Brazilian jiu-jitsu vs Greco-Roman wrestling
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Greco-Roman wrestling side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Greco-Roman wrestling | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Brazil | Ancient Greece |
| Created | 1910s | — |
| Type | judo, jujutsu and jiu jitsu | amateur wrestling |
| Competition at the Olympics | — | Yes – 24 Olympic events recorded |
| Notable practitioners here | 43 | 517 |
| Top countries of practitioners | United States, Brazil and Australia | Russia, Soviet Union and Iran |
| Belt ranks | Yes | — |
| Weight classes | — | Yes |
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (Portuguese: jiu-jitsu brasileiro [ʒiw ˈʒitsu bɾaziˈlejɾu, ʒu -]), commonly abbreviated as BJJ, is a self-defense system, martial art, and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting, and submission holds. It is primarily a ground-based fighting style and involves taking one's opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and then using a number of techniques to force them into submission such as joint locks, chokeholds, or compression locks.
From the Wikipedia article Brazilian jiu-jitsu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman (American English) (spelled Graeco- or Græco- in British English) or classic wrestling (European English) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been part of every summer Olympic held since 1904. It is one of the two forms of wrestling contested at the Olympics, the other being freestyle wrestling.
From the Wikipedia article Greco-Roman wrestling (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q189336, Q389654. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.