Possibly in some venues that is true. IN KANSAS (as I posted previously), the freestyle discipline would not be able to operate at its present level without the funds that it siphons from those competitors in the folkstyle venue. without that money, their operation would be greatly hobbled or absent. That very well could be a statement explaining why there are no Kansas teams in the National top 40, If accomplishments in those styles are given strength in the rating. The traditional generation to generation legacy that makes the nw kansas area so strong is rooted in folkstyle--its what dad and grandad, and possibly great grandad did. The united states has proven from time to time that folkstyle influenced wrestlers can excel in frestyle, and the number of Iranian, Russian, and other foreign students that are given scholarships prove that freestyle wrestlers can excell at folkstyle. My point is that each style is separate, and one is no less important to its supporters than the other. As for changing to freestyle, I don't think that
will happen any sooner than we embrace the metric system of measurement, or that professional soccer replaces american football.
Folkstyle may not be what the rest of the world does, but it is an american heritage that will endure.