Going to a high school wrestling match is different than going to an Olympic match. It’s not just the wrestlers age, strength, size, skill level or even the fact it might take place in a different country. The main difference is the style of wrestling.

There are three different styles of wrestling: folkstyle, freestyle and greco-roman. In the Olympics there are two styles that are used, freestyle and greco-roman. The main style used at educational levels is folkstyle. Children may learn the other styles as well.

Sophomore Michael Volkmar is a Varsity wrestler who wrestles at the 145 pound weight class. He has wrestled since the second grade and also participated in clubs. He has practiced all three wrestling styles growing up.

Volkmar explained that freestyle and folkstyle are very similar but there are some key differences. In freestyle wrestling, an athlete is able to score a lot more points in a faster period of time. If your opponent falls or gets rolled onto their elbows, the athlete receives two points. If the athlete does not score on his opponent within ten seconds the two athletes get put on their feet to start over. Folkstyle is done differently than freestyle.

“[Folkstyle] is all about take downs,” Volkmar said. “It’s mostly about turning the guy and trying to get the most points possible at pin.”

When you are on defense in folkstyle, there is no limit for how long an athlete can be on bottom. It is possible for the wrestler to be ridden out the whole period.

Greco-Roman style is very different than the other two as Volkmar explained.  In greco-roman, the wrestler is only allowed to use their upper body. There are no take downs by the legs; the athlete scores by using body upper locks, throws and rolls on his opponent. 

Along with freestyle, greco-roman is used more as an off season style. Volkmar explained that he wrestles with those two styles after his high school season is over.

“It’s basically like starting over a whole new season,” Volkmar said.

Volkmar used to wrestle in clubs. He wrestled with the Lakeland Predators when he was younger until he moved to Team Poeta. He stopped wrestling folkstyle with them when he reached high school but now only wrestles freestyle and folkstyle with that team.

This season Volkmar has many goals in mind, not only does he want to improve as a wrestler, he also wants to qualify for individual state and help Antioch qualify for team state.