"You wrestle an axe away from a mob!
A mob's slice MUTILATES you!
You wield an axe.
You don't even know which end is up on an axe.
You are spending more time focusing on what to do with your weapon, to even attempt to learn the nuances of grapple!"

Grappled successfully but then didn't feel better at it because I apparently cut my thumb off in the process.

There's no pretty way around this one without really clipping your ability to learn after a success.

So the main lesson is: if you want to improve, grapple more weapons you know!

"Grapple me once, shame on you. Grapple me twice, shame on thee."