5 seasons why folkstyle is better than freestyle

Brandon Hancock 2 years ago

1. simpler to understand. i can't watch a silent freestyle match and know who won what period. i look at the scoreboard and i think "how did he score this or that?"
2. it's not over until someone takes an actual LEAD. i hate seeing a period end in a tie and somehow red or blue wins because of some "criteria" it's bs
3. scrambles are fun to watch.. in folkstyle people aren't afraid to put their back to the mat and only one person is going to score in the end. how many times in freestyle has the ref awarded 2 and 2 or 1 and 2 or 2 and 1 and you have no idea how they scored those points?
4. people actaully have to WORK to get out on bottom. in freestyle they're not trying to get they're just trying to kill time.
5. in folkstyle, aggressiveness and conditioning puts points on the board. in freestyle is become more of a chess match.

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127 comments

Anonymous Coward 10 months ago

I find freestyle more entertaining, but I've been around the sport for 40 years. The scoring is not easy to understand for the casual observer. Quite often the referees don't agree with each other. It's pretty obvious to tell who is the dominant wrestler in a folkstyle match, not so in freestyle. In that regard, I'd say folkstyle is more fan friendly.

Anonymous Coward 11 months ago

Its hard to understand for you because you never done freestyle. And in scrambles in freestyle if you put your back on the amt its 2 points for the other guy.

stupid topic but I will bite 11 months ago

Freestyle is the best because you can be a world or olympic champ. This makes greco second for the same reasons, but leg attacks are fun to watch and 5 pt throws can be scored in both. Folkstyle can be just as boring and there are currently just as many if not more judgement calls in folk because of stalling calls. I have seen referees decide matches off of the stalling call. Freestyle is the best. This is a stupid topic. Your 5 reasons are ed and you don't know much about freestyle. In your ignorance you think that folk is better because you haven't taken the time to educate yourself in the international styles. You would probably think that beach wrestling is the second best form. lol. This was a ed topic and Im ashamed I even took the bait.

dylan 11 months ago

I wrestle folk, free, and greco. I really have no personal favorite. There are pros and cons to each style. I think its stupid that someone would argue over who has the "correct opinion." There is no one best style because we can't come to a mutual decision as to which is best.
I will say this: the pushout rule keeps the match dynamic. Some people disagree with it, but it does what it was intended to do. I'm not a fan of gut wrenches, ankle laces, or even folkstyle tilts for that matter. They're all ways to score exposure/ back points without any possibility of a pin. I like that we are allowed to lock hands in the international styles of wrestling, and we should be able to do it in folkstyle. Grand amplitude throws are nice, but if ur down by 5 and about to be teched, it shouldn't automatically win the period for you
Last, why argue about something we hardly know about. I'm in 8th grade, and I obviously know more about the sport than some guys on this thread. It's pitiful. Find a way to create a style of wrestling where the best man always wins, its less a waste of time than stirring up bs with anyone that's willing to play along.

RJS 1 year ago

Freestyle and Greco were both good sports until they started changing the scoring rules. Nearly every scoring rule change in the last 30 years has created less incentive for offense. It favors the older experienced control defensive type stalling wrestler. Why score 4 points when you can win the period with 1 - that extra effort is worthless when you reach the next period. You can stall your butt off for a short 2 minutes and then win the ball grab challenge and then push a guy out of bounds in the 2nd period 1-0--- match over.

Tom 1 year ago

As a wrestling fan who has never wrestled, I have found freestyle to be more interesting. Too much mat wrestling and wrestling on the edge in college-style. Boring. I would like to see the pushout rule in college wrestling, as well as beginning each period in neutral. Freestyle is about execution of takedowns, and the more risk you take in that process the more points you get if you are successful. And what's this talk about "control" in college wrestling? The kind of "control" people are talking about seems very arbitrary, more dependent on the rules college wrestling that any real control. In a street brawl, MMA fight, or BJJ match, you NEVER want your back to your opponent on the ground like that -- you'll get submitted or unwanted flying lessons. Doesn't happen in college wrestling because they don't allow it. So it's called "control" when one guy is on top of the other, both wrestlers facing the same direction....very arbitrary and odd.

RTeet 1 year ago

In the past, refs used to called stalling after a few fleeing the mat actions, and award stalling points after any flees after the warning. They should eliminate riding time to promote the wrestler in control to attempt a pin instead of playing it safe. I would really like to see "leg rides" be called as a stalling technique for someone who can't turn their opponent to their back, because leg rides are stalling. Get rid of stalling, and increase the action. Increase the action, and attract more fans.

I do like what somewhat else posted, about not allowing throws. The "belly-to-back" suplex is considered by many as teh "home run" of amateur wreslting, and you can't do it in folkstyle. Baseball would lose a lot of viewers if a batter was ejected from a game if they hit a home-run

Huck Finn 1 year ago

I agree that riding time is a minus. It makes sense that the guy controlling deserves that point, but the unintended consequences are too annoying. The riding time gets constant attention from the TV announcers, taking away attention from scoring. Riding time leads to too much cautious wrestling on top.

Most importantly, folkstyle has to solve the problems of the mat edge. Far too much stalling and use of that edge to flee shots. The rules are in place to fix problem, but refs are allowing guys to flee the mat. The mat edge is land of frustration and boredom for fans, you know most scoring attempts will just end in restarts.

Tyler Burger 1 year ago

what do yall think of riding time?, i extremely dislike that rule or the added point bonus. i like to watch takedowns and turns. i think that rule allows wrestlers to stall on a lead. Anytime the bottow wrestler stands up, the top wrestler just drops to his oppenents legs. And it makes for a boring match. Outsiders dont like to watch wrestlers rolling around together, its not very interesting to them.

Grappler 1 year ago

In freestyle you can apply high amplitude throws and you can throw a man on his head. In folkstyle simply you can't!
Freestyle Wrestling (like greco roman) is stand up wrestling styles and have a very strong upper body and clinch game. Jon Jones used Freestyle and greco techniques,
Freestyle is a dynamic and upper body oriented with a lot of clinch game and throws. Pure folkstyle wrestlers are in big trouble during clinch game. Top freestyle wrestlers cross train in greco roman.
Wrestling freestyle gives you balance and ability to feel your opponents balance and momentum.
Russians wrestlers have spent years working out how to transfer a lot of soviet traditional wrestling styles judo and sambo techniques to mix with Freestyle and Greco for a jacketless environment.
Russia and a lot of post soviet states have the best wrestling schools in the world and wrestling is the national sport (like Mongolia, Turkey, Iran and several russian republics like Dagestan, Chechnya, Ossetia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan).
Russia and Soviet Union dominate olympic wrestling scenario in Freestyle and Greco Roman from 1950.
GSP trains over 10 years in Freestyle Wrestling with russian coach Victor Zilberman and canadian national freestyle wrestling team . GSP is very effective in clinch wrestling. The big difference is that GSP trains in Freestyle Wrestling, not in collegiate wrestling like Kos or Fitch.
GSP outwrestled Kos, Fitch and slammed easly the best judo guy in mma Karo Parysian with freestyle wrestling techniques.
Freestyle is stand up wrestling, folkstyle is mat wrestling.

Rob Teet 2 years ago

Wrestling as a whole is not about control, but scholastic/ folkstyle is. Wrestling is about not going to your back, and has been for over 15,000 years. Just a 100 years ago, a pin occured when both shoulders and a hip were on the ground, or both hips and one shoulder. Since you shouldn't allow your back to face the ground, it's very hard to argue that exposure points are cheap.

Freesyle wrestling help create the rules of folkstyle, as a safer way to wrestle for children. The sport really boomed in the Frank Gotch era, when he won the professional wrestling world championship (when pro wrestling was still a legitament sport). Gotch mainly wrestled with the catch-as-catch style, meaning freestyle. The theatrical version of wrestling also evolved from freestyle wrestling; the version of wrestling that most people watch (sadly).
This topic is really redundant, both styles are completly different sports. It's not even comparing apples to oranges, more like candy and steak.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

I like the pushout rule because it forces the action toward the center of the mat.. I can't stand when someone plays the edge and then gets out of bounds to avoid being taken down.. And as for riding time.. How often in boxing matches, MMA, even street fights do you see them start with someone on top or in a dominate position? Never would happen.. It's fair game on your feet and that's what I like to see as a fan.. If you get takendown and then ridden, that's your fault.. But I'd like to see every period started on their feet instead of giving the wrestlers the option.. Just an idea and I know it'll never happen.

Wrestling is about CONTROL. It's extraordinarily difficult to hold another trained athlete down when he really wants to get up. The idea is to control and dominate your opponent. That's the heart of wrestling, not cheap exposure points, passive counter-offense and push-outs.

Folkstyle 2 years ago

is dying. We should have been wrestling freestyle and greco at the scholastic level a long time ago. Doubles the opportunites for our kids to compete with two different styles as opposed to one. If folkstyle is so great why are we the only nation that wrestles folkstyle? It is unique to the U.S. I get that. Just like obesity and banking crashes are unique to the U.S.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

folkstyle is whoever likes it mnore than freestyle are the guys who get there ass kicked by the freestylers u jackass

question guy 2 years ago

can folkstyle help your greco-roman wrestling?

Nj Fan 2 years ago

I like the pushout rule because it forces the action toward the center of the mat.. I can't stand when someone plays the edge and then gets out of bounds to avoid being taken down.. And as for riding time.. How often in boxing matches, MMA, even street fights do you see them start with someone on top or in a dominate position? Never would happen.. It's fair game on your feet and that's what I like to see as a fan.. If you get takendown and then ridden, that's your fault.. But I'd like to see every period started on their feet instead of giving the wrestlers the option.. Just an idea and I know it'll never happen.

Tom 2 years ago

Brandon, something tells me you have limited exposure to Freestyle.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

I hate the pushout rule. Although i agree that wrestlers should be penalized for purposely going out of bounds to avoid being scored on, the rule this this too far. Its not the fleeing the mat rule its the first limb that touches the line rule. Also it takes emphasis away from take downs. People don't even try to get takedowns in a lot of situations. They just get into a position to push and shove the guy out of bounds. I know a fleeing the mat rule is subjective but i'll take that over the current rule.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

Having a freestyle season in the spring in high schools is a great idea. I would love to see something like that catch on.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

Beach wrestling? LMAO!

Rob Teet 2 years ago

Not sure what parts of my arguements are "weak" AC. I'm sure not everyone will agree, but their not supposed too; you are supposed to form your own opinions after learning enough to make an educated one. The weakest argument I have read during this thread is americans choose NFL style football over futball/soccer, and that's similar to folkstyle chosen over freestlye.

Really? That's two completly different sports. Different technicques, different rules, different everything. The one (actually read that more than once, not sure if just repetitive from the same person) that made that comparison may as well said basketball is better than luge, or baseball is better than rugby beacause americans play basketball and baseball more often. Football and Futball are two diferent sports, that is the weakest arguement.
I don't have time to respond to this thread anymore. Anyone that wishes to comment to me and allow me to further explain my train of though about the business side of folk/freestyle wrestling, email me, robertteet@yahoo.com I'll be happy to answer any questions just as much as I've been happy to give radio interviews over the sport of beach wrestling, the recognized oldest version of wrestling. Our club is hosting the first AAU Beach Wrestling Championships in Norfolk, VA and hopefully you, the reader, may be interested in more info :)

Truong-An Thai 2 years ago

Great!

Aaron Dowden 2 years ago

Anyone else notice the push out rule has killed all the throw attempts we used to see on the edge? Guys are looking to stiff arm and circle in instead of looking to get their hips to the guy and use his momentum and aggression against him. They've ruined it. The rules system stinks. Nobody wants to do it anymore because it's ridiculously subjective. Kids want to win an NCAA title and get their college paid for, not win the Olympics. I don't care what you do with scholastic wrestling in terms of scoring and rules changes, if you think you're going to be able to compete with a guy who's government is telling him if he wins a gold medal he can pull his family out of grinding poverty and be like Michael Jordan, you're kidding yourself. Those guys are full-time professionals and we're amateurs. Plain and simple.

Anonymous Coward 2 years ago

Rob Teet, your arguements are quite weak.

Penguin145 2 years ago

The one point pushout rule should be used in folkstyle. How many times do you see someone about to be taken down move out of bounds to dodge it. Or move out of bounds when in a bad situation. Putting this one point push out rule with make wrestling on the line more lively and make us actually wrestle on the line and not just go out. It will force us to go back to the center and not waste time.

SULLY 2 years ago

I love wrestling!!! I hate watching freestyle! The argument that freestyle id wrestled all over the world won't hold water with me let's face it soccer is the most popular sport in the world and it sucks! I dare anyone even a soccer player to watch a entire game that's not part of the world cup.

Chris 2 years ago

What's the goal of wrestling? To put someone on their back and pin them, right? To me, this is the essence of wrestling. In Freestyle and Folkstyle, the match is over when you pin your opponent. Now, in the process of trying to pin your opponent, you are awarded points for certain maneuvers and gaining control.

That is, in folkstyle, if you hold someone on their back and almost pin them you get awarded points (nearfall). If you gain control over someone, you get awarded (takedowns and reversals)
My issue with freestyle is that it takes away from the goal of pinning someone. You aren't awarded for nearly pinning somebody. You are rewarded for exposing their back to the mat. Basic freestyle moves like a russian roll, crotchlift, and leg lace don't strive for a pin, they strive to expose the back. Now, let me also mention I HATE tilts in folkstyle. It's the same cheapness.
I'm torn. What I do think is....
I think folkstyle should adopt the going out of bounds rule of freestyle.
Gut wrenches are sick.
I have strong appreciation for holding your base in freestyle, but I like the concept of rewarding wrestlers who are not in control and work to achieve a neutral position (folkstyle escape)
Freestyle should be an option in high school, as should greco.

Rob Teet 2 years ago

Not all wrestlers enter MMA AC, and even then, they do retire from folkstyle wrestling. Keep folkstyle, it has it's purpose as an intorductary style, but hey, it shouldn't be used in colleges. They aren't in high school anymore. If the NCAA is afraid to change from the kiddie version of wrestling to the big-boy version, programs are going to continue to die off. To the viewer with no wrestling knowledge, freestyle is easier on the eyes; better chance for the sport to actually fund itself. Sports that can't fund themselves are being cut, expendable. Keep folkstyle=no college wrestling in 10 years.