A former D2 college wrestler is embarking on a new journey in combat sports, trading in singlets for gis as he steps onto the jiu jitsu mats for the first time. Cayden Henschel, who recently concluded his wrestling career at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, has documented his inaugural jiu jitsu practice at Free Form Jiu Jitsu in Milwaukee.
“Now that journey is over. Very sad. But life moves on. You got to decide what are the next steps,” Henschel reflected in his video on his wrestling career ending. “I was thinking, maybe I’ll just try out jiu-jitsu for a little bit.”
With only minimal knowledge of what jiu jitsu entails, Henschel acknowledged the fundamental difference between the sports. “The goal remains the same, to win, to beat your opponent, but of course, there’s no submissions, nothing like that in wrestling, and that’s the main point of jiu-jitsu, to get someone to tap out.”
Upon arriving at Free Form Jiu Jitsu, Henschel quickly noticed differences in training methodology. Rather than beginning with a traditional warm-up, the class jumped directly into positional work.
“The biggest thing of today was basically learning that I can still attack while from my back,” Henschel noted, highlighting one of the most significant differences from wrestling, where being on your back typically signals imminent defeat.
Working with his friend RQ from WI Wrestle, Henschel practiced defending from various positions and worked on techniques like Z-guard transitions. He was pleasantly surprised by how some of his wrestling skills, particularly leg riding, might translate well to jiu jitsu.
“It just felt so similar to wrestling. Like the way that we can just flow around and do anything,” he observed. “I will say it’s very nice focusing on the technique-wise and not necessarily burning myself out, getting so tired that wrestling brings.”
When it came time for live rolling (sparring), Henschel’s wrestling background proved both advantageous and limiting. His takedown skills gave him an edge in the neutral position, allowing him to execute techniques like ankle picks and single legs effectively.
“Wrestling plays such a huge factor, especially my takedowns,” he said. “I think once I get more knowledge about when to use wrestling and when to use jiu-jitsu in these goes, I think that’s when I’ll be pretty dangerous.”
However, Henschel quickly discovered gaps in his game once the action hit the ground. He tapped multiple times during his live rolls, experiencing the submission aspect of jiu jitsu firsthand.
“I’m sitting here trying to roll on ankles, trying to figure out what I’m doing,” he admitted. “When you’re actually in that position, dude, I have no idea how to score.”
One notable adjustment was learning to protect his neck—something wrestling doesn’t emphasize as much. “I didn’t realize how unprotected in wrestling I am,” he observed.
After completing his first practice, Henschel rated his experience across three dimensions:
Similarity to wrestling: 7/10 – While many movements felt familiar, the ability to attack from the back and the different scoring system created significant differences.
Enjoyment factor: 8.9/10 – “The reason I rate it pretty high was at least because it was my first one. I had no idea what to expect. Everything was new. It was a brand new experience.”
Purpose/Future potential: 8.4/10 – Henschel sees jiu jitsu as a promising competitive outlet post-collegiate wrestling, though he acknowledges there are other options like beach wrestling, Greco-Roman, or freestyle that could also satisfy his competitive nature.
Despite getting “destroyed” in his words, Henschel found the experience addictive and plans to continue training. “I can see how that can get addicting. It was a great time,” he concluded.
Henschel appreciates aspects of jiu jitsu that wrestling didn’t offer—particularly the broader community that has already reached out to him about training opportunities.
“I am excited for this opportunity. I’m grateful for this opportunity,” he stated. “And right now, I’m grateful for not cutting weight.”
