Cumberland Wrestling

Wrestling in MMA

What is Cumberland Wrestling?

Wrestling is the worlds oldest martial art, but did you know that there are hundreds (if not more) styles of wrestling around the globe? Every culture has it's own variation of wrestling or grappling. Many are very similar with minor differences based on region. The majority of styles either focus on clinching & throwing, such as Judo, Greco-Roman and Sumo, or ground-work, such as JiuJitsu, Catch Wrestling and Sambo. (If you're looking for a Mixed Martial Arts School in Port Jefferson Station then check out our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes).

The Cumberland and Westmorland style of wrestling was developed in Northern England, which is why it is also referred to as "North Country Style." It is a folkstyle not often practiced but had a lasting impact on the sport of American Folkstyle (along with other modern forms of grappling).

The rules of Cumberland Wrestling are simple. Wrestlers are placed chest to chest, grasping each other around the body with their chins on their opponent's right shoulder. The right arm of each contestant is positioned under his opponent's left arm. This is the classic over-under position used in pummeling and should be familiar to even the most beginner wrestlers.

A win is declared if any body part other than the foot touches the ground. A win may also be attained by forcing your opponent to lose his grip while still retaining yours (as in getting double under-hooks).

How is this style of wrestling important to Mixed Martial Arts?

By training in Cumberland Wrestling, students learn to fight for and attain a dominant clinch, learning to control their opponent with an over-under clinch. The over-under position is very common in MMA (as well as wrestling) and is often seen as a 50/50 position. Learning to control, trip and throw from this position will allow martial artists to effectively strike or take down their opponent.

Fusion MMA & Kickboxing of Port Jefferson Station is proud to offer a complete Mixed Martial Arts program that combines various grappling styles (such as Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu among others) into a complete system.

If you would like to learn more about our Adult Grappling Classes please visit http://FusionKickboxing.com or call us at 631-219-8965.

---