I was wondering which stand up grappling styles you all favour for bjj? I find wrestling works way better even with the gi. I want to try Sambo at some point though. I found judo too restrictive and frustrating. Even though I prefer judo as an art.
Judo forces you to get really good at a smaller subset of grappling, good judo is really really good, in the same way greco is. Im currently training in 'wrestling for mma' and have found more carry over then straight judo for BJJ but that might be because I needed the focus on scrambles and active quarters work. Judo is far more injurious too. (in my very limited experience)
i would say judo just because what's the point of practicing an art predicated on ground movements if you can't get your opponent to the ground first, and with control. but i'm always looking to say judo to everything and any problem anyone has.
Even before the Judo rule changes of the last few years I'd have said wrestling because its concept of positional control is much closer to BJJ and it covers a wider variety of positions, many of which (e.g. single leg) are extremely important for both BJJ matches and fighting. Many very good BJJ guys teach wrestling technique that is somewhere between sub-optimal and totally useless, I'm afraid to say.
I've only done it at one seminar but aside from BJJ it's the other thing I'd love to train: So about Luta Livre? I'm not sure how well it would add, because I know both only from seminars, but the LL-seminar was done by a young man who does both and really seemed to know how to move and use his body. He might have had 70/75kg, and managed to stay on the back of my ATK-coach with ease - who usually gets rid of everybody by pure strength (not so much technique).
See if you can find freestyle Judo classes. It's essentially old school rules Judo and works superbly with BJJ. Unfortunately, it has a relatively small following in the UK (but is quite big in the USA and mainland Europe). I know my old coach Sophie Cox has some useful contacts if you want me to find out?
Quite a few BJJ clubs get a wrestling coach in to supplement their classes. We have a very good coach come to us once a month and to one of our team's other gyms once a month too. Hopefully this helps correct any weaknesses in our BJJ approach to techniques that overlap both arts.
That BJJ players often do incorrectly? Things that spring to mind include: Basic shot motion on the double leg/high crotch (e.g. banging the knee, no level change, vertical back); trying to single with your head down; "sprawling" by jumping up in the air and landing on your belly (or worse by doing a burpee)
No, that are "between sub-optimal and totally useless". I read it as "techniques that are in themselves sub-optimal and totally useless", not that bjj players make them that way because they do them incorrectly. Did you mean the latter then?
so the interesting thing about all three that you mention, is that the feedback on each is immediate, forcing one to learn to do them right. for example, i got guillotined during the learning process for the single.
Or you just give up on doing them at all, write off takedowns as a power game and go back to practising RDLR...
I've been taught the single leg takedown by a few BJJ instructors and three wrestling coaches, two of them very high level coaches. Firstly every one of them taught it slightly differently from the others, although there are obviously core principles. Secondly, one common agreement seems to be that BJJ guys don't always do the level change very well.
I've always thought that Catch Wrestling would make a great compliment since it is different theories and ideas. Therefore, you could make both work very well together. Also Judo has always worked well with BJJ.