Wrestling Classes in San Francisco
Skrap Pack Mission offers wrestling classes in San Francisco's Mission District for all levels. The program is led by Coach Ron Griffin, head wrestling coach at Galileo High School and one of the most respected wrestling coaches in the city. Ron brings the same competitive standards he applies to his high school athletes to every adult class at the gym.
Coach Ron Griffin
Ron Griffin has built a reputation as a coach who develops real wrestlers. His Galileo High School teams have earned a track record of results through disciplined, technical wrestling, and he brings that same approach to the adult program at Skrap Pack Mission. Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced grappler looking to sharpen your takedown game, Ron coaches with the patience and detail that produces lasting improvement.
What the Program Covers
Classes focus on freestyle wrestling fundamentals: level changes, penetration steps, double and single legs, high crotch entries, and mat returns. You'll also work top control and bottom escapes: the positions that determine who wins scrambles on the ground. Defense against takedowns is covered alongside offense.
For MMA and BJJ practitioners, the wrestling curriculum directly addresses cage work and fence fighting: using the wall to set up takedowns, defending takedowns in the clinch, and transitioning from standing exchanges to the ground efficiently. These are skills that separate grapplers who can fight from grapplers who can only grapple.
How Wrestling Complements BJJ and MMA
A strong wrestling base changes your entire grappling game. BJJ practitioners with good wrestling control the fight. They decide when to stand and when to engage on the ground. For MMA, wrestling is the connective tissue between striking and submission grappling: it determines who gets the takedown, who gets back up, and who controls the pace.
Wrestling classes run Thursday evenings at Skrap Pack Mission, located in San Francisco's Mission District at 672 South Van Ness Avenue.