10 Wrestling Techniques to Teach to All Wrestlers

By: John Klessinger - South River HS (MD)

I have been at this coaching game for twenty-five years. Prior to that, I competed from elementary school through five years of college. All told, I have spent almost forty years of my life on a wrestling mat. I slightly brag to anyone who will listen that I have spent 38 consecutive winters on a wrestling mat. Wrestling is as much a part of my life as brushing my teeth each day. Not many days, if any, do I not think about the sport.

The past fifteen years is when I truly learned wrestling. In my early thirties, something happened one day. I can't give the specific practice or event, but my thoughts on wrestling changed. I became a student of the sport. Before that, I knew wrestling well. I have been blessed by having many great coaches throughout my wrestling development. A perk of growing up in wrestling-rich Pennsylvania. Unlike where I currently live, in the small town I grew up- Lititz, PA- I would regularly run into former wrestlers and coaches. It seemed that almost everyone I knew wrestled at one time or another. I was fortunate to grow up three houses down of a wrestling family. The Martin family. Jeff and Scott combined for five Pennsylvania State Medals. Older brother Chris, although never a wrestler himself, was a walking encyclopedia of wrestling knowledge. He knew everything and everyone. Remember, this was long before the internet. From what I remember, the only information that existed for a wrestling fan to know about happenings outside of our area was the PA Wrestling Round-up.

As a middle school and high school wrestler, my dad would video tape the AA and AAA state finals. I had years of finals matches. I watched and rewound certain wrestlers and matches studying their technique. I was a student then no doubt compared to my peers. However, my study was for personal gain for myself. In my thirties, my motivation was different. I began to dissect technique for the benefit of the kids I was coaching. I watched DVD's and old VHS cassette tapes trying to find the best techniques and little "tricks" to share with my team. I began to go back to late 80's PIAA finals matches remembering wrestlers who excelled in certain areas on the mat. At camps, I would hang on every word from the clinicians. I looked for every small detail in their set-up to a high crotch that would make the difference. I began to learn so much about wrestling that I never knew or never really understood. For that matter, gave much thought to it.

Today, I am a junkie when it comes to technique. Engulfing myself in picking a part wrestling moves is both a hobby and a passion. I enjoy watching people teach wrestling technique. There is so much good stuff out there to "steal" and incorporate into your own practice plans. Lately, I have been thinking more and more about what I want each of my wrestlers to learn for them to be successful. I could list many wrestling moves but have narrowed it down into a shorter list of "little things" that I believe every wrestler should not only know but be good at their execution. The list below is not a substitute for teaching sound fundamental techniques. It only a supplement to raise the level of your program. The little things that I am noticing that make a huge difference.

The following are 10 techniques, positions, or areas of emphasis that can help your program. The list is not exhaustive. I know there are definitely more that can and should be included if you are looking for a comprehensive list. There is no particular order of the list. Only a list that runs through my mind each day that I want my team to know.

1. Change over to knee slide to stand-up. This series of techniques has significantly helped our team on bottom. It is not my deal. David Hicks, one of our coaches, began showing this to our team a few years back to prepare us for an opponent who primarily rode spiral rides on top. Since then we teach it as a series to create space and movement on bottom. It is easy to teach and with repetition your team will become very fluent in the movement. I learned a change over in high school when an opponent lined up on the opposite side. Using a change over in this matter is very effective as well but it is also effective when a wrestler lines up on the traditional left-hand side. Cael Sanderson is known for his change over on bottom. He created a lot of hip separation and space that led to reversals with back points as a collegiate wrestler.
2. Spiral ride breakdown to near wrist ride. I personally feel a spiral ride is the best breakdown/ride. The transition at the start from knee, belly, elbow makes a spiral easy and effective for wrestlers. It leads the top man into an advantage position with hand control on top. A spiral ride is an excellent way to throw in a leg on top and also great when the bottom man stands up. It allows for the top man to easily lock his hands for a quick mat return.
3. Front head locks from feet and knees. Often you end up in a front headlock on your feet when your opponent is standing. Getting into this position from a snap down or fake to a leg (then snap down) is fairly simple. Teaching your team to set up opponents to get a front head lock will elevate your team in the neutral position. We teach a series we call the football hold series, i.e. front headlock. I stole it from the University of Minnesota's head coach Brandon Eggum. Years ago, when J. Robinson was still the head coach, I came across the series from Eggum. It is one of the first techniques we teach each season. Teaching the football hold series then makes learning front headlocks from the mat easier and more effective.
4. Clearing out from a shot. Too many points are given up on easy go behinds in neutral. Especially at the high school level. I have attributed this to wrestlers not knowing the adequate tools to clear out from a offensive shot. I know when I first began coaching, I didn't show my team how to clear out of a shot. I don't think anyone specifically even taught me as a kid. It is one of those things that you learn from experience and time on a wrestling mat. If it was taught, it was in conjunction with a "sucker drug" or some other counter from a go behind. Now, I show my teams how to clear out of a shot. We drill scenarios that prepare them for the real thing. Shot, opponent sprawls, attack a hand or elbow, opposite leg comes up off the mat, circle opposite from your opponents go behind.
5. Clearing and sealing off the top man's attempt to stay under your arms on bottom. Again, like clearing from a shot, sealing off the top man's pressure, is not something that is usually intentionally taught unless in conjunction with another wrestling move. Quite honestly, it needs to be more of emphasis in our wrestling room. Like a lot of things, the "little things" get pushed aside to focus on the "bigger things" like hitting a better stand-up on bottom. Sealing off and clearing hands will make every technique on bottom more effective.
6. Defending leg attacks. Nothing bothers me more than seeing wrestlers incorrectly defending shots. Go back to the Olympics Games of last summer, you see the United States wrestlers winning medals on basic fundamental techniques. Defending shots and solid leg attacks. Defense is under emphasized in favor of high level offensive attacks. All of us like the clean and quick leg attack. It looks pretty and shows not only wrestling skill but also athleticism. However, I see many (many) wrestlers win matches using sound defense. One of the greatest problems I see is not sprawling completely with pressure on the opponents head, shoulders, and back. Continuing pressure until the lock around the leg is broken. Then, and only then, look to score. How often as coaches do we see wrestlers not "stuffing" the head on a shot or relaxing on a sprawl and then getting their leg sucked back in and subsequently giving up a takedown.
7. Staying in good positions in all positions. Being in good position on your feet, bottom, and top makes it tough to be scored upon. A good stance and tie-up keeps a wrestler off your legs. We see wrestlers reach for a tie exposing their legs for an attack. On bottom, good position is keeps hips underneath you constantly knee sliding and shifting hips. On top, it is staying under the arms off your toes and working to get an opponent off their base. Good position in all areas of wrestling makes a good wrestler great.
8. Correctly finishing cradles. A "cradler" can find a cradle from everywhere. A good cradle wrestler makes it tough on an opponent. This being said, I see wrestlers finishing cradles incorrectly. Again, someone like Ed Ruth could finish a cradle in a unique way due his natural abilities. Most are not as adept as Ruth. Cradle finishes are rushed many times and often result in the offensive wrestler putting himself in poor position and giving up opportunities to score back points and falls.
9. Fireman's Carries and Dump. A feet to back offensive takedown which is both effective and safe when done correctly. Although fireman's are "old school" they still are a tough to defend when executed properly. Spencer Lee and Austin Desanto both have been successful collegiately using fireman's carries. Due to the nature of a dump, it is a more risky lower percentage attack than a fireman's carry. However, it is an excellent supplement to a carry as well as a single leg dump.
10. A little junk. I am pretty textbook when it comes to teaching wrestling technique. Due to an inability to score on bottom in college, I utilized non-traditional bottom techniques to free myself from punishing rides. Inside switches, leg elevators, and chin "whips" became way for me to score on bottom. "Junk" is not limited to bottom. You watch college wrestling and everyone is using "funk." The bottom line is beyond fundamental wrestling techniques every wrestler can benefit from learning some unconventional scoring tactics. It can up any programs game with a "trick" or two in their back pocket when needed.