder | Hélio GracieCarlos Gracie (co-founder) | – |
| Contact | Full contact | Full contact |
| Sparring | Full contact | Full contact |
| Competition format | Submission | Pin or submission |
| Olympic status | Not Olympic | Not Olympic |
| Ranks | Yes (belts) | No |
| Rank recognition | by federation | no ranks |
| Attire | Gi optional | No-gi (shorts and rash guard) |
| Weapons | No weapons | No weapons |
| Forms | No forms | No forms |
| Relative cost | low | low |
| Techniques in the encyclopedia | 11 | 4 |
Scales 1–5
Rated for the typical training of an adult beginner in an ordinary club, calibrated across all arts.
What each art is built from
Editorial rating 0–3: how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
History and relationship
Catch wrestling developed in the 19th century in Britain mainly from Lancashire wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the 20th century in Brazil. Hélio Gracie learned catch from Orlando Americo “Dudú” da Silva, who for some time also taught his brothers, and he brought elements of catch into Gracie jiu-jitsu.
- December 12, 1881: Joe Acton becomes the first world champion in catch-as-catch-can.
- 1908 and 1911: Frank Gotch defeats George Hackenschmidt, the second match ends with a toe hold.
- 1934: the match of Hélio Gracie with Wladek Zbyszko, promoted as catch-as-catch-can against jiu-jitsu, is fought under jiu-jitsu rules and ends in a draw.
- February 2, 1935: Hélio faces Dudú, who had earlier defeated George Gracie in catch, and Dudú submits.
- 1948: Billy Riley opens the Snake Pit gym in Wigan.
Technique
- Victory by submission after a choke or a lock, otherwise points for positions (IBJJF).
- Points: takedown, sweep and knee on belly 2, guard pass 3, mount and back mount 4.
- Heel hook under the IBJJF rules for 2021 only in no-gi for adult brown and black belts.
- Punches, kicks, knees, elbows and headbutts are forbidden.
- Victory by pin (fall) or submission, no points, otherwise the referee decides by dominance (Snake Pit Wigan).
- Permitted locks of the ankle, knee, hip, spine, neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist.
- Forbidden are chokes, the full nelson, punches, kicks and grabbing clothing.
- Even when attempting a submission, the wrestler must not stay on his back, both shoulders on the mat count as a fall.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu also attacks from the back from the guard, whereas the Snake Pit Wigan rules award a fall for both shoulders on the mat. Historically, submission holds in catch served mainly to control and to force a fall.
Training
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Sparring | rolling at full speed and force, positional sparring | Billy Riley: with every opponent as if with a world-class one |
| Other exercises | drills with a cooperating and a non-cooperating partner | Snake Pit U.S.A.: takedowns, throws, rides, breakdowns, escapes and submissions from any position |
| Conditioning | physical conditioning as part of training | Karl Gotch: bodyweight exercises, bridges, hindu squats and push-ups |
We have not been able to document the ratio of technique, sparring and conditioning in an ordinary class for either art. In Wigan the motto was “you can never train too hard”.
Progression and ranks
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF) | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| System | colored belts white, blue, purple, brown, black, up to brown with 4 stripes | Snake Pit Wigan has no belts or grades, Snake Pit U.S.A. has the levels Journeyman, Ripper, Shooter and Hooker, each 1 and 2 |
| Minimum times | blue 2 years, purple 1.5 years, brown 1 year | we have not found any |
| Who awards | the teacher, the IBJJF recognizes it according to its deadlines and registration | Snake Pit U.S.A. within its own association, Wigan accredits coaches |
| First competition | divisions from age 4 | Snake Pit Wigan only from age 18 |
In catch, a wrestler is called a hooker and a very experienced hooker a shooter, and Snake Pit U.S.A. made level names out of these words.
Physical load and risks
- Tournaments in Hawaii 2005–2011 (Scoggin et al., 2014): 9.2 injuries per 1,000 exposures, gi and no-gi together.
- Survey of 1,140 athletes from 62 countries (Hinz et al., 2021): knee 27.1%, 77.6% of injuries during sparring, heel hook 11% of the locks that caused injuries, no-gi not assessed separately.
- We have not found an injury study in catch wrestling.
- The Snake Pit Wigan rules require a medical check before a match, moderate pressure when applying a submission and stopping the match in case of injury.
Who it suits
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (IBJJF) | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest competition age | divisions from age 4 | Snake Pit Wigan only persons over 18 |
| Veterans | Master 1 from age 30 to Master 7 from age 61 | we have not found veterans’ age categories |
| Women | separate divisions with their own weights | Snake Pit U.S.A.: women in the open category |
| Adult weights | men in the gi 9 categories from 57.5 kg and open class | Wigan from 55 kg to 125 kg, Snake Pit U.S.A. three men’s weights |
Children
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Competition from | IBJJF from age 4 | Catch For Kids at the world championships since 2024, we have not found the age |
| Forbidden for children | according to the IBJJF rules overview, wrist locks, toe hold, knee bar and heel hook, omoplata in white and gray belts | we have not found children’s rules |
| Match length | 2 minutes (ages 4–6), 3 minutes (7–9), 4 minutes (10–15) | we have not found any |
| Studies and doctors | adolescents aged 12–17: 0.59 injuries per person, adults 1.37, over 30 1.94 | we have not found a children’s study or a statement from doctors |
Self-defence
- Rolling against full resistance, on the ground and from the guard on the back.
- The IBJJF rules exclude punches and kicks.
- The Hélio Gracie lineage adds self-defense drills.
- Takedowns, falls and joint locks against the opponent’s resistance.
- The Snake Pit Wigan rules forbid punches, chokes and grabbing clothing.
- We have not found an independent evaluation of self-defense.
Catch teaches not to stay on the back, BJJ counts on fighting from the guard. We have not found in the sources how this difference shows outside the rules.
Practical use
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Original purpose | a sport and self-defense system of the Gracie family | wrestling at fairs and betting matches in mines and lumber camps |
| Programs for adults | Gracie University: Women Empowered, 15 lessons, 20 techniques | Snake Pit Wigan: weekly courses, private lessons and workshops |
| Study | Øvretveit (2020): perceived physical ability went with aerobic and muscular endurance, not maximal strength | we have not found a study or army or police use |
The benefit of catch for fitness and self-defense is stated only by Snake Pit Wigan and Snake Pit U.S.A. about themselves. BJJ studies describe small groups of active athletes and general suitability for particular groups of adults cannot be inferred from them.
Competition
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Main organizations | IBJJF, alongside it SJJIF and others | Snake Pit Wigan, Snake Pit U.S.A., ACWA |
| Championships | World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and World No-Gi Championship (IBJJF) | Catch Wrestling World Championships every year since 2018, British Championships, ACWA US Open since December 2023 |
| Olympic status | non-Olympic | non-Olympic, at the 1904 games in St. Louis wrestling was held without submission holds |
| Adult match length | 5–10 minutes depending on belt | Wigan according to the organizer without breaks, Snake Pit U.S.A. up to three rounds of 5 minutes |
| Decision | submission, otherwise points, advantages and penalties | fall or submission, otherwise the referee by dominance (Wigan) |
Gear and costs
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Attire | white, blue or black gi with a belt, or no-gi: rash guard and shorts | fitted shorts or trousers, rash guard, spats, nothing that can be grabbed |
| Footwear and protection | protective gear not required by the rules, braces permitted | wrestling shoes or bare feet, head protection checked by the referee |
| Relative cost | low | low |
Availability and organisations
| Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu | Catch Wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | IBJJF, SJJIF and other federations | Snake Pit Wigan with affiliated clubs, Snake Pit U.S.A. with branches |
| Grades | the teacher, the IBJJF recognizes them according to its deadlines and registration | Wigan without grades with coach accreditation, Snake Pit U.S.A. its own levels |
| Recognition | we have not found a rule between federations | we have not found transferability of levels between organizations |
Switching and combining
- Armlocks carry over: the double wrist lock is the kimura and the coil lock the omoplata.
- No-gi experience helps, because the Snake Pit Wigan rules forbid grabbing clothing.
- Unlearn the chokes that Wigan does not permit.
- Do not stay on the back: both shoulders on the mat mean a loss by fall.
- Takedowns, control on top and knee and ankle locks carry over.
- Learn the chokes and fighting from the guard.
- In the gi, master the clothing grips that catch does not use.
- The IBJJF permits the heel hook under the rules for 2021 only in no-gi for adult brown and black belts.
The left column describes the move from BJJ to catch wrestling, the right column the opposite direction.
Training culture
- Academies ordered by belt, the teacher is addressed as professor or coach.
- Matches of Hélio Gracie with the professional wrestlers Fred Ebert (1932) and Wladek Zbyszko (1934) ended in a draw.
- Fairs and carnival athletic shows with challenges to spectators, no holds barred originally denoted catch tournaments without forbidden holds.
- Students of Karl Gotch stood behind UWF (1984), Shooto (1985, Satoru Sayama) and Pancrase (1993).
- Bas Rutten faced Osamu Nishimura in October 2002 under catch wrestling rules, a draw on time.
Common misconceptions
- Professional wrestling is not the same as catch wrestling: it began as competitive catch, but in the twenties of the 20th century it moved to arranged matches and is scripted entertainment.
- The often repeated title of European Open Champion, which Billy Robinson is said to have won in 1958, is not verified, the UWW has no record of such a championship or of Robinson’s participation.
Which to choose
Frequently asked questions
Did the Gracies learn catch wrestling?
Yes. Hélio Gracie learned catch from Orlando Americo “Dudú” da Silva, who for some time also taught his brothers, and he brought elements of catch into Gracie jiu-jitsu. In 1935 he also faced Dudú in a match.
Is the kimura the same as the double wrist lock?
Yes, catch calls the same lock the double wrist lock. In BJJ it bears the name of Masahiko Kimura, who defeated Hélio Gracie with it in 1951. The coil lock from catch corresponds to the omoplata.
Is choking allowed in catch wrestling?
Under the Snake Pit Wigan rules it is not, chokes and pressure on the throat are forbidden. Snake Pit U.S.A. permits all submission holds except the listed fouls.