Shoot wrestling

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 begining and Karate, Muay thai and Judo in the final stages.

The biggest human influence on shoot wrestling has been Karl Istaz (used the professional wrestling ring name Karl Gotch). Karl Istaz was a student of the famous Sanke Pit gym under Billy Riley of Wigan. The gym was the centre of learning submission wrestling as practiced by the miners 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 sucsess. It were 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 Kamisara (the God of wrestling). He gained tremendous influence in the Japanese professional wrestling circuit teaching 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 art 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, which was the first to promote this style of wrestling. 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, the martial artform of shoot wrestling branched into several diciplines. Each of the diciplines were also strongly influenced by other martial arts.

The major forms of shoot wrestling

• Tiger Mask Sayama's style of shoot wrestling also included Muay thai kicks and was called shooto.
• Akira Maeda's version of shoot wrestling emphasised on submissions and was labelled as RINGS submission fighting.
• Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki formed Pancrase, which had it's own distinct style.
• 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-style is very popular in Japan and many organizations have featured it, including the Universal Wrestling Federation, UWF International, Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi and Fighting Network RINGS. Some of the matches in these tournaments have also been real mixed martial arts matches (previously referred to as shootfighting matches), which has led to confusion as to the natures of the competitions.

Shoot wrestling is also very widely used by the Japanese practitioners of mixed martial arts. The style enjoys similar popularity as an indispensible fighting style as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu does in the United States of America and Sambo in Russia.

See also

• List of professional wrestling styles
• Pancrase
• Puroresu
• Shootfighting
• Shooto

References

• Chan, Sam. The Japanese Pro-Wrestling: Reality Based Martial Art Connection. bjj.org. URL last accessed January 7 2006.