Intense, claustrophobic, nerve-racking: The world of submission grappling
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Elizabeth Kim against Belinda Hum (in orange top and black ankle guard) in the Female Beginner 60 kg category.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE – The thumping sound of bodies slamming against the wrestling mat, coaches shouting instructions and occasional cheers from about 100 spectators.
Welcome to the world of submission grappling, a form of martial arts similar to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), that is growing in popularity.
Participants at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) Nationals at the Bedok Sports Hall on Saturday morning were dressed in simple dri-fit T-shirts and shorts. They do not have to wear a gi – the thick, white-coloured cotton uniform worn in BJJ – which translates to faster and more dynamic grappling battles.
Chance Wanlass, who co-owns the Singapore Submission Grappling (SG²) gym teaching both BJJ and submission grappling, described the latter as “basically fighting without strikes” and added: “It’s a lot like mixed martial arts fights but without the kicks and punches. The aim is to get the opponent to submit.
“Grappling is an intense engagement. It takes a great deal of time to get skilled at it and to grasp the nuance of it. But once you master that, it’s like a chess game in real time. Someone makes a move and you counter, they counter and so on... there’s no limit to how deep and elegant that can be.”
Wanlass, who holds a fourth-degree black belt in BJJ, highlighted how exciting submission grappling can be. The American, 53, noted: “There’s nothing to hang on to, so you cannot stall your opponent out. You can’t be the strong guy who pushes your opponent away and just hang on (to their gi).
“You’re in real engagement. It’s claustrophobic. And you need to have an answer right away. If you don’t have an answer, you tap out.”
Such elements are what drew Jediel Yew Shen, 23, to the sport. The former national rugby player was first introduced to muay thai by his cousin in 2018. He then stumbled on a grappling class before picking up submission grappling.
The Yale-NUS student, who is pursuing a degree in liberal arts, said: “After one class, it was like love at first sight. And then in 2020, I officially made the switch from rugby to BJJ after completing national service. It was a tough decision because I played rugby since I was 10 and I was coming from the national team.
“I was leaving behind a lot of my coaches and friends. But, at the time, I just felt like I had an immense curiosity for martial arts.”
Jediel Yew Shen receiving his blue belt certification in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Chance Wanlass.
PHOTO: ATHENA TAN
Shen, who is the gym manager at SG², suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in June 2022 and had to pull out of last December’s ADCC Nationals. He recovered from that setback but was again sidelined in 2023 due to a high fever.
He is looking forward to returning, though. He said: “Ultimately, submission grappling is quite a dangerous sport. You risk getting choked out. For me, that’s very nerve-racking but exciting.
“Every time I step on the mat, it is as much a mental battle as it is a physical battle. I would say transitioning to an individual sport is a new experience from participating in a team one.”
Belinda Hum, who competed in the female beginners’ 60kg category at the ADCC Nationals, was first introduced to submission grappling in 2019.
The freelance marketing executive, 26, said: “I started training seriously only in late 2020. Submission grappling has given me more confidence in myself. Now, even if I get pinned down, it is a position I am comfortable with because I can trust myself to get out of these situations.”
Belinda Hum (top) against Kelin Kelin in the female beginner 60kg category. Kelin won by submission.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
David Ooi, co-owner of SG² with Wanlass, is eyeing an even bigger stage. Ooi, 32, is the youngest Singaporean to earn a black belt in judo and BJJ, and has previously earned accolades like Pan Asian BJJ champion and Singapore Ju-Jitsu Association national champion.
He aims to compete at the ADCC Asia and Oceania Championship trials in November, also held at the Bedok Sports Hall.
The winner of each male weight class category will earn a ticket to the September 2024 ADCC World Championship in Las Vegas, known as the “Olympics of submission grappling”.
Ooi said: “By participating in competitions, I got to mix with, and talk to, a lot of very high-level grapplers. I find it fascinating picking their brains and exploring different ways to approach things.”
