Folkstyle or Freestyle

Which style do you prefer to watch

  • Folkstyle

    Votes: 36 56.3%

  • Freestyle

    Votes: 23 35.9%

  • Greco Roman

    Votes: 3 4.7%

  • Sumo

    Votes: 2 3.1%
  • Total voters
    64
  • Poll closed .
This is my new insight and I think it’s been around for a while but I never considered until the rule change. Even though when women’s college wrestling was brought in as freestyle I should have realized it then. There are those who prefer folkstyle but consider freestyle as an ally. There are those that prefer freestyle and still support folkstyle. Then there are those that support freestyle and are radicals and are a threat to folkstyle. This is a legitimate hazard to mat wrestling and calls for the folkstyle purists to boycott freestyle. I’m sorry it had to be this way…… Let the great divide begin!
 
https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?postId=707350132
I found the article. I think it was written in 2018. Link posted above. I think after you read it you will find that some are looking into it too much. I don't think the article takes a stance one way or another and no final determinations were made. I believe that it brings up and interesting topic of discussion and debate. I'm a huge freestyle advocate for a million reasons, but am personally not convinced it should completely replace folkstyle. It certainly enhances folkstyle wrestling, but not sure that it should completely replace it. Love many things about both styles.
 
coachlehman said:
https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?postId=707350132
I found the article. I think it was written in 2018. Link posted above. I think after you read it you will find that some are looking into it too much. I don't think the article takes a stance one way or another and no final determinations were made. I believe that it brings up and interesting topic of discussion and debate. I'm a huge freestyle advocate for a million reasons, but am personally not convinced it should completely replace folkstyle. It certainly enhances folkstyle wrestling, but not sure that it should completely replace it. Love many things about both styles.
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Oh the author is definitely pro freestyle but takes a passive stance by suggesting through questions instead of a bold stance. The point is the community of freestyle exclusive is growing and encroaching into folkstyle. The rule change for three point takedowns and only a two point reversal is evident of neutral wrestling over mat wrestling. The ability to do takedowns with kicks outs being 3-1 is equivalent of 2-0 under the old scoring and has essentially eliminated escapes and made reversals worth 1 point. The article isn’t the only thing showing the freestyle desire for change, Reddit is full of it if you research it!
A lot of college wrestlers having success in the UFC because of control and mat wrestling. I think guys can now focus on folkstyle and move into mma and forget about freestyle like Bo Nickal eventually settled for. Bo Nickal has even commented about American Top Team being there for guys to be able to transition from college into mma. UFC is benefiting from Bo Nickal and his following from the college wrestling fan base and hopefully something they invest more in and help Folkstyle thrive and be separate from that other sport they call freestyle.
They wanted to drop riding time with out having a turn with near fall. I say we go back to the old scoring system. Or all wins are pins or decision unless you get a near fall to activate a major or technological fall. No near fall then no bonus in match wins.
Hopefully a community of folk style purist will come from this and Folkstyle will end up being stronger for it!
 
Prefer folkstyle but don't mind freestyle. Mostly because I learned folkstyle first & competed in it more. I don't really want some of the freestyle thoughts to be adopted by folkstyle. Think the better solution is to be better at addressing stalling. I like both being separate styles. I actually wish folkstyle would be adopted in the Olympics along with what I call Combined Styles Wrestling. Combined Style would be 3 periods regardless of what happens each period. You guessed it, in that each period is one of the 3 styles. Each period would be 1 minute 20 seconds neutral/on feet and then 20 secs each top/bottom / par terre depending on the style.
 
I don’t see why colleges can’t add freestyle as a separate sport and during its own different season. I think that would help keep folk style pure and these freestyle minded guys from creating a hybrid. Folk style needs to be three parts. Go back when you either went bottom or top the 2nd and 3rd periods. No push outs and I think reversals should be equal to takedowns. Just go back to the old scoring and let freestyle have its own sport in college and get more use of the facilities. Win win and different governing bodies for the two sports! Then I can live with freestyle!
 
Crimsonblooded said:
I don’t see why colleges can’t add freestyle as a separate sport and during its own different season.
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Without trying to sound mean, you must be joking.
How many schools have eliminated wreslting in the last 25 years or so? From what I can find, there are only 78 D1 wrestling programs across the country. That is a far cry from what we once had. As near as I can tell, 158 colleges once had D1 wrestling and no longer do.
Do you really think any of them would add wrestling again?
Realistically if anything is going to be added, it will be a woman's team and it will be freestyle.
 
Jim Behrens said:
Without trying to sound mean, you must be joking.
How many schools have eliminated wreslting in the last 25 years or so? From what I can find, there are only 78 D1 wrestling programs across the country. That is a far cry from what we once had. As near as I can tell, 158 colleges once had D1 wrestling and no longer do.
Do you really think any of them would add wrestling again?
Realistically if anything is going to be added, it will be a woman's team and it will be freestyle.
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Well if schools already have the facilities, but ya you’re probably right. But small schools add sports to bring in income. They have girls flag football in the NAIA and would be nothing for Iowa and Penn state to have a freestyle team. Then D3 schools could compete with the D1 in freestyle just like women’s do now. Then you can add women’s folk style and that is really what help solve the title 9 dropping of wrestling to start with. But I’m not really here on the forum to bring solutions. I am really here to complain and bitch about freestyle bleeding into folk style! Thanks for getting me back on track!
 
Crimsonblooded said:
www.flowrestling.org

What Are Modified Folkstyle Rules, Anyway? - FloWrestling

Are modified folkstyle rules the future of wrestling — and the answer to the ongoing folkstyle versus freestyle debate?
www.flowrestling.org www.flowrestling.org

This is the danger for mat wrestling in folk style and why mat wrestling needs to be protected!
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With the exception of the step out, this format has been used n Ohio for many years at the youth level. Neutral restarts move things along faster.
 
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Old&Grumpy142 said:
With the exception of the step out, this format has been used n Ohio for many years at the youth level. Neutral restarts move things along faster.
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So what your saying ,if I may, is that these modified rules are not the future of wrestling and not the answer to the ongoing folkstyle versus freestyle debate?
 
Crimsonblooded said:
So what your saying ,if I may, is that these modified rules are not the future of wrestling and not the answer to the ongoing folkstyle versus freestyle debate?
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Didn't imply that at all. Just saying that many youth tournaments in Ohio have been using a version of this rule set for many many years. It's decidedly Folkstyle. Scoring is the same, allows for mat wrestling but eliminates top stalling & escapes are earned, step out rule penalizes playing the edge, plus it moves faster especially at the youth level where starting positions can be a challenge.
 
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Crimsonblooded said:
This is my new insight and I think it’s been around for a while but I never considered until the rule change. Even though when women’s college wrestling was brought in as freestyle I should have realized it then. There are those who prefer folkstyle but consider freestyle as an ally. There are those that prefer freestyle and still support folkstyle. Then there are those that support freestyle and are radicals and are a threat to folkstyle. This is a legitimate hazard to mat wrestling and calls for the folkstyle purists to boycott freestyle. I’m sorry it had to be this way…… Let the great divide begin!
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One element that hasn't been expressly said here:
People that prefer freestyle to folk style strongly are almost always big fans of international wrestling and want to see the United States be as successful as possible. They might think it's because freestyle is "more exciting"--but it's really about their international fandom and the attachments they feel to the excitement of the international events.

The same is ABSOLUTELY the truth for the other side of the coin. People that adore high school and college wrestling over the international styles adore it because of their historical connection and fandom within it--and their much lower level of fandom and obsession with international tournaments.

Have no fear, Crimsonblooded, mat wrestling isn't going anywhere. There have been losses taken by our top freestyle guys internationally that were obviously affected by folk style habits and that have inspired a push toward adding slightly more freestyle flavor to folk style. And there are certain rules of freestyle that encourage wrestling over stalling that are no-brainers to implement in folk. But all of us in the United States grew up adoring folk style. There is no way that so many decision makers that fall into that second group that adore folk style and its culture will ever allow mat wrestling to be thrown out completely.
 
I appreciate what you said maligned but feel it’s slowly moving away from mat wrestling. From being able to choose neutral in the second period when it was top or bottom back in the day. Then recently being able to do kick outs at a 3-1 margin and reversals staying at two. Advantages going towards the neutral wrestler. Maybe you’re okay with the Ohio Tournament of champions, I for one despised that event. I want the Mitch Clark types to be able to be dominant in Folk style or it has lost something. Bottom guy fighting to get up while top guy keeps control while working for turns. That is folk style and what I enjoy. So any quote, comment or article against American Collegiate Folk Style from the freestyle enthusiasts must be met with some level of disapproval
 
Something to consider and possibly looked into further about folk style hurting international success.

awawisconsin.com

Is Folkstyle good for Freestyle?

****I realize this is a very small sample size. I don't have time to do a larger sample size, if you want to then please go ahead and have at it****
awawisconsin.com
 
These trials were extremly boring and I had to turn them off and on multiple times hoping it was just that match but it was the whole thing. Winning a match by criteria because your opponent got put on the clock last and failed to score is close to the ball grab. The out of bounds call should be a point no matter what or get rid of it.
 
LPW said:
These trials were extremly boring and I had to turn them off and on multiple times hoping it was just that match but it was the whole thing. Winning a match by criteria because your opponent got put on the clock last and failed to score is close to the ball grab. The out of bounds call should be a point no matter what or get rid of it.
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While I do not agree that the matches were boring, I completely agree with the two points you raise.
The idea of winning by criteria (which I do like) because one was on the clock last makes NO sense to me.
I also agree that OOB's is OOB's and should be called the same. You could see guys dropping to the mat, and gaming the rule, just to avoid the call.
 
So Brooks straight out of Folk Style College beating Freestyle exclusive David Taylor. Mendez beating Yianni! As well as other college and High School guys who predominantly wrestled Folk Style having success in the trials like Marcus Blaze over Nico Megaludis!!! Let’s please put to rest we have to ruin Folk style for the sake of the Olympic Games and World championships. I think Folk Style can be what it is with out changing it as shown by these trials! I’m not anti Freestyle but I’m gonna sound like it. Folk Style for life in its purist form!
 

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What we find entertaining is subjective to each of us and that is a good reason why we shouldnt tamper too much with the Folkstyle rules. If we create a new rule such as the Summo rule it should be objective and not fluctuate to the desires of those in control.

FS removing all par terre work has leveled the field for USA and Folkstyle
 
LPW said:
What we find entertaining is subjective to each of us and that is a good reason why we shouldnt tamper too much with the Folkstyle rules. If we create a new rule such as the Summo rule it should be objective and not fluctuate to the desires of those in control.

FS removing all par terre work has leveled the field for USA and Folkstyle
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I like what you said but definitely do not want the sumo rule ever in Folk Style!
 
I definitely dont want a push out rule in Folkstyle, as it will eliminate true scoring skills in favor of skills that require holding position and pushing to the edge. Last night the announcers said holding position much more than he should have to because thats what was happening during the majority of matches.
In Folkstyle I would be in favor of introducing a rule that negates the rolling around and stalemates introduced when a defensive man initiates a scrambling sequence by diving or rolling between legs to avoid being taken down. You can have 1 freebie a match but the next time you need to score from it or its a stall/ automatic TD for opponent or something punitive instead of a stalemate. Youre intentionally creating a position where its almost impossible to score from and eating the clock. In college I would be in favor of a similar rule for out of bounds scenarios where a guy does a full split and straight legs to avoid being taken down with majority of his body out
of bounds and his opponent has an ankle. This intentionally stops offense and eats the clock. Im not sure if theres an easier stalling call then that.
 
LPW said:
I definitely dont want a push out rule in Folkstyle, as it will eliminate true scoring skills in favor of skills that require holding position and pushing to the edge. Last night the announcers said holding position much more than he should have to because thats what was happening during the majority of matches.
In Folkstyle I would be in favor of introducing a rule that negates the rolling around and stalemates introduced when a defensive man initiates a scrambling sequence by diving or rolling between legs to avoid being taken down. You can have 1 freebie a match but the next time you need to score from it or its a stall/ automatic TD for opponent or something punitive instead of a stalemate. Youre intentionally creating a position where its almost impossible to score from and eating the clock. In college I would be in favor of a similar rule for out of bounds scenarios where a guy does a full split and straight legs to avoid being taken down with majority of his body out
of bounds and his opponent has an ankle. This intentionally stops offense and eats the clock. Im not sure if theres an easier stalling call then that.
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The danger rule in college has done a lot to help that.. Remember watching Nico Megaludis in college?
 
LPW said:
In college I would be in favor of a similar rule for out of bounds scenarios where a guy does a full split and straight legs to avoid being taken down with majority of his body out of bounds and his opponent has an ankle. This intentionally stops offense and eats the clock. Im not sure if theres an easier stalling call then that.
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Everyone's entitled to their opinion of course, but I personally feel that when a guy can do a full splits to avoid being taken down, that's friekin' impressive even if it results in a stalemate. Not many guys - myself included - have the combination of flexibility AND strength to do that. Mainly for the wow factor of it, I wouldn't want to make that a stall call.
 
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