5 Traditional martial arts used by WWE Superstars
Martial arts are an essential element of any combat sports-based full-contact sport, including the world of scripted combat that we so fondly know as professional wrestling.
Now, without bombarding you with a lengthy monologue on the nuances of the martial arts world, it’d be better to keep this part of our discussion rather succinct. The sphere of martial arts is generally categorized into two main types – traditional martial arts and modern martial arts.
So, what exactly is a traditional martial art? In simple terms, A traditional martial art emphasizes that the martial arts practitioner trains not only his body but also his mind and spirit. On the other hand, some modern martial arts (not all), primarily focus on the physical aspect of the training and urge their students to devote all their time and effort towards improving their physical combat skills and abilities.
Critics of pro wrestling may lash out at the relevance of martial arts in WWE. However, it’s indeed undeniable that when the right amount of shoot fighting blends in with a healthy dose of sports-entertainment, it results in a magical potion of WWE brilliance.
The following article features a few traditional martial arts that have been used by some of the top WWE Superstars inside the squared circle.
#5 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The art of Jiu-Jitsu has been around for several centuries. Besides, since the 1990s, it’s been popularized by its extensive use in the sport of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
Nevertheless, one ought to note that while Jiu-Jitsu/Japanese Jiu-Jitsu focused not only on the hand-to-hand combat aspect but also on weapons training, it is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) that’s more prominent in MMA and modern martial arts gyms.
BJJ emphasizes the training of one’s grappling and overall combat skills without the use of a weapon, which makes it more applicable to modern-day combat sports like MMA.
Daniel Bryan:
Daniel Bryan is an avid BJJ practitioner. Over the years, Bryan has time and again used several notable BJJ moves in his WWE matches. Daniel Bryan employs a variety of BJJ techniques and holds including chokeholds and joint locks in order to make his opponent tap out or downright incapacitate them.