Submission Wrestling: Sam vs. Max | GRPL

Ruleset: Choke-Only Submission Wrestling Tournament: 5-Man GRPL Grand Prix Stage: Group Stage Format: 1 Round Time Limit: 7 Minutes Scoring: 1 Point per Successful Choke Submission Win Condition: Most Points After 7 Minutes Wins Golden Score: If Tied After 7 Minutes, a Short Break Is Followed by Golden Score Golden Score Win Condition: First Successful Choke Wins

Three Group Stage points are never guaranteed — especially when one fighter desperately needs to change the direction of his tournament. Sam enters this GRPL Submission Wrestling match at Health Center Breukelen with one win and one loss behind him. Max has already faced Rens and Gijs and is still searching for his first Grand Prix victory. That puts very different kinds of pressure on both fighters. Sam cannot afford to treat this as an easy matchup. His Judo/Sambo background gives him considerably more combat experience, but Max is now entering his third GRPL match of the day. With every round, the complete newcomer gains something he did not have when the tournament started: actual experience under Choke-Only Submission Wrestling rules. That learning curve is one of the most interesting stories of Max’s Grand Prix. He entered the tournament without a background in Judo, BJJ, wrestling or MMA. Now he has already felt live takedowns, pressure, scrambles and choke threats against experienced martial artists. Sam has a different objective. After two Group Stage matches, every remaining result becomes increasingly important. His previous GRPL experience and Judo/Sambo base give him technical tools Max does not have — but those tools still have to produce a successful choke. The rules remain the same: 1 round of 7 minutes, Choke-Only Submission Wrestling, and 1 point for every successful submission. Most points after regulation wins. A tie leads to a short break and Golden Score.