Why Scientific Wrestling Exists
The "Missing Link"
in Modern MMA
Wrestling has produced more UFC champions than any other single discipline — more than BJJ, boxing, and Muay Thai combined. But most wrestlers arrive in MMA with takedowns and no finishing system. They control. They grind. They don't destroy.
Scientific Wrestling restores the "Pin and Submit" methodology — the original Catch-as-Catch-Can system designed to end fights, not stall for points. We are the bridge between amateur control and professional lethality.
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❌ Modern Wrestling
Takedowns without finishing systems
Rides without submission chains
Points without dominance
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✅ Catch Wrestling
Takedowns into immediate submissions
Rides, hooks, and finishing chains
Pin or submit — domination, not points
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The Platform
The Scientific Wrestling
Ecosystem
A vertically integrated platform for athlete development, gym owner monetization, and combat sports investment. Three businesses. One lineage. No competitors.
Education
ScientificWrestling.com
The world's largest repository of CACC technique. Global certification program creating the standardized curriculum for authentic catch wrestling coaches worldwide. Direct lineage from Robinson, Gotch, Schalles, Shamrock & Miletich.
Get Certified →Competition
Shoot Pro Wrestling™
A professional league monetizing the "Blue Ocean" between WWE storytelling and UFC authenticity. Real fights. Real stakes. Real outcomes. Zero direct competitors operating this ruleset at scale.
View the League →Business
Affiliate Program
Claim the exclusive Scientific Wrestling monopoly in your city. Business-in-a-box: curriculum, coaching, certification, and promoter's license. Stop competing as a commodity. Start dominating your market.
Become an Affiliate →The Source
Developed by Legends.
Trusted by Champions.
The only organization with curriculum developed in direct collaboration with the architects of modern combat sports. This is not a seminar series. This is a direct transfer of knowledge from the greats.
The Originators — The Wigan Lineage
Karl Gotch
"The God of Wrestling"
Trained at the Wigan Snake Pit under Billy Riley. His catch wrestling system, taught to Yoshiaki Fujiwara and the UWF wrestlers, directly seeded the creation of both Pancrase and Pride FC — the two organizations that launched MMA as a global sport. Co-developed the Scientific Wrestling competition ruleset.
Billy Robinson
"The British Lion"
Trained Kazushi Sakuraba — the only fighter to defeat four members of the Gracie family using catch wrestling — and Josh Barnett, one of MMA's most decorated submission grapplers. Our certification curriculum was developed in direct collaboration with Robinson during his lifetime.
Wade Schalles
Guinness World Record Holder
821 wins. 530 pins. Guinness World Record holder as the all-time leader in both victories and falls in amateur wrestling history. Dan Gable called him "the greatest pinner he's ever seen." Sports Illustrated said he was "the most exciting wrestler to ever walk onto a wrestling mat." Architect of our pinning mechanics module.
The Champions — The MMA Bridge
Pat Miletich
UFC Hall of Famer · 11 World Champions Coached
UFC Middleweight Champion and the most successful MMA coach in history — producing 11 world champions from his Miletich Fighting Systems camp. Former CBS/Showtime broadcaster. Miletich's grappling system is built on the catch wrestling top-pressure game. His involvement in our curriculum connects ancient lineage to proven modern championship results.
Frank Shamrock
4× Undefeated UFC Champion · King of Pancrase
Undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion and King of Pancrase — one of the most complete combat athletes in history. His grappling system, which predates and outclasses much of what BJJ teaches today, is rooted in the same catch wrestling principles that built Scientific Wrestling's legacy. Frank's MMA curriculum is integrated directly into our certification pathway.
"Scientific Wrestling is the most legitimate source for catch wrestling in the world today. It is the gold standard."
Neil Melanson
Elite MMA Coach — Former Head Coach, Xtreme Couture / Blackzilians; Trainer of Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort & Ronaldo Souza
"Jake Shannon has single-handedly resurrected one of the world's lost arts. I couldn't be more grateful."
Brandon Ruiz
FILA Grappling World Champion
"The techniques are unique and effective. Scientific Wrestling was the best investment I've ever made."
Simon Gotch
WWE Superstar
Where Do You Fit?
Choose
Your Path
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything You Need to Know
What is Catch Wrestling?
Catch wrestling (also called Catch-as-Catch-Can or CACC) is a submission-based grappling style that originated in 19th-century England. It emphasizes takedowns, top-control pressure, and immediate submission attempts — combining the control of wrestling with the finishing techniques of submission grappling. Unlike BJJ, catch wrestling prioritizes pins and submissions equally and forbids stalling for positional advantages. It is the direct ancestor of modern submission wrestling and a primary influence on the grappling systems of the UFC's most dominant champions.
Why Does Wrestling Dominate MMA?
Wrestling has produced more UFC champions than any other single discipline — more than BJJ, boxing, and Muay Thai combined. Researchers and analysts consistently rank wrestling as the #1 base for MMA success. The reason is the control game: wrestlers dictate where the fight happens, manage damage, and set the tempo. Catch wrestling takes this foundation further by adding the submission finishing system that prevents wrestlers from merely stalling in top position.
How Does Catch Wrestling Differ from BJJ?
While both are submission-based grappling arts, catch wrestling takes a more aggressive, top-pressure approach. BJJ emphasizes guard work, positional dominance, and points. Catch wrestling emphasizes continuous pressure, pinning mechanics, and attacking submissions from top position without pulling guard. Catch wrestling also forbids stalling — every position must be actively used to finish the opponent. Historically, catch wrestling predates BJJ: the double wrist lock that BJJ calls the "Kimura" is a catch wrestling technique that was already centuries old when it was used to defeat Helio Gracie in 1951.
What is the Scientific Wrestling Certification?
The Scientific Wrestling Coaching Catch™ Certification is the world's only catch wrestling coaching credential developed in direct collaboration with Billy Robinson and backed by the Karl Gotch, Wade Schalles, Frank Shamrock, and Pat Miletich lineage. It uses a hybrid pathway: online study through the LMS, live in-person verification by an Elite Coach, and performance validation at CatchCon or an approved event. Certified coaches are listed globally on ScientificWrestling.com. Annual fee: $797.
Why Isn't Catch Wrestling More Popular?
The primary reason is accessibility — authentic catch wrestling gyms and coaches are extremely scarce. The knowledge nearly died out entirely before Scientific Wrestling began preserving and standardizing the curriculum in 2005. With the rise of wrestling-based MMA champions like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Henry Cejudo — and growing recognition that BJJ's guard-pulling game has real limitations — catch wrestling is experiencing a major global resurgence. Scientific Wrestling is the leading organization driving that revival.
The Legacy is Yours to Continue
Are You Ready
to Dominate?
The legends preserved the knowledge. We built the platform. Join the global Scientific Wrestling community — athletes, coaches, gym owners, and investors who refuse to be ordinary.
Join Scientific Wrestling →
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