wrestling syllabus

8/12/2019 Wrestling Syllabus

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THEUNITED STATESWRESTLINGSYLLABUS


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THEUNITED STATESWRESTLINGSYLLABUS

bySTAN DZIEDZICTechnical demonstration by theNATIONAL WRESTLING STAFF


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A publ ication of Leisure Press.P.O. Box 3, W est Poin t, N.Y. 10996Co pyright 1983 by Leisure PressAl l r ights reserved. Printed in the U S ANo part of th is publ ication may be reproducedor transmitted in any form or by any meanselectron ic or mechanica l , inc lud ing photocopying, record ing,or any information storage and retr ieval system now knownor to be invented, wi thout permiss ion in wr i t ingfrom the publ isher, except by a reviewer who wishesto quote brief passages in connection with awri tten review for inclusion in amagazine, newspaper, or broadcast .Library of Congress Card Number: 81-85635ISBN: 0-88011-014-7Cover, book design, and typesett ingby Diana J. Goodin

G >LEISURE PRESSP.O. BOX 3WEST POINT, N.Y . 1 0 9 9 6


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TABLE OF CONTENTSCon tr ibut ing Tech nic ians 6Acknowledgement 9In t roduct ion 10Preface 11Foreword 13

1 Mas ter ing W rest l ing Technique 142 Strate gy 173 Ta ct ics by Ed Yarovinsk y 194 Stan ce 255 Mo t ion 296 Break ing Op pone nt 's Balance 317 The Tie-Up and Bre aking of the Tie-Up 338 Breakdow ns f rom Behind 619 Low Sin gle Leg 103

10 Crea t ing Favorable Co nd it ions for the Single Leg 13311 Finish es to the Sing le Leg Tak edo wn 14312 Sing le Leg in i ts Ent i rety: Crea t ing Favorable Co nd it ions , At tac kin g and Finish ing 195


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C O N T R I B U T I N G T E C H N I C I A N S MEMBERS OF THEAAUNATIONAL WRESTLING COACHING STAFFDON BEHM: GENE DAVIS: AUTHOR, STAN DZIEDZIC:

NAAU Champion1973, 1974(Most Outstanding Wrest ler1973)Tb i l i s i Champion1970Pan Amer ican Champion1971World Si lver Medal is t1969, 1971Olympic Si lver Medal is t1968USA/AAU El i te Freesty le Coach1982

NCAA Champion1966NAAU Cham pion 1971, 1974, 1975Olympic Bronze Medal is t1972USA/AAU Junior World Coach1973USA/AAU Pan American Coach1979USA/AAU Senior World Coach1981Head Wres t l ing CoachAth le tes in Ac t ion

NCAA Champion1971NAAU Cham pion1974 , 1976, 1977World Cup Champion1975, 1977Olympic Bronze Medal is t1976Wor ld Champion1977Amateur Wres t l ing NewsMan of the Year 1980Vice-President of FILA CoachesCommiss ionNat ional Wrest l ing Coach


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THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLABU S 7

DAN GABLE: RUSS HELUCKSON: J IM HUMPHREY:

NCAA Champion1969, 1970NAAU Champion1969, 1970Pan American Champion, 1971Wor ld Champion1971Olympic Champion1972Amateur Wrest l ing NewsMan o f the Year 1970USA/AAU World Cup Coach1977, 1978,1979, 1980, 1981, 1982USA/AAU Senior World Coach 1977,1978, 1979USA/AAU Olympic Coach 1980H ead Wre st l ing CoachU niv. of Iowa

NAAU Cham pion1973, 1975, 1976,1979, 1980Tbl is i Champion1974Pan American Champion1971, 1975, 1979World Cup Champion1978World Si lver Medal is t1979,Bronze Medal is t1971Olympic Si lver Medal is t1976Amateur Wrest l ing NewsMan of the Year 1981USA/AAU Junior World Freesty leCoach1981Head Wrest l ing CoachUniv. of Wise.

NAAU Champion1977, 1978, 1979(Most outstanding Wrest ler1977, 1980)Pan American Bronze Medal is t1975World Si lver Medal is t1977USA/AAU El i te Freesty le Coach1980USA/AAU Junior World Coach1981Nat iona l Wres t l ing CoachCanada


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INTRODUCTION

T he cal ibre of the part ic ipants in the sport ofwres t l ing is constant ly improv ing. Th is improvement is in part the resul t of better tra ining methodsand rev ised wrest l ing techn iques and tact ics. In thepast th ir teen years ten United States wrestlers , R ickSanders, Fred Fozzard, Dan Gable, Wayne Wel ls,Ben Peterson, Lloyd Keaser, John Peterson, StanDziedzic, Lee Kemp and Chris Campbel l have wongold medals in e i ther the Olympic or Wor ld Champ ionsh ips. These wrest lers and o thers have madenoteworthy add i t ions to the techn ique and tact ics o fwrestl ing in the United States. Each of thesewrest lers , a t one t ime, was both a composer and aper former o f h is own composi t ions. For th is reasoneach had his own personal repertoire unl ike theothers. Af ter a l l , can one compare the wrest lers R ickSanders and Dan Gable? A separate style andarsenal of technical ski l ls are what characterizeeach o f them.What does this mean to other wrestlers in the acqu is i t ion o f wrest l ing sk i l l s? I t means that eachwrest ler shou ld deve lop the s ty le andtec hn ica l sk i l l smost favorable to his individual qual i t ies.

The purpose of Th e U.S. Wrestling Syllabus is tocapture and d isseminate the best techn iques asthey exist today. A great deal of t ime and effort hasgone in to producing Th e U.S. Wrestling Syllabus. Its tar ted severa l years ago wi th the commit tee thatdetermined the out l ine , content , and format o f thesy l labus. Af ter our most successfu l wrest lers werephotographed execut ing the most e f fect ive techn i ques selected for the syl labus, the text was f inal lyorgan ized and produced.


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T he ideal wrestler would have a variety of physica l and menta l qua l i t ies. He would be as s trongas Paul Anderson (Olympic weight l i f t ing champion),have as much endurance as Frank Shorter (Olympicmarathon champion), be as dexterous as KurtThomas (World gymnastic champion), have the f lexib i l i ty of Olga Korbut (Olympic gymnast champion),have the daring and decisiveness of Sugar RayLeonard (Olympic boxing champion), and have thetactical forethought of a Bobby Fischer (Worldchess champion). Natural ly, a l l these characteris t ics would be embodied in speci f ic wrest l ingtechn iques. Unfor tunate ly , the wrest ler hasn ' t beenand probably never wi l l be born with the combinat ion of al l these qual i t ies.There are numerous examples, however, where awrestler wi th the excel lent development of any oneof these qual i t ies, such as strength or endurancecoupled wi th the proper tact ics and techn iques, hasbecome Wor ld or Olympic champion. A wrest ler cancompensate for the lack of certain physical qual i t ieswith the practical mastering of technique. The pract ical mastering of technique makes the wrestler ap-

PREFACEpear faster, more agi le, more enduring, stronger,more daring, and more decisive. For example, awrestler who is technical ly wel l prepared uti l izes,s imul taneously or sequent ia l ly , so many musclegroups, that in competi t ion he always appears morepowerful than even his stronger opponent. Also, atechnical ly wel l -prepared wrestler uses less energybecause he does not br ing into play any unnecessary muscle groups and does not strainhimself because he has many ways to neutral ize anunexpected a t tack. The pract ica l master ing o ftechnique al lows a wrestler to become less t i red andobjectively to seem to have greater endurance andstrength .When a wrestler masters a large number oftechn ica l e lements he a lso becomes more ag i le andis ab le to coord inate h is act ions wi th qu ick ly changing si tuations. The proper technique gives anoticeable gain in speed because i t a l lows for maximum rhythm of the work ing muscles. Th is maxi mum rhythm of the working muscles is one of themajor factors guaranteeing speed of movement or,as the wrest lers say, sha rpne ss. Fur ther , the


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12 PREFACE

technical ly tra ined wrestler is not afraid of comp l ica ted s i tuat ions and goes a f ter ho lds wi th nohesi ta t ion.Even a wrestler wi th excel lent physical development m ust have a wide variety of tec hn ical s ki l ls todevelop a w innin g strateg y and to overcom e his opponent 's res is tan ce. The wrest ler who has m asteredtechn iqu es has a more pronounc ed ab i l i ty to bu i ld acom binat io n o f ho lds necessary to become a champion.Today's techniques were developed by our bestwrest lers and most creat ive coaches. Thesecoaches and wrestlers took the best from our earl iertechn iques and combined them wi th many e lementsof the more mo dern inte rnatio nal sty le. These newtech n ique s are su rp r i s ing ly mu l t i fa ce te d andbecome r icher from year to year.The sy l labus has captured th is mul t i facetedtechnique. No other book to date has been able tocapture, in sequentia l photos, the best wrestlers andcoaches in the wor ld execut ing the i r best techniques. The U.S. Wrestling Syllabus sho uld serve asa guide to proper technique for both coaches andwrest lers .


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W hen a great cham pion dec ides to wri te a bookon wrestl ing, he and his book deserve deeprespect. This is an opportuni ty to express to StanDziedzic , by wr i t ten words, my compl iments and mygreat admiration. This work is the resul t of h is prac-

FOREWORDt ical experiences as both an athlete and coach andscient i f ic knowledge, and therefore mer i ts our comp le te considerat ion.There have been many contacts between StanDziedzic and m yself. I got to know him bo th aswre stler and expert. H is pa rt ic ipa tion in variousFILA wo rk ing groups, in the FILA Coaching C omm ission meetings, and part icular ly in the lectures hegave at the 1980 Cavtat, Yugoslavia Coaching Cl in ic,met with warm approval of a l l in attendance. Thebest experts in the world had the opportuni ty of coming into contact wi th an excel lent connoisseaur ofthe theory and practice of wrestl ing.Stan Dziedzic has poured his knowledge and experience into this book, not only enriching the actualprofessional l i terature, but also opening newhorizons in the theory of wrestl ing.FILA is wi l l ing not only to recommend the book,but also to use i t as a resource for the methodologyof pro fess iona l act iv i t ies in coach ing. Such a workhas been expected for a long t ime.On the FILA 's behalf I wis h to express to StanDziedzic our grati tude for another valuable work.

Milan Ercegan, President, FILA


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1 M ASTERING WRESTLING TECHNIQ U Egreat deal of practice and study is requiredbefore a wrestler can master any part icular

techn ique. The mechanics o f a par t icu lar techn iqueare only a smal l part. A wrestler should also have ac lear image of each com ponen t o f the techn ique, i tssequence and rhythm, as wel l as the role each partof the body plays.The execution of a maneuver may cause part iculardefensive react ions by one 's opponent. A wrest lermust recognize and combat these defenses instantaneously. Further, he needs to know both thefavorab le condi t ion s for exec ut ing a techn ique andthe ways o f creat ing these favorab le condi t ions.Final ly, a wre stler m ust kno w the rhyth m of the setup and the techn ique.In the course o f master ing a techn ique , a wrest lermust learn the fo l lowing:(1) The place the techniq ue h olds in the arsenal ofwrest l ing sk i l l s . The popular i ty o f the technique, and the percentages of success for theho ld . (Example: a single leg takedown has agreater percentage o f success than the head-lock, but your opponent wi l l be more l ikely toexpect it.)

(2) The physical qua l i t ies that are imp orta nt in thefu l f i l lment o f the techn ique. Strength , speed,ba lance, f lex ib i l i ty , ag i l i ty and endurance aresome of the t ra i ts that might be considered.(3) The proper mechanics of the technique.(4) The rhythm of the technique.(5) Other techniques that might work in conjunct ion or sequence wi th th is techn ique.(6) The muscles uti l ized in the execution of thetechn ique and how the wrest ler can deve lopthem.(7) The di fferent varia t ions of the tech niqu eforced by your opponent 's react ion to themaneuver.(8) The appropriate strategic preparation and howyou can create favorab le condi t ions for thetechn ique.(9) The possib i l i ty to com bine cert ain parts of th isho ld wi th o ther techn iques. (Example: the footwork employed in the execut ion o f a headlockis also used in doing an arm throw and hiptoss.)(10) The defen ses to the tech niqu e, and how youshould react to each defense.


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THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLABU S

After severa l t ra in ing sess ions, a wrest ler shou ldbegin to know the place of a tech niqu e in the arsenalo f wrest l ing sk i l l s , the importance o f par t icu larphysical qual i t ies in the ful f i l lment of th is maneuver,and the proper m ech anic s of the ho ld (points 1, 2,and 3) . As t ra in ing sess ions cont inue, a wrest lershould be deve lop ing the rhythm of the techn ique(point 4).Af ter master ing the mechanics and rhythm of ahold a wre stler w i l l need to chal lenge h imse lf inorder to progress. In subsequent lessons a wrestlershould ask h is opponents to create obstac les andlearn the correct techn iques to overcome theseobs tacle s (point 5). One should deve lop the m usc lesinvolved in the move both whi le practic ing thetechn ique and dur ing a spec i f ic s t rength t ra in ingprogram (point 6).Mastering the di fferent variat ions of a hold,learning the proper strategic preparation for a move,com bin ing ce r ta in par ts o f a techn ique w i th o thertechn iques, and counteract ing the var ious defensesto a maneuver are part icular ly di ff icul t tasks. Experienc e, practice , feedba ck , and know ledge of yourphysica l components are important in deve lop ingthese skil ls (point 7, 8, 9, and 10).The sy l labus conta ins the necessary in format ion,but master ing techn ique wi l l depend on the amount

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of t ime and effort you are wi l l ing to expend. I t is wel lknown that each person must develop ski l ls that correspond to his age level and wrestl ing background.The younger and inexper ienced wrest lers shouldf i rs t master the basic sk i l l s and then l e a r n -progress ive lythe more advanced ho lds. Whenyoung wrestlers are left a lone in wrestl ing, they frequently bui ld bad habits which are very di ff icul t tocorrect later.The U.S. Wrestling Syllabus should serve as botha reference and technical guide. The set-up, posit ion, and f in ish are i l lustrated by some of the besttechn ic ians in the wor ld . The to ta l approach, whichincludes the related techniques, can be an integralpart of the acquisi t ion of a wrestl ing sk i l l . The sequence which s tar ts wi th the basic techn iques andprogresses into the more adv anced is a guide for a l lage groups.As you can see, the task o f mas ter ing a techn iqueis a compl icated and tedious one. There are variousmethod s ava i lab le to acco mp l ish the task. R epeateddri l l ing, diversi f ied dri l l ing, and part dr i l l ing aresome of the most effective methods. Each of thesehas a separate purpose in the acquisi t ion ofwrest l ing sk i l l s .R epeated dri l l ing is defined as repeated ly execut ing the same techn ique wi thout any change in


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the condit ions. The purpose of repeated dri l l ing is todeve lop proper mechanics. In order to accompl ishthis goal effectively, a wrestler must have a clear image of every component of the ho ld . Wi thout th isclear imag e, a wre stler wi l l develop bad hab its thatw i l l be di f f ic ul t to correct later.Diversi f ied dri l l ing is defined as performing atechn ique under d i f fe rent cond i t ions. Th is type o fdri l l ing plays an important role in mastering a moveby assist ing him in developing the proper rhythm ofthe ho ld , in learning how to react to counters, and indeve lop ing d i f fe rent var ia t ions o f the techn ique . Theessent ia l means o f a l ter ing the condi t ions are :choo sing par tners o f var ious s izes, s t rength , weight ,and temperament; changing the react ions o f thepar tner to the techn ique; and approach ing themaneuver f rom d i f fe rent pos i t ions.In part dr i l l ing the technique is broken down intothree phases; the set-up, attack and f in ish. Eachphase is dr i l led separately in both the repeated anddiversi f ied format. This wi l l help the wrestler unders tand what o ther techn iques work in con junct ion orin sequence wi th the move, what some of thestrat egic prep aration s for the hold are, and whatparts of the maneuver can be combined with othertechn iques .There are several other areas that affect the ac-

MASTERING WRESTLING TECHNIQUE

quisi t ion of sports ski l ls. The qual i ty of the modeland the test and feedback also contr ibute to learning a wrestl ing technique effectively. In order tolearn the proper mechanics of aho ld , i t is importantto have a good model. This is the greatest benefi t awrestler can derive from The U.S. Wrestl ingSyllabus. The sy l labus has captured proven techn i que, in proper sequence, demonstrated by the bestmodels in the wor ld .In addi t ion to having a proper prototype, anathlete must be tested and receive feedback. Thetest should be r ig id enough to extend a wrestler andal low him to measure his improvement. Since thequal i ty of feedback is so important, an athleteshould acqu i re as much feedback as possib le . Boththe observations of the coach, and the viewing ofvideo tapes and f i lms can be valuable tools inma stering h olds. Further, a wre stler shou ld reviewmethods o f improv ing h is sk i l l s , a l ter ing awkwardmot ions, and e l iminat ing h is mistakes.Once a wrest ler has mastered a s trong techn ica lbase, he is ready for the next step: strategy and tact ics. A level of good performance depends largely onthe abi l i ty of the wrestler to anticipate, in a correctand detai led manner, the tactics he is going toimplement dur ing each match.


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2 STRATEGYn order to master strategy, a competi tor must bewel l p repared physica l ly , psycho log ica l ly , and

technical ly. The mastering of strategy can not beover-emphasized. The more a wrestler knows aboutstrategy, the more capable he wi l l be in creatingfavorable si tuations, and the more points he wi l l beable to score whi le investing less energy andstrength. In fact, i t is pr imari ly the strategy thatdetermines the eff ic iency of a technique. Even thesimp lest ho ld is a very eff ic ient w eap on, if tac tica l lyset-up and e f f ic ient ly per formed.A com pet i tor m ust f irs t comm and the techn ica lski l ls before he can master strategy. Limitedtechn ica l sk i l l s restr ic t the scor ing possib i l i t ies o f awrestler and make his actions predictable. Anathlete who is able to execute only one or two holdswi l l not be successfu l in championsh ip compet i t ion .Once a wrest ler 's opponent d iscovers what h is fewtechniques are, he wi l l be unable to use them effect ively. The element of surprise is effective only thefi rst t ime.A wrestler 's strategic possibi l i t ies are also affected by h is phys ica l ab i l i t ies. H igh ly deve lopedspeed, s trength , dexter i ty , and endurance enable a

wre stler to select at a given mom ent the mo st appropriate way to secure a ho ld . For example, awrest ler wi th good endurance is ab le to execute anappropr ia te a t tack on h is opponent no matter whatthe tempo of the match. Wrest l ing s tra tegy canchan ge as a resul t of a develop men t of phy sicalqua l i t ies. On the o ther hand, a more deta i ledknowledge of wrest l ing s tra teg ies contr ibutes to abet ter ma ni fes ta t io n o f a wre st ler 's phys ica lqua l i t ies. For example, the speed wi th which thewrestler performs a given hold and the strength hedemonstra tes dur ing a ho ld great ly depends on h isabi l i ty to assess strategical ly even the sl ightestchange in the s i tuat ion.I f a wrestler is not prepared psychological ly, hewi l l be overly worr ied before his match. In such acase, he wi l l lose his sel f-control and abi l i ty to makethe appropr ia te s tra teg ic combinat ions. A wrest lerafraid of dangers and obstacles is usual ly prey to astrong-wi l led opponent.During the match, i t is up to the wrestler alone toso lve var ious techn ica l prob lems and fu l f i l l var ioustechnical tasks. In order to fo l low the r ight coursewi th in a match s i tuat ion, to decide the most ap-


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appropriate solution rapidly, and to react correctly andon t ime to al l changes, the wrestler must be able tothink logical ly and anticipate his every strategicalmaneuver. Strategic th inking should be based onquick est imat ion o f the s i tuat ion. I t i s ind ispensib leto be able to th ink quickly. For th is reason i t isnecessary to acquire, even to the point of automat ion , al l stages in the performance of a given hold;th is a bi l i ty w i l l enable you to make a quick assessment of a given si tuation and to take appropriatesteps to remedy the problem. This ski l l is the mostimportant feature o f s t ra teg ic th in k ing . The successful execution of a hold depends on an athlete toanticipate and visual ize future action and i ts mainfeature .The wrestler 's abi l i ty to th ink in th is fashiondepends on his knowledge of wrestl ing. I t isnecessary to be able to recognize the qual i t ie s of theoppone nt, to read h is thoughts , and to ant ic ipate h isactions. The wrestler who is able to read thethoughts o f h is opponent and ant ic ipate wi th theh ighest degree o f probabi l i ty enhances h is ownpos sib i l i t ies in any g iven s i tua t ion. Then the ac t ionsof his opponent are not unexpected and sudden toh im; thus, they wi l l not be as effective. On the otherhand, i t is not always possible to anticipateeveryth ing. Dur ing a ma tch, unant ic ipated s i tuat ions

STRATEGY

and obsta cles may arise and require a chan ge in thepreconce ived p lan. Very often the wrestler has tocope with the fact that his opponent wi l l defeat th isplan; for th is reason, i t is important for a wrestler todeve lop the f lex ib i l i ty o f s t ra teg ica l th ink ing. The only guarantee of success is the creative approach tothe so lu t ion o f a g iven prob lem the a b i l i ty to th inkthrough the adversi t ies that ar ise in the execution ofa hold and to constantly discover new means tosolve these problems.


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3 TACTICS by EdYarovinskywrestler may uti l ize various set-ups to createfavorab le condi t ions for a par t icu lar techn ique.

The seven set-ups most frequently employed are:breaking o f ba lance, b i nd in g the oppone nt,maneuver ing, threat , repeated a t tack , double decept ion, and cha l lenge. No def in i te sequence is imperative, and each method may be used separatelyor in combinat ion. B reaking of B alance. By jerk ing, pu l l ing , andpushing the opponent, a wrest ler may succeed inbreaking his adversary's balance. Once this is

ach ieved, the opponent part ia l ly loses his abi l i ty todefend h imsel f and must concentra te h is e f for tson regaining his balance. The attacking wrestlershould cap i ta l ize on h is opponent 's vu lnerab i l i tyby using a sequence of several forceful andtenacious movements. By so do ing, he wi l l c reatefavorab le condi t ions for severa l o ther techn iques. B i n d i n g . By b in d in g h i s opponen t ' s hands ,arms, neck, or a combinat ion o f these, a wrest lerl imi ts the scope of the opponent 's act ions andalmost e l iminates the possib i l i ty o f a t tack. B ind i ng also forces the opponent to concentra te h isattention on breaking free from this control . This is

a favorab le condi t ion and can be used successfu l ly in al l phases of wrestl ing. Maneuver ing . Maneuver ing invo lves changingone 's posi t ion on the mat and act ive ly cap i ta l iz ingon the opponent 's t ie -ups. The a t tacked opponentconcentra tes on the movements o f the o therwrestler, tr ies to ei ther maintain control or give i tup; and a t tem pts to main ta in a cer ta in d is tan ceand stance whi le changing h is pos i t ion. Bymaneuvering properly, a wrestler may force his opponent ei ther to move in a favorable direction or to

remain s ta t ionary. Maneuver ing can d is t ract theopponent 's a t tent ion, can g ive the wrest ler t ime tolearn h is oppo nent 's in tent ion s, and can stymie h isopponent. By maneuver ing, a wrest ler can createcondi t ions favorab le for app ly ing cer ta in techniques and for so lv ing tact ica l prob lems encountered dur ing the match. Threats. Thre ats are dece ptive m ovem ents pre

tending to aim at grabbing a certain part of the opponent's body. I f the opponent reacts defensively,the wrestler m ust quic kly grab a di ffere nt part ofhis body. For example, i f a wrestler attempts a collar t ie-up, and the defe ndan t raises his head to pro-


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tect i t, his body and legs are left vulnerable to attack. A threat can open the opponent 's defense,can make h im take a cer ta in s tance or pos i t ion,and can produce a par t icu lar react ion . The w rest lermust be aware, though, that the opponent canreact by attacking. Therefore, the wrestler must bevery attentive.

Repeated Attack. In a repeated attack, the wrestleruses the same techn ique a second t ime. Fi rs t , thetechnique is carr ied out wi th less than ful l effort,enabl ing the opponent to defend aga inst thetechn ique easi ly . Th is wi l l de lude the opponent in to th ink ing that the techn ique is eas i ly fo i led. Thesecond attack must then be carr ied out using maximum effort. I f the opponent reacts with less thanful l effort because of the previous attempt, thetechn ique wi l l be successfu l .

Double Deceit. In the double decei t, a wrestlerhopes to deceive his opponent into thinking thatthe rea l techn ique by wh ich he wa nts to succeed isa false alarm which need not require an adequatedefense. I f such a decept ion is a t ta ine d, a wrest lerwi l l conduct the same techn ique aga in , but th ist ime he wi l l use ful l force. Double decei t d i f fersfrom repeated attack only in that in the former thewrest ler employs two d i f fe rent techn iques. Af terhaving convinced an opponent that the f i rs t tech-

TACTICS

nique was a bluff, a wre stler im itate s the carryingout of the second technique in order to deceive hisopponent in to th ink ing that the second techn iquewi l l actual ly be carr ied out. This creates afavorable condit ion for the wrestler to employ thef i rs t techn ique successfu l ly . Challenge. Chal lenge prepares the ground work forconduct ing counter- techn iques; i t a lso forces theopponent to swi tch to act ive par t ic ipat ion. I t i sbased on the u t i l i za t ion o f s tances wh ich convincethe opponent that cond i t ions favor a t tack andact ive par t ic ipat ion . Such provoked at tack m ust bepromptly answered by careful ly prepared techniques and counter- techn iques. The wrest ler whouses chal lenge must have quick reactions, mustbe able to move fast, must be resolute, and musthave very good counter-technique. Delays andindecis iveness wi l l enab le the opponent to a t tacksuccessfu l ly .

TACTICAL COMBINATIONSCombined app l ica t ion o f var ious techn iques is

based on the assumpt ion that a wrest ler 's f i rs ttechn ique wi l l be answered by h is opponent e i therwi th a defense or wi th a counter-a t tack to which thewrest ler immedia te ly responds wi th another technique. I t may often happen that the f i rst technique


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THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLABU S

makes the opponent take a stance favorable forcarry ing out the second techn ique.Combinat ions are usua l ly d iv ided in to threecategor ies: The f i rst category can be expressed by the formulatechn iquetechnique. The f i rs t techn ique in th iscase produces favorab le condi t ions for implement ing the second. The formula for the second category is fake techn iquedefens ive coun te r - techn iquetechn ique .In th is case, the f i rst technique is aimed at makingthe opponent ei ther defend himself or counterattack so that a favorable si tuation is created for

app ly ing the next premedi ta ted techn ique. The third catego ry can be described as techn iquedefense techn ique o r coun te r -techn ique .The f i rs t techn ique o f th is combinat ion is conducted in fu l l force, and i f the opponent usesdefense or counter-defense, the wrest ler qu ick lyswi tches to the techn ique which is the most rat iona l in the g iven s i tuat ion.Past matches have attested to the fact that comb inat ions in compet i t ion requ i re h igh s tandards o fphysica l t ra in ing. As a resu l t , a l l the combinat ionsmust be di l igently practiced whi le the wrestler is inthe process of tra ining. Using the f i rst group of com-

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binations requires great strength and f lexibi l i ty, verygood coord inat ion o f movements, and a lso thedeve lopment o f such qua l i t ies as reso lu teness andpers is tance. The second group demands qu ickness,very good reactions, sel f-assurance, in i t iat ive, andse l f -contro l . One must remem ber the opponen t doesnot a lways counter the wrest ler 's in i t ia t ive wi thdefense. Therefore , the wrest ler who star ts the combination with a fake technique must be very attent ive and ready for any act ion . To master th e th irdgroup, a wrest ler mu st a t ta in per fect know ledge ofal l the possible variat ions of defense and counter-defense, must master a whole set o f techn iques,mu st acq uire a very highly de veloped level ofphys ica l prowess, and must a t ta in f i rm wi l l power.Favorable condit ions are also created as a resul to f the opponen t ' s m is takes . An exper iencedwrest ler , especia l ly the one who knows h is opponent we l l , can almost always observe i f the opponent has made a mistake, or whether he is simplyprovoking h im to take a cer ta in course o f a ct ions .The most important th ing is to determine themistake and to capi tal ize on i t as quickly as possible. Experience reveals most mistakes are madeeither near the edge of the mat, or when gett ing upfrom par-terre to a standing posi t ion, or when thestrength of the opponent is ei ther under-or over-

22


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est imated. The most oppor tune t ime for creat ingfavorab le condi t ions is when the opponent is t i redbecause in such a s ta te h is a t ten t ion, qu ickness andstrength d imin ish to the po in t where he o f tenbecomes apathet ic or care less. Other s i tuat ionsconducive to improv ing condi t ions ex is t when theopponent is complacent, d is t racted, depressed,t imid or f r ightened.TACTICS OFCONDUCTING A MATCH

Tact ics o f conduct ing a match are a imed atachieving a predetermined goal by way of solvingcer ta in .prob lems which may ar ise .Each wrestler has a certain individual ist ic style ofconduct ing a bout which is character is t ic on ly o fhimself, but al l wrestlers uti l ize the tactics of attack,counter-a t tack , and defense. At tac k is character izedby act ive par t ic ipat ion by the wrest ler who at temptsto str ike f i rst. Nonstop attacks involve ei ther a seriesof a t tacks or the implementat ion o f spur t a t tackssing le a t tacks. The stop ser ies o f a t tacks isbased on the wrest ler 's in i t ia t ive , on the imposi t ionof his w i l l , on h is pace, on s i tuat ions convenient forhim, and on poses and stances favorab le for imp l e m e n t i n g v a r i o u s te c h n i q u e s a n d c o u n te r -techn iques. The wrest ler , by us ing th is tact ic , sup-

TACTICS

presses the wi l l of h is opponent by refusing to lethim concentrate and prepare for active part ic ipat ion . This tactic requires endurance and wi l l power.Spurt tactics are separate attacks that use variousswi f t -paced act ions in the hope of creat ing condi t ions favorab le for implement ing some desi rab letechnique. The suddenness and the pace of a spurtattack, which lasts for 15-20 seconds, are aimed ats tunn ing the opponent and d is turb ing h is defense.Th is tact ic can a lso be conducted a t a d i f fe rentpace. I t requires ski l l fu l coordination of one'smovements and an instant resu l t .The tactic of counter-attack is characterized byanswering and countering al l the moves of an opponent. The wrest ler creates a cer ta in s i tuat ion whichent ices h is opponent to act . The wrest ler thenforesta l ls h is opponent 's act ions wi th a counter-techn ique. Th is a t tack requ i res qu ickness o f react ion , sel f-assurance, and courage. I t should not beused i f the opponent counter-a t tacks.A wrest ler 's defense invo lves constant use o fdefensive act ions in terming led wi th s imple countera t tacks a imed at cap i ta l iz ing on the gross mistakesof the opponent. The use of th is tactic requires greatse l f -contro l as wel l as a good k nowledge of defense ;o therwise, the wrest ler qu ick ly makes h is in tent ionsclear to the opponent and also receives a warning



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f rom the o f f ic ia l . That is why a t tack becomesnecessary.The modern leve l o f a wres t ler 's pro fess iona l ismrequires a very deta i led laying of gro und w ork beforeconduct ing a match wi th any opponent. Thus, a tact ical p lan of each match should be made beforehandin which each o f the fo l lowing must be determined;the goal of the match, means and ways of achievingi t , types o f tact ics and the i r combinat ions, d is t r ibut ion of one's strength by periods of the match, andpossib le var iants o f modi fy ing the p lan. One 's ownqual i t ies must be ob ject ive ly compared wi th thequal i t ies of the opponent. I f the opponent isunknown, reconnaissance must be conducted during the match. Each plan of the wrestler must have agoal which may be achieved by general means.Determin ing the goa l depends on the character andthe type o f compet i t ions, the opponent 's s t rengthand experience, and the goal one hopes to attain.Means and ways of achieving the goal are determined by techn ica l and tact ica l factors, phys ica lqua l i t ies and capabi l i t ies, and the opponent 's wi l lpower. Achieving the goal involves choosing basicmeans of tactical preparation in the execution ofcertain techniques, in the kinds of tactics and in theways of applying them. I t is advisable to foresee thetempo of the match and i ts variants, as wel l as one's

choice of stance and distance. The carrying out ofthe tact ica l p lan depends foremost upon thewrest ler 's determinat ion and conf idence. A wrest lermust be creative in carrying out a p lan; he shoulda lways take in to account the actua l s i tuat ion andnever fo l low any plan bl indly.One should not forget that tactics require thequick and reasonable implementat ion o f a l l themeans possib le that he lp so lve the prob lems whichare obstruct ing the ach ievement o f a cer ta in a im.The minute breaks should always be used not onlyfor rest, but also for analyzing one's plan and making al l necessary corrections. Therefore, i f in thef i rs t per iod o f the match the implementat ion o f thep lan has been compl ica ted and, for some reason,has been prevented f rom be ing changed, defenseshould be used. Later, during the calmer atmosphere of the break, the match can be betterana lyzed. Dur ing such t ime, the wrest ler 's coachmust be o f great he lp to h im. At tent ion and ta ct ica lth inking play an important role in the real ization of atac t i ca l p lan. In any case, whether or not the planhas been ful f i l led, i t must be analyzed after thematch so al l the mistakes can be marked and avoided in the next match.

The prematch state of the wrestler also has a profound in f luence on whether he succeeds in fu l f i l l ing

24 TACTICS


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his p lan . I t is qui te possible a very good and properlyconstructed plan wi l l not be carr ied out because ofthe negative emotional state of the wrestler. Thismust be taken in to accou nt, and everyth ing possib leshould be done to el iminate these negative responses.TACTICS OFP ARTICIPATING INCOMPETITIONSThese tactics are aimed at winning by using al lthe means ava i lab le whi le tak ing in to account theactua l c i rcumstances. Based on h is t rue capabi l i t ies, each wrestler sets a goal of reaching a certa in p lace in the compet i t ions; s imul taneously ,however, he must also always aim at atta ining thefi rst p lace. This is the main goa l , and al l factorsmust be d i rected to a t ta in ing i t . H ence, the wrest lermust: Know a l l the ru les and regu la t ions concern ing thecompet i t i ons . Know h is oppo nen ts w e l l and know the i rcapabi l i t ies in these par t icu lar compet i t ions. Distr ibute his strength for al l the days of the compet i t ion . Carefu l ly watch the compet i t ions and ana lyze theresul ts achieved by al l h is opponents. Determine the best routine for keeping his weightunder contro l and for acc l imat iza t ion.

Knowledge of ru les and regu la t ions a l lows thewrestler to know what effect the resul ts of his matchwi l l have on his f inal p lace f in ish and how a part icu lar act ion wi l l be scored. Knowing one 's oppone nts enables the wre stler to make a goo d tact ical p lan of matches and to predict possible resul tsof h is opponents. Correct d is t r ibut ion o f one 'sstrength dur ing the compet i t ions determines thewrestler 's success to a great extent. The wrestlermust divide his use of energy in each match in sucha way as to achieve the best resul ts without depleting resources.The wrest ler must c lose ly watch the compet i t ionsand objectively evaluate and analyze his resul ts aswel l as those of his opponents. Thus he can not onlypredict but also make further plans for improving hisper formance at compet i t ions. Th is must be doneeven when the wrest ler has been e l iminate d f rom thecompet i t ion so he can acqu i re exper ience for h isfu tu re compe t i t i ons .Sound weight contro l wi l l f ree the wrest ler f rommany t roub les dur ing the compet i t ions and wi l lc reate bet ter cond i t ion s for wres t l ing . Unl ike in tournament compet i t ion , tact ics o f per formance in in d iv idua l matches consis t main ly o f the wrest ler using al l h is abi l i t ies to attain his goal .


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4 STANCE

Gene Daw's and his Mongolian opponent illustratestaggered stances.

T he stance is the start ing posi t ion for in i t iat ingtakedowns and is an important aspect of successfu l takedown wrest l ing . Yet some wrest lers areunaware o f the charac ter is t ics o f a good stance .Taked own s require speed and proper po si t io n. Aproper stance should be relaxed and comfortable. Atense stance requires a wrestler to relax before hecan attack; therefore, t ime should be spent on learning to relax and move in your stance . R elaxeddoesn' t mean l imp. Certain muscle groups l ike thelower back and thigh region wi l l be f lexed becauseof the posi t ion.There are nine variet ies of stances. A stance canbe square, staggered r ight, or staggered left as wel las h igh , middle, or low. The major di fference between the square and staggered stance is the posit ion of the feet. In a square stance, the feet areparal le l ; in a staggered stance, one foot is sl ightlyahead of the other. Neither stance is better than theother; instead, each has certain advantages over theother. A wrestler should choose the stance that bestf i ts the tactics and techniques he uses. In a squarestance, a wrestler can penetrate with ei ther foot, canmove wel l and in al l d i rections, and doesn' t have


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THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLAB US 27


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Side View: Knees and hips are bent sl igh tly. H ead isup and looking forward. Eyes are concentrating onopponent's whole body and not on any speci f ic part.Shoulders are sl ightly in front of both feet. Back isstraight but shoulders are rounded. Forearms areparal le l to the mat.

; ,2X


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5 MOTIONwrest ler shou ld be caut ious when changingposi t ions. When moving, a wrest ler 's body is

momentari ly supported by one leg and therefore in aless s tab le pos i t ion. The fo l lowing steps should beincorporated when moving in the s tand ing posi t ion:(1) Move with sl ightly bent legs.(2) Lead with the foot nearest the direction moving; for instance, when moving r ight, a wrestlerstarts with his r ight leg.(3) Avoid c ross ing your feet or gett in g them tooclose together .(4) Take short, quick steps.(5) Don' t change the posi t ion of your torso in relat ion to your other body parts whi le moving yourfeet.(6) In a wrestl ing stance, the points of the centerof gravi ty are on the insides of the bal ls of thefeet . When moving, a lways move to main ta inthese points of gravi ty.There are three basic dist anc es w hen a wres tler isin mot ion: when the wrestlers are unable to t ie-up witheach other,

whe n the wre stlers are at arm 's leng th, when the wrestlers are in a t ie-up posi t ion .Dur ing a match the d is tance a wrest ler main ta insdepends on h is tact ica l and techn ica l in tent ions. Awrestler wi l l often f ind himself at a variety ofdistances, however, and should be able to executetechn iques and defend h imsel f f rom any d is tance.

Sasahara, Shozo. Fundamentals of Scientific Wrestl ing, 3rd Editio n, pg. 59, 1978.


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6 B REAKING OPP ONENT'S B ALANCET he abi l i ty to break the balance of an opponent isa fundamenta l to becoming pro f ic ient in takedown wrest l ing . Few wrest lers complete ly commandthe ski l l of breaking their opponent's balance. Thetime a wrestler spends to master th is ski l l would betime wel l spent.Japanese Olympic Champion Shozo Sasaharauses the fo l lowing d iagrams to i l lustra te the concept of breaking an adversary's balance.*The tr iang les sh ow n in Fig. A and B i l lustra te thed i rect ion to break a compet i tor 's ba lance. The feetof a wrestler in the neutral posi t ion form the base ofan isosceles tr iangle. The vert ices mark the pointswhere an opponent 's ba lance is most vu lnerab le . Awrest ler shou ld constant ly be aware o f the or ientat ion o f h is compet i tor 's t r iang le .Moving an adversary in the directions marked inthe circle requires a push, pul l , and/or snap. Awrestler may uti l ize the push to force his opponentbackward and the pul l and/or snap to maneuver himforward.I t is important to remember when a wrestler is off-ba lance h i s capac i ty to de fend h imse l f i ss ign i f icant ly d imin ished, and h is e f for ts wi l l be

geared to regaining his balance. A tactical wrestlerwi l l se ize th is oppor tun i ty by a t tack ing h is o pponen tto acqu i re a takedown.

Figure BB A C K

R I G H T B A C K LEFT BACK

R I G H T F R O N T ' \ ^ _ L _ - - LEFT FRONTfF R O N T

Figure CSasahara, Shozo. Fundamentals of Scientific Wrestl ing, 3rd Edit ion, pp. 25-27, 1978.

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Pictorial illustration of breaking opponent's balance.

3 1

PES

IS


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7 TH E TIE-U P AND BREAKING OF THE TIE-U P

Stan Dziedzic, 1977 World champion, controllingWade Schalles, 1977 World University champion,with a 2 on 1 in the 1976 Olympic trials.

T he t ie-up is a fundamental of takedown wrestl ingof ten over looked by coaches and wrest lers .Wrestlers lose matches because they are unable tobreak their opponent's t ie-ups effectively. Timeshould be spent on master ing contro l and breakingyour opponent 's contro l in the t ie -up posi t ions.A wrestler who has mastered the t ie-up wi l l havethe necessary base to control the tempo of thematch and the means to maneuver h is oppone nts in to posi t ions favorab le for par t icu lar techn iques. Healso wi l l be able to l imit h is opponent's attack. Awrestler not mastering the t ie-up wi l l be unable tohide his weakness and wi l l be easy prey for w restlerswho have mastered the control of the t ie-up.As you wi l l see in the syl labus, the t ie-up is thebasis for many wrest l ing tact ics and techn iques. Important points on tying-up: R each short and quick wh en tying-up . Grip t ight on t ie-ups. Avo id making contact wi th your head. I t restr ic ts

your movement and warns your opponent of yourmovement. The instant you acquire control of a t ie-up, use i t tocreate the condi t ions for a takedown.

34 T H E T I E U P A N D B R E A K I N G O F T H E T I E U


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1 H ead tie-up.

4'S

2 Head and bicep tie-up. 3 Inside bicep-shoulder tie-u p.



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4 Double bicep tie-u p. 5 Double wrist tie-up. 6 H igh underhook tie-up.

36 TH E TIE-UP AND B REAKING OF TH E TIE UP


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7 Low underhook tie-up . 8 2 on 1 baseball grip tie-up.

. ; . ;

9 2 on 1 undergrip tie-up.

i'



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1 0 2 on 1 overgrip tie-up. 1 1 Over and under tie-u p. 1 2 Head outside 2 on 1 .

38 TH E TIE-UP AND B REAKING OF TH E TIE-UP


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7.1 Stan Dziedzic breaking the wrist control tie-up.

1 My oppon ent has control of both mywrists. 2 / reach across and grasp my opponent's wrist. When I achieve control, Irotate my w rist toward the thumb, breakingmy opponent'shold.3 Now that I have treed my wrist, I moveup for my 2 on 1 control.


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THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SY LLABU S 41


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7. 3 Dan Gable clearing the shoulder tie. Opposite side v iew.1 2



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7 . 4 Stan Dziedzic cou nteracting the double bicep tie-up.

1 In this position my opponent has the 2 To change the tie-up position, I 3 My left arm is straight, and my thumbinside biceps tie-up. Unless I break or straighten and rotate my left arm inward is rotated inward as tar as possible, block-change this position, he will take advantage while my right arm starts to circle under my ing my opponent's right shoulder. At theof this favorable cond ition. oppo nent's left arm. same time, my right hand is controlling andpulling his right wrist.


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7 .5 Stan Dziedzic breaking the bicep and collar tie-up.

1 My oppo nent has con trol with a biceps and collar tie-up. Ireach my right hand over the top of his left arm and begin to turnmy body in order to put pressure on my opponent's elbow.2 /continue to turn, and reach my right hand over the top of myopponent's arm to his far wrist. This puts a great deal of pressureon his elbow.



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3 /continue my turn, drawing my opponent's wrist toward meand tight to my chest. 4 I now have broken his tie-up and secured the 2 on 1 control.

46 TH E TIE-UP AND B REAKING OF THE TIE-U P


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7. 6 Don Behm breaking the 2 on 1

1 My opponen t has control of the 2 on 1.My first reaction is to shrug my shoulders,bend my arm, and block with my forehead.

tie-up.

2 At this point, I am moving my hips backand yankingaway. 3 / now lunge into my opponent, usingmy forearm as if giving him a forearmshiver.It is important to use the po wer ofmy legs.

THE UNITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLABUS 47


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4 My opponent is now off balance. I am maintaining this drive,and continuing to crowd my opponent. 5 /continue to move in, looking for my attack.

48 THE TIE-UPANDBREAKING OFTHETIE-UP


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7. 7 Stan Dziedzic counteracting the 2 on 1tie-up.

1 The first thing I have to do to break the 2 on1is keep my controlled arm bent and my shoulder shrugged while driving into myopponent.2 I'm now trying to pull my opponent's tar elbow toward me tobreak the tight grip he has on m y wrist.

THE U NITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABUS 49


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3 At this point I've alreadyJerkedmy arm free, and I'm reachingfor my underhook. 4 / now have control. It is important to emphasize I still havemy opponent's far elbow, and my elbow is pinching his handagainst m y side.

50 T H E T I E - U P A N D B R E AK I NG O F T H E T I E U P


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1 As in most breaks for the 2 on 1,1 have my shouldershruggedand armbent while I drive into m y opponent. I'm also controllinghis wrist.2 I'm now pulling my opponent's wrist tightly to my cheswhich frees my left wrist. Also my left arm is dropping down tosecure an underhook.

7. 8 Stan Dziedzic countering the 2 on 1 .


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52

7 . 9 Stan Dziedzic breaking free from the underhooktieTH E TIE-UP AND B REAKING OF TH E TIE-UP


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1 My opponent has a deep u nderhook but his hand is fartherdown m y back and not high on my shoulder. This position allowsme to put strong pressure on his elbow and shoulder.

-up.

2 At this point I'm pushing my opponent's hip away and dropping my weight down which puts pressure on his elbow andshoulder. At the same time my right hand is ready to catch hisarm if he pullsaway.

THEUNITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABUS 53


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3 /now have m y opponent's arm. I wan t to emphasize how farback my left leg is. This drops my weight d own even farther. 4 I'm now moving in to gain 2 on 1 control.



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5 /have a strong 2 on 1, and I'm looking for a favorable condition I can take advantage of.


7. 1 0 Stan Dziedzic clearing the high underhook tie-up.


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1 in this photo my opponent has a highunderhook. As I drive into h im, I bring myright hand u p to push off his chest.2 Pushing my opponentback I bring myleft arm over the top of his shoulder. It is important to rotate my wrist so I can thrustmyarm free.

3 /have cleared the high underhook andwill proceed to move in for my attack.

56

7 .1 1 Ion Baciu breaking away from the underhook.THE TIE-UP AND B REAKING OF TH E TIE-UP


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i

1 My opponent has a deep underhook. If I don't react andbreakthis tie-up, he will capitalize on the favorable condition. 2 / stepback with my rightfoot dropping my w eight down as Ialso bring down my arm. This put tension on my opponent,making him pullback.



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3 At this moment I drive in, making my opponent feel I am going for a body lock. He reacts by dropping his hips back. 4 As my opponent drops his hips back, I circle my arm over topof his arm, while I move away and to my right.

58 T H E T I E - U P A N D B R E AK I NG O F T H E T I E -U P


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5 I continue to mo ve away till I break free of the underh ook tie-up. At this point I'll be moving back in to gain my control or toattack.


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60 TH ETIE-UP ANDBREAKINGOF THETIE-U


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3 With my hand in position, I am shrugging my shoulder andstraightening my arm as I try to drive my arm inside. 4 My arm is inside, shoulder shrugged, and my elbow raisedWith this deep control, I look for the conditions favorable foratakedown.

8 B REAKDOWNS FROM B EH IND


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Lee Kemp, three time Worldcham pion, tries tomovebehind Dave Schultz, World University SilverMedalist, in the 1980 Olym pic wrestle-offs.

T aking your opponent to the mat from behind isan important component o f takedown wrest l ing .A wrest ler , who wishes to become prof ic ient a t taking his oppo nent d ow n, w i l l need to master the setechn iques. In add i t ion, in the in ternat iona l s ty le o fwrest l ing , a takedown is not awarded unt i l your opponent 's knee touches the mat; therefore , learn ingto break your opponent down from what is commonly referred to as the tr ip o d pos i t ion is impe rative.


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64 BR EA KD OWN S FR OM B EHIN D


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S My opponent hits his side. 6 / continue to move around for the takedown.


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3 /now scoop my leg in front and begin to trip. 4 /drive forward, forcing all m y opponent's weight over top othe leg I am tripping.


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68 BR EA KD OWNS FR OM B EHIN D8 . 3 Ben P eterson shows how to rm a lift and sweep.


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1 From behind, I begin to lift my opponent.

2 OnceI lift my opponent off the mat, myright knee comes up to the outside. 3 As I bring my leg into my opponent'sleg, I now begin to turn him with my arms,taking him over the top of my leg.

THE U NITED STATES W RESTLING SYLLABU S 69


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4 As my opponent falls, I remove my leg so he lands on hisside. 5 / coyer my opponent for the takedown.


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4 4s my opponent hits the mat my left leg continues to comeup between his legs. This forces his weight forward evenfartherpreventing him from switching me.5 /cover my opponent for the takedown.

72 BREAKDOWNS FROM B EHIND8 . 5 Stan Dziedzic shows how to step in front and lift, a technique he used successfully against his Mong olian opponentin the 1977 World Championships.


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1 I have not gained a takedown because I 2 I step in front of my opponent. Notice 3 At this point, I thrust my hips in and uphave not been able to break my opponent how I am turning my knee in as I drive my using the strength of my legs and thedown to the mat. He remains in a standing toot all the way around and perpendicular mom entum of my hips to lift my opponentposition, and I am behind with my hands to my opponent. off the ground,locked.



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4 /now have my opponent completely in 5*1 step back and allow my opponent to 6 /maintain control,the air. hit the mat.

74 BR EA KD OWN S FR OM B EHIN D8 . 6 This opposite v iew of the previous technique better illustrates both the leg position and thepower generatedwhen the technique is executed properly.


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76 BR EA KD OWN S FR OM B EHIN D8 . 7 Stan Dziedzic demonstrates how tocreate theconditions tostep in front and lift when your opponentis in a lowstance.


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1 Often wh en my opponent is in a squatting or lower position,it isverydifficult for me to step in front of him. Th erefore, I set mytechnique up by pulling my opponent back, as shown here.2 My opponent reacts by straightening up to regain hisbalance so he doesn't fall to his butt.



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3 Now I begin to step infront. 4 / am in front.Notice my foot is completely perpendicular tomy opponent as I begin tolift.



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5 To generate maximum power, I thrust in my hips andstraighten my legs. 6 /step back, allowing my opponent to tall to the mat.



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7 gain control.

80 BR EA KD OWN S FR OM B EHIN D8 . 8 Stan Dziedzic illustrates, in these four photos, how toset your opponent to his butt when he has his weight low


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1 /am beginning to shift m y weight backwards, pulling on myopponent's hips. I must make certain my elbows are pressedtightly against his hips.2 / am dropping my weight down now, drawing my opponendownward and backward.



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V V A 4 .

3 As myoppon ent and I hit the mat, I must maintain my base. 4 Here I am following m y opponent for the takedown.

82 BREAKDOWNS FROM BEHIND8 . 9 Ben Peterson shows how tocomplete atakedown by lifting his opponent and jerking him backwards.


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1 My opponent is in a standing position attempting to breakmy grip, as I begin to lift him off the mat. I must be sure to keepmy legs in tight.2 /thrust my hips into my opponent, forcing his legs upwardSimultaneously, I roll him up onto my chest.



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3 Now that my opponent's feet are out in front of him, I begin topull him down by cupping under his armpits and yankingback. 4 Assoon as my opp onent's butt hits the mat, I drop my weighton top of him.



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5 /attempt to hold my opponent o n his back in order to gain afall. 6 / finish with a pin.

THE U NITEDSTATESW RESTLING SYLLABUS 858 . 1 0 Jim H umphrey execu tes a suplay from behind. Jim used this maneuver successfully against a Bulgarianopponent inwinning hisSilver M edal.


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1 With my opponent In a standing position, I start to pull him 2 * M y pressure backwards forces my opponent to stand up todown from behind. maintain his balance.

BREAKDOWNSFROMBEHIND


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^p

3 As my opponent straightens up, I begin to step Infront.HereI am shifting out to the side.

M4 /continue to move around, bringing my left leg completely infront of my opponent.

THE U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLAB U S 87


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5 Holding my opponent tight to my chest, I use my legs andhips to lift him clear oft the mat. 6 With my opponent now well off the mat, I begin to fallbackward and arch.

88 BR EA KD OWN S FROM BEH IND


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7 lamina high arching position. My opponent is now going fora ride towards his back. 8 As my opponent lands on his back, I continue my mom entum, coming around behind.

TH E U NITED STATES WRESTLING SYLLABU S 89


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9 come up to the top for the takedown.

90 BREAKDOWNS FROM B EHIND8 . 1 1 Stan Dziedzic executes th e near ankle breakdown. Stan used this technique toscore the tiebreaking pointagainst Ashuraliev, 2 time World Champion, in theMontreal Olympics.


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1 / am beginning to move behind my opponent. 2 /have now dropped my hand down to my opponent's instep.Notice I am driving forward in order to shift my op ponent's weightonto his hands.



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3 /am stepping inside my opponent's far leg. 4 /am beginning to lift my leg to force my opponent down.

92 BR EA KD OWNS FR OM B EH IN D


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5 / drive my opponent down for a takedown.

THE UNITED STATESWRESTLING SYLLABU S 93

8 . 1 2 Stan Dziedzic demonstrates how toscoop the near


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1 My opponent is resisting a takedown by maintaining thetripod po sition. I am now driving forward, forcing his weight ontohis hands, w hile my right hand is cupped o ver his deltoid.2 ( scoop his leg out with my left leg. Concurrently, I slide myright hand in front of his bicep.

94 BREAKDOWNS FROM B EHIND


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3 By arching my back, chopping my opponent's arm, and pulling his leg up and back, I drive him to the mat. 4 /now have the takedown.

THE UNITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABU S 958 . 1 3 Ben Peterson shows how toperform a crotch lift when his opponent is in the tripod position.


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1 My opponent is resisting the takedown 2 I shove my inside leg between m y op- 3 With my hands now locked, I drive allby remaining in a tripod position w ith his ponent's legs. This transition must be made my weight off my insidefoot.Note my armsweight on his hands. quickly to prevent him from coming up. are wrapped tightly around my opponent'sleg and my side is pressed against his lowerback.

96 BREAKDOWNS FROM B EHIND


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4 /continue to drive, which puts a great 5 /am now lifting my opponent.deal of pressure on my opponent's lowerback.

6 I just continue through, jerking with myarms and turning my head away from him.This, of course, is worth two points in theinternational style of wrestling.

THE UNITED STATESWRESTLING SYLLABU S 978 . 1 4 Stan Dziedzic illustrates the jam. This technique isutilized often ininternational competition.


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1 My opponent is resisting a takedown by maintaining thetripod position. In this figure I begin to step out to the side. Note Ihave my hands locked tightly around my opponent's chest.2 lam using my momentum to force both all my weight and allmy opponent's onto his near arm.


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100 BR EA KD OWN S FR OM B EHIN D8 . 1 6 Stan Dziedzic pulls hisopponent back toacquire atakedown.


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1 Since my opponent has distributed more of his weight to therear and maintains a wider base, instead of jamming him forward,I am going to pull him backward. It is important that a wrestler isable to feel the shifting of his opponent's weight in this position.2 / move behind my opponent to generate torque.

THE UNITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABU S 101


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3 Using this torque, I drop to my knees, shifting my weightdown andback.Note by holding my opponent's hips tightly, I pullhim along with me.4 When my opponent hits the mat, I maintain an even positionbehind him. T his position helps me counter any switches or rolls.

102 BR EA KD OWNS FR OM B EHIN D


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5 /continue to pivot around for the takedown.

9 Low SINGLELEGwrestler who is unable to execute a low single


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Lloyd Keaser 1976 Olympic Silver Medalist, attempts a low single on his Bulgarian opponent.

effect ive ly restr ic ts h is scor ing possib i l i t ies. Heis also more predictable than a wrestler who can perform the techn ique competent ly ; consequent ly , anopponent wi l l be able to thwart his attack moreeasi ly.I t is imp ortan t, how ever, for a wre stler to be ableto dist inguish when he should go to his knees orstay on his feet when attempting a single. The i l lustra t ions in th is chapter w i l l ass is t a wrest ler inmaking th is d i f fe rent ia t ion.


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3 Here I am in deep on a low single. I am careful not tooverreach or extend myself beyond my base as I keep my head up andback straight. 4 I step up with my right foot and drive into my opponent. Ishould emphasize I pull my right elbow tight to my side.

106 LOW SINGLE LEG


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5 / have secured the single and am ready to finish thetakedown. (Chapter 11 illustrates numerous finishes from thisposition.)


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THE UNITED STATESWRESTLING SYLLABUS 109


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7 /b egin to come up, still driving into myopponent, forcing his weight to the far foot. 8 As / continue to drive into m y opponent, the w eight is coming off his near footallowing me to move around into positionfor my single leg.

9 / am now up on my feet and have control of the single leg. (See Chap ter 11 forfinishes from this position.)

110 LOW SINGLE LEG

9 . 3 Jim Humphrey executes a low single and spin behind.


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a/L .12* ^ s : fi~.

1 We are both in open stances. 2 My opponent reaches out to tie-up withme. Th is creates conditions that enable meto post his arm and penetrate for a single.This maneuver requires precise timing andsufficient speed.

3 / am past my opponent's arm and approaching his leg. I must emphasize myback is straight with my head up. Since I amcovering a long distance, it will benecessary for me to drive to my knees tomaintain a good base.

THE UNITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABUS 111


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4 /have continued to drive to my knees and have been able tospin completely around my oppon ent. From this position I driveinto his leg; this causes him to shift his weight to the far foot tomaintain his balance.5 This shift of my opponent's weight enables me to continuemy spin and pick up his leg with little effort.

112 LOW SINGLE LEG


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6 At this point my oppo nent has his weight on his hand and Iam beginning to move up so I can capture his free leg. 7 I have secured my opponent's free (far) leg and need only tomove up for a takedown.

THE U NITEDSTATESW RESTLING SYLLABU S 113

9 . 4 Stan Dziedzic, inthese eig ht pictures, lifts his opponent, grasps his wrist, and throws himto hisback.This technique, although available, is often overlooked byboth beginners and experienced wrestlers.


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1 /am beginning to penetrate for a low single leg. I am careful 2 My opponent counters by pushing my head down,not to extend beyond m y base as I step in deep with my head upand back straight.

114 LOW SINGLE LEG


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3 I react quickly, planting my right hand and ducking betweenhis legs. 4 Here I push myself up with my right hand as I begin to lifthim.



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5 As /begin to straighten up, I have my opponent lifted off themat. 6 No wupright I grasp my opponen t's wrist which is around mywaist.

116 LOW SINGLE LEG


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7 / force my opponent to his back by throwing myself backwhile yanking his wrist across my abdomen. 8 As my opponent lands on his back I control his wrist anddrive on top of him.

THE UNITEDSTATESWRESTLING SYLLABU S 1179 . 5 Stan Dziedzic finishes a low single by lifting his opponent and coming out the back door.


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1 Once /have my opponent lifted oft the mat, there are severaltechniques I can employ to finish the takedown. 2 In this finish, I first straighten my body and grasp behind myopponent's knee with my right hand. Simultaneously I step upwith my left foot.

118 LOW SINGLE LEG


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3 As I pivot around on my right knee, I pull my opponent's leg intight.I also reach over his ankle with my lefthand. 4 Dropping to both knees I release my opponent's leg to reachfor his hip.



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5 Having a hold of his hip I step up with my left toot. I shouldemphasize I am pinching his ankle between my thigh and side.

120 LOW SINGLE LEG9 . 6 In these photos Stan Dziedzic demonstrates another maneuver that can beused tofinisha lowsingle onceyou have your opponent lifted off the mat.


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1 In this finish, I first straighten my body and grasp and pull 2 As I pivot around on my left knee, I continue to pull down ondown on my opponent's knee with my left hand. I push up on his my opponent's right leg. I also continue to push with my rightthigh with my right hand. hand, thus turning my opponent.

TH E U NITED STATES WRESTLING SY LLABU S 121


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3 Here my opponent has landed on his back. I will try to moveup and acquire a pinning combination.

122 LOW SINGLE LEG

9 . 7 Stan Dziedzic shows how to recover after your opponent has thwarted your initial attack


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1 Leading with his right foot, my opponent has secured an inside-outside tie-up. IfI am able to post his weight on his lead toot,I shall create ideal conditions for shootinga low single leg.

2 * In order to post my opponent's weighton his lead toot, I drop my weight and pulldown hard on his left arm.3 /begin to penetrate tor the single leg. Iam careful not to overreach or extendmyself beyond my base as I step in deepwith my head up and back straight.


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124 LOW SINGLE LEG


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7 In this picture my drive is more apparent as I step up with myright foot. 8 My drive has taken the w eight off both knees. Observe thatmy opponent's wrist is around m y waist. This along w ith his bodyposition creates the conditions tor the technique that follows.



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9 /grasp m y opponent's wrist with my opposite (inside) handand begin to slide my left knee under. This action will force hisweight over the top of me. 10 /continue to my knee, lifting m y head and pulling down onmy opponent's knee and wrist as it I were executing a wrist roll.

126 LOW SINGLE LEG


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11 I carry through with this action and my opponent is now offbalance and falling to his side. 12 Oncemy opponent hits the mat, I continue over the top ofhim and into his chest. I must not release his wrist, which I holdmore securely by keeping my right arm tight against my body.


9 . 8 Opposite side view of the previous technique.


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128 LOW SINGLE LEG


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TH E U NITED STATES WRESTLING SY LLABUS 129


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130 LOW SINGLE LEG9 . 9 Don Behm executesa lowsingle into a duck under, atechnique he completed many times enroute towinningsilver medals in two World and one Olympic games.


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1 My oppon ent has my w rists, but I have inside control on thefar side. 2 * At this point I attack m y opponent, making him feel as if hecan counter the single leg because of his control of my wrist.



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3 /now pull the wrist, shifting my opponent's weight over thetop of my shoulders. At the same time I am beginning to step upwith my right toot. 4 ( step up deep with m y right toot while pulling the hand overthe top of m y head, raising my shou lders.

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5 /continue to my right knee, looking over my left shoulder anddriving my opponent to the far side. 6 Covering my opponent, I look for the fall.

1 0 CREATING FAVORAB LE CONDITIONS FOR TH E SINGLE LEGT here are three parts in executing a takedown;creating favorable condit ions (set up), attack,and f in ish . Th is chapter show s four d i f fe rent cond i


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./AM > : ; :

t ions and the subsequent attack. The purpose is toisolate these segments of a single leg attack.Chapter 12 i l lustrates numerous other single leg setups and a t tacks together wi th the i r appropr ia tef in ish.

^ , ;

Russ Hellickson about to arm drag his Bulgarianopponent in the 1976 Olympics.

134 CREATING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SINGLE LEG1 0 . 1 Stan Dziedzic executes anarm drag set-up for asingle.


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1 As a ploy I rest my hand on my oppo- 2 As soon as my opponent seizes my 3 / break his balance here by jerking hisnent's shoulder. He reacts and grasps my wrist, I pull my hand down in order to place arm and driving in with mybody.Note mywrist. his arm in position for an arm drag. Notice I right hand is deep around my opponent'srotate my palm down which turns my oppo- leg.nent's palm and thus exposes his arm. Atthe same time, I reach up to start the armdrag.



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4 I now have my opponent's leg secure. I 5 I have my opponent's weight shifted to 6 I have the single leg in the proper posi-should emphasize I haven't released my op- the far foot. I let go his arm and am about to tion and shall look for a favorable finish,pon ent's arm. Until I get his weight shifted secure a tight hold on the single leg.to the far foot, I shall not release It. I amalso starting my penetration and driving into him.

136 CREATING FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR THE SINGLE LEG

1 0 . 2 Stan Dziedzic demonstrates how tosecure asingle when your opponent attempts tocounter the 2on 1tie-up.


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1 /am controlling the two-on-one. 2 My opponent reaches out to counter 3 Capitalizing on these conditions, Ithe two-on-one by grabbing my elbow. This reach out with my left hand for my oppo-creates cond itions for a single to the far nent's far leg. I make sure I keep my backleg. straight and head up while I step in with myleft foot and drive into m y oppo nent.


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1 0 . 3 Stan Dziedzic shows how to clear your opponent's collar tie-up and capture a single.


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1 My oppo nent has a collar tie-up with h iselbow ins ide. Th is makes it very difficult torme to come inside his arm. Instead, Ibegin toturn, putting pressure on my opponent'sshou lder. Notice m y left arm is inside, between my opp onent's chest and m y chest.

2 I have been able to force my opponentto release his tight collar tie-up by pullinghis wrist off my neck as I increased thepressure on his arm. Now with the 2 on 1 Idraw my opponent's arm down in order topost the weight on his neartoot.

3 With my opponent's w eight posted, Isquat down, reaching my left arm aroundhis near leg to secure the single leg. I mustbe sure not to let go of my oppo nent's wrist.



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4 Only after I've driven in deep, forcing my oppon ent to shifthis weight to his tar leg, do I release his wrist and lock my handson the single leg.5 / now have a single leg position and shall look tor the appropriate finish.



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5 Aided by the additional pressure of my hand driving acrosshisneck I continue to force into my opp onent, scooping with myleft leg back and down until it lands on the mat.

6 / have control of the leg and shall look for my finish.

1 1 FINISHES TOTH E SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWNT he most compl ica ted phase o f the s ing le legtakedow n is the f in ish . Th is chapter co nta ins 19f in ishes. Chapter 12 i l lustra tes add i t iona l f in ishesas par t o f the complete techn ique.


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A Japanese wrestler about to finish this single onhis Soviet opponent.

144 FINISHESTO THE SINGLELEG TAKEDOWN1 1 . 1 Stan Dziedzic finishes this single leg bycapturing the farleg.


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1 / am in tight on a single leg. Notice my head is to the inside. 2 /step w ith my left leg, turning my knee in while grabbing hisMy left leg is forward and turned in, my elbows are in, and I am far knee. I should emphasize that as I hook the far knee, my elbowpulling my opponent's leg tight to my abdomen. is in, thumb completely on the outside of the far leg, and left armis ready to post to catch my b alance.



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3 Here I am continuing to pull my opponent's leg tight to mychest. My far arm is out for a brace.

4 My far arm brace maintains m y balance so my opponent isunable to pull me up or elevate meover.

146 FINISHESTOTHE SINGLELEG TAKEDOWN1 1 . 2 Stan Dziedzic shows how toblock infront ofthe far leg.


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1 / have my opponent's leg pinched be- 2 If my opponent's leg Is within reaching 3 /am stepping over my opponent's leg,tween my thighs. My outside hand is over distance, I start to reach down with my In- putting it to the outside. At the same time Ithe top of my inside hand and my back Is side hand to the Instep while my other arm shift the arm blocking my opponent's farstraight. Notice my elbows are In while my drops to block his far leg. leg to his near knee In order to yank it up-neck is bulled and shoulders are shrugged. ward.



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4 Now I have my opponent's leg tightly controlled. It is important that my arm is wrapped deeply around the leg and I do notgrab the heel with my hand. This precludes my opponent frombreaking m y grip and kicking free.

5 As my opponent straightens up to maintain his balance, Ireach up with my left arm for an underhook.


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1 1 . 3 Stan Dziedzic executing what is sometimes referred to as running thepipe.


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1 My oppo nent has an overhook, and his leg is between my 2 I create momentum by stepping with my right toot toward thelegs. center as I begin to pull away countercloc kwise.

150 FINISHESTO THESINGLELEGTAKEDOWN


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3 / draw my opponent's leg between mylegs; at the same time I step back with myleft foot.4 Nowthat my opponent is on the mat, Ishall move up for the takedown. I shouldemphasize I have not yet gone down to myknees; instead I am squatting. Thismaneuver prevents him from pulling meforward.

5 / go down to my knees to complete mytakedown only after my opponent is downon the mat. This foils his counters.


1 1 . 4 Stan Dziedzic demonstrates how to run the pipe when your opponent has his legtothe outside.


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1 My opponent has an overhook, and his captured leg blocksmy thigh.

2 f createmomentum by stepping toward thecenter.



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3 /am no w drawing my opponent's leg tight between my legs;at the same time I am kicking my leg deep in back to break thecontrol he has with his outside leg.

4 Now that m y opponent is on the mat, I shall move up for thetakedown. Notice I have not yet gone down to my knees.



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5 / now go down to my knees to complete my takedown onlyafter my opponent is down on the mat. This foils my opponent'scounters.

154 FINISHESTOTHE SINGLELEG TAKEDOWN1 1 . 5 Russ Hellickson shows how to change your direction and force your opponent to his hands. Russ used thistechnique against several ofhis opponents enroute towinning a silver medal in the1 9 76 Olympic g ames.


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1 With the single leg secured, I begin to 2 He counters this motion by turning 3 As I step over my opponent's leg, I joltmove in a circular direction away from my (opening) his hips and bringing his tree leg him forward by thrusting my shoulder intooppo nent. in closer to me. This creates the cond itions the back of his knee. As I initiate this actor the following maneuver. tion, I shift my inside hand down to hisankle.



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4 / now move over the top of my opponent's leg as he falls off balance. At thesame time my inside hand slides down tohis instep.

5 With my right hand on his hip, I kickmyopponent's support leg out, forcing him tohis knees.6 To finish, I drop down on top of my opponent, pressuring him to the mat.

156 FINISHESTOTHE SINGLELEGTAKEDOWN1 1 . 6 * Stan Dziedzic completesth esingleleg byscoopinghisopponent's farleg. Soslan Andiev, 5times Gold Medalistfrom th e USSR, often utilized this finish.


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1 /have a single leg tackle, but my oppo- 2 Because my opponent does not have 3 /no w hook my right leg above or at mynent is countering me by keeping his leg to an overhook, I am able to jerk up hard and opponent's knee, as I lift up. At the samethe outside. quickly, straightening mybody. time I drive into my opponent.



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RT mtm-4 /draw my opponent's leg in as /drive him toward his back. 5 My opponent lies on his back. I move up, looking for the pin.


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A * lam beginning to step in deep to scoopmy opponent's far leg for the turn. 5 / now have the leg pulled in and driveinto my o pponent, trying to drop him on hisback.6 I have pulled my opponent's far wrist inand have lifted his leg higher trying torotate him to hisback.

160 FINISHES TO TH E SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWN


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7 My oppo nent falls to his back, and I move up to secure thefall.


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4 Now I am beginning to raise my righthand toward the hand pushing against myshoulder.

5 /am moving upward on my opponent'sleg. 6 / move back in toward my opponent,pushing his hand off myshoulder thus forcing him off balance forward.



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7 I now step up with my left foot, blocking my opponent's leftleg to prevent him from stepping and maintaining his balance. 8 /continue for the takedown.

166

1 1 . 1 0 Stan Dziedzic performs what is commonly called aH eave-Ho.FINISHESTOTH E SINGLELEGTAKEDOWN


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1 My opponent is bending his leg up so Iam unable to pinch it between my kneesand control the bo ttom p art of his leg. Thiscounters a variety of finishes but opens myoppo nent for this finish, called the heave-ho.

2 / start to move away and step backwith my left leg. 3 Having taken a deep step with my leftleg, I begin to bring my opponent's legdown.



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4 (am continuing to move away while yanking my opponent'sleg upward. 5 / am still lifting my opponent's leg as high as possible.


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1 1 . 1 1 Inthese six photos Dan Gable clears hisopponent's leg to the outside andfinishes th esingle bygraspinghis far leg.


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1 * In this photo, I have the single legsecured. 2 / step back with my left leg to createspace to p

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