Shoot wrestling
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Introduction
Shoot wrestling is a general term that describes a range of hybrid fighting systems originating in Japan in the late 1970s, in close association with Japanese professional wrestling. Shoot wrestling has several sub-disciplines eg. Shootfighting, Shooto, Pancrase, RINGS submission fighting, Shoot boxing and Combat Submission Wrestling.
The term "shoot" refers to the fact that the techniques are applied for real, as opposed to a "work". The shoot wrestling techniques are often applied in shoot-style professional wrestling matches, which feature predetermined outcomes, but with much technique applied in a stiff or full contact manner.
History of shoot wrestling and shoot-style wrestling
Historically, shoot wrestling has been influenced by many martial arts such as catch wrestling and Pehlwani/Kushti in the beginning and Karate, Muay thai and Judo in the final stages. The strongest influence on shoot wrestling though, has been that of catch wrestling.
In fact, catch wrestler Karl Istaz (used the professional wrestling ring name Karl Gotch) is widely recognised as the single most important figure in the development of shoot wrestling.
Karl Istaz was a student of the famous Snake Pit gym under Billy Riley of Wigan. The gym was the centre of learning submission wrestling as practiced in the mining town of Wigan, popularly known as catch-as-catch-can wrestling. It was here that Karl Istaz honed his catch wrestling skills. Karl Istaz also travelled to India to practice the wrestling form of Pehlwani, later on he would propogate the exercises using the "Hindu mace" (Mudgals) and would go on to incorporate the Indian system of exercises using push ups, neck exercises, breathing exercises (Yoga) and "Hindu squats" for conditioning.
Karl Istaz eventually travelled to the American professional wrestling where he found moderate success. It was his tour to Japan though, that set the stage for the birth of shoot wrestling.
Istaz gained legendary status in Japan, earning the name of Kamisama (the God of wrestling). In the 1970's he taught catch wrestling based hooking and shooting to the likes of Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Satoru Sayama, Masami Soranaka and Akira Maeda. Most of these professional wrestlers already had backgrounds in legitimate martial arts. Masami Soranaka had been a student of full contact Karate, kodokan Judo and Sumo. Yoshiaki Fujiwara was already a Muay Thai fighter and black belt in judo. Satoru Sayama had studied Muay Thai with Toshio Fujiwara, and went on to study Sambo with Victor Koga. This would eventually lead to added influences of Karate, Muay thai and Judo to the wrestling style.
One of his students, Antonio Inoki hosted a series of mixed martial arts matches in which he pitted his "strong style professional wrestling" against other martial arts. Inoki would go on to promote these techniques in his professional wrestling promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Later on, many wrestlers became interested in promoting an even more realistic style of professional wrestling and in 1984, Universal Wrestling Federation was formed. The UWF was a professional wrestling organisation, which promoted the strong shoot style/strong style wrestling. This essentially meant that it employed effective and practical martial arts moves, which were applied with force. The organization even hosted some real mixed martial arts matches, where the wrestlers were able to test their shoot wrestling techniques against other styles.
After the breakup of the original Universal Wrestling Federation, shoot wrestling branched into several disciplines. Each of the disciplines were also strongly influenced by other martial arts.
The major forms of shoot wrestling
Shoot wrestling branched into several sub disciplines after the breakup of the original Universal Wrestling Federation. The main forms are listed below.
- Tiger Mask Sayama's style of shoot wrestling also includes Muay thai kicks and is called Shooto.
- Akira Maeda's version of shoot wrestling emphasises on submissions and is known as RINGS submission fighting.
- Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki formed Pancrase, which is also a fighting style under shoot wrestling.
- Yoshiaki Fujiwara's students, such as Bart Vale, formed Shootfighting.
- Kickboxer Caesar Takeshi formed Shoot boxing with standing submission aspect influenced by catch wrestling and shoot wrestling.
- Erik Paulson modified Shooto to form Combat Submission Wrestling.
- World renowed gyms like the Lion's Den, Takada Dojo and Shamrock Martial Arts Academy propogate shoot wrestling based styles of martial arts.
Popularity of shoot wrestling
Shoot wrestling is very popular in Japan. It is one of the highest viewed speactator sports with fan following rivalling that of Sumo wrestling and Baseball.
Shoot wrestling is also very widely used by the Japanese practitioners of mixed martial arts. The style enjoys similar popularity as an indispensable fighting style as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu does in the United States of America and Sambo in Russia.
See also
References
- Chan, Sam. The Japanese Pro-Wrestling: Reality Based Martial Art Connection. bjj.org. URL last accessed January 7 2006.
