The grappling can be regarded as a sport of combat consisting in catching, holding or controlling its adversary, upright and also on the ground after a possible projection, then to try to make it give up thanks to techniques of luxation and throttling and that without using the least blow.
A grappler is a practitioner who uses mainly the technique of the grappling. It is opposed to a striker which use techniques to him of strike and of percussions, like blows of fists and feet.
The grappling can be practised in position, then called the 'stand-up grappling upright' or on the ground, then known under the name of 'ground grappling' but it is the combat on the ground which is most commonly called 'Grappling'.
The world of the combat knew a revolution in the Nineties, with the creation of Ultimate Fighting Championship, one time when one swore only by the combat upright and the percussions, and where Brazilian named Royce Gracie showed that the grappling was a frightening art and that the majority of the practise of foot and fists became completely inoffensive once put on the ground. After its many victories against adversaries much heavier and powerful that him, the grappling and in particular 'Gracie Jiu Jitsu' were studied everywhere in the world. After one decade of 'cross training', the majority of the practise of free combat can now fight in the two distances, upright and on the ground.