| Coach Abbott |
| Coach Martin |
| Brandon Belise |
| Robbie Evans |
| Jacob Kornman |
| Terrance Joseph |
| Joshua Lavarine |
| Ross Oliveri |
| Nick Pence |
| Matt Roden |
That which we know so far:
(These are moves you are welcome to try out on your younger or smaller siblings at home. Moves not yet taught have no accompanying descriptions. Re the photos, I will try to find ones that do not just include me!)
Takedowns
Double-leg takedown - Start with a set-up. Plant your back foot to give more power to your lead foot extension. The lead foot goes between your opponent's feet. Your head goes to the outside hip opposite the lead foot. Collapse the knee of the lead foot down and slide the back leg up until it is planted behind your opponent. Pivot with your head and the planted back foot to bring the opponent to the mat. Finish by turning your hips upward and splaying your legs. Keep your chest on your opponent's hips.
Single-leg Takedown - Set-up the move by faking the the opposite side you intend to attack. Step under the attack-side arm outside of the leg you are attacking. Snap the leg up at the back of the knee joint. Snap it over to the far arm, with your elbow under the ankle and lifting. Then bring down to the mat with a trip or a foot block. VARIATION - block on ankle with the cup of your hand. Reach over to the other ankle and drive your shoulder into the cupped leg's ankle.
Duck-under - Let your opponent grab your same-side wrist. Pull the held arm behind your neck as you step forward with your free arm encircling his waist. Pop-your neck back to break his grip, and then spin around your opponent to lock your hands. Take him down to the mat by lifting and turning or blocking behind his foot and pulling down to that side. You can also grab his hand to start it off, but be sure to let go during the neck pop.
Arm Drag - Let your opponent grab your same-side wrist. Pull your arm across your body, and cup his triceps with your other hand. Pull hard with that hand, breaking his grip on the other hand, step behind him and finish like a duck-under.
Sprawls - When your opponent shoots a double or single leg, kick back like you are doing "Hits" and use your hips to slam his head to the mat. Use your hips and then your chest to keep his head on the mat. If he goes flat on the mat, block one arm and spin to that side behind him, ending up controlling his hips. If he keeps his knees underneath him, control his head and arms to break whatever hold he has on either of your legs. Or, Put your arm under his stomach and between his legs. Grab the top of the far ankle and straighten your arm (using your shoulder) to collapse that leg and break his base. Then block an arm and spin around for the points.
EXAMPLE:
The "Sprawl." This is why we do "hits." Sprawls crush our opponents to the mat with the power of our hips. We also do them to keep our opponent's legs from getting under us, which gives them the advantage, by pushing their legs away while still keeping control of his head and shoulders. This flattens him to the mat. Billy Jack Jackson from West Jefferson tried a double-leg take-down on me in the photo below. He did it well, but I sprawled and got one arm around the outside of his his right leg, and my other hand inside on his right hamstring. I also had his head looking at the mat. Billy Jack was very good, but the sprawl enabled me to collapse his right leg and take him down to the mat for a takedown and pin later.
Head-and-arm
Hip Toss
Pull-down & Spin
Cattle-catcher
Lateral Drop - Lock up with an over-and-under clasp. On the over clasp, pull his arm down and into you with your fist on your sternum. That is the side you are rolling over, so you want most of his arm inside on your chest. When he pushes forward, clamp the over hand down hard and tight and do not let go of it. At the same time, fall backward and start turning, helped by pushing your under-arm clasp up and around. Get your legs away from his in a standard pinning combination or sit-out to a head-and-arm pin.
Fireman's Carry
3/4 Nelson
Breakdowns and Pinning Combinations
Arm Chop - Simultaneously chop the arm and lift up and bring down your knee under your opponent's knees. Almost simultaneously, use your back knee to push your opponent forward and then grab your opponents wrist with your "stomach" hand. Finish by turning your hips, splaying you legs and keeping a "tight waist" on your opponent via the wrist you are holding.
Arm-Bar Half-Nelson - After breaking your opponent down, grab an arm-bar on one side. Turn the arm-bar into your opponent's body until it is under him and your arm is parallel to his body. When the half-nelson opportunity opens up, apply the half-nelson and move your legs away from his legs until you are perpendicular to your opponent. Shoot your arm at 45 degrees over his ear and slowly start turning him over. As you slowly turn him, sink back until your sternum is on the side of his rib cage. Take your time and adjust a few times during this process.. When he is almost fully turned over, wrap your half-nelson arm around the back of his neck tightly. When he is turned over, plant your head on the mat. Your body should be perpendicular to his, so spread your legs and get on your tows, but with your hips down. Squeeze and end up happy.
Ball and Chain
Rotary Breakdown
Cross-face Series - There are numerous possibilities with the Cross-face Series.
Cross-face Cradle - Best attempted when your opponent is broken down to the mat. I'll describe this as a right-handed wrestler. As a right-handed wrestler you will assume the top starting position with your right arm around his stomach and your left hand on his elbow. When you break him down, meaning getting him off of his knees and flat on the mat, you want end up on top of him on his left side. With your left arm send your forearm across his face until you can cup over his elbow or triceps. Pull that arm back to you smashing his arm against his face.
Next, place your right hand on the mat between his legs. You use your right hand because it should be your strongest one and will be fighting against his left leg later. Next, use your legs to push his head toward his left knee. His body will turn before his back snaps. When his head is close to his knee, and with your left hand still over his right elbow or triceps, bring your right hand under his knee joint and lock your hands with the proper grip.
This is when positioning and time comes into play. At the moment your legs are probably at a ninety degree angle from his body. Bring your left leg under your right one, turning your hips over as you do so. But make sure that as you do so, you slide your hips down so your head is even with or even farter down than his. Use your left knee first under his back and turn him over a little. Do this slowly and a few times until your left knee is right in the side of his ribcage. You can lean up and face him more, keeping your back off of the mat and flattening his out on the mat. SQUEEZE. You can bring his left leg up to his head. If he kicks with his right leg, let him kick it up, and when it comes back down, throw your right leg over the top of his thigh (above his knee). At this point you should be able to see where his back is on the mat and make adjustments with your right knee in his ribs to flatten him. Then put your forehead in his temple and squeeze.
EXAMPLE:
Far Arm & Near Leg - Reach under your opponents chest, and over his upper arm. Snatch that upper arm toward you across his body, putting pressure on his mid-back with your chest and head. Reach down with your other arm to the near leg and just pull it up. Your opponent will roll over to his back for a standard pin or a sit-out to a head-and-arm pin.
Double Chicken-Wing
Miller's Cradle
Bottom Moves
Basic Stand-Up and Escape - On the whistle, shoot the arm being held across your chest and over your head. At the same time, take your free hand and grab your opponent's wrist. The leg on the held-arm side is then free to step-up. Pivot that leg ninety degrees and then pull your other leg out in a spinning motion. Stay in your stance and just get away from your opponent.
Switch - One of the most common and effective reverses. We will practice it soon.
EXAMPLE:
Below is a simple "switch." But a "re-switch" is pretty simple, which means your opponent does the same thing to you. Speed and technique is what counts in this maneuver, as does your next move "on top". Then you need a breakdown after your switch.
Basic Roll
Balled-up Turn-around
Sit-out and Turn - With the arm not held at the start, grab your opponent's wrist on your stomach. Sit both legs out away from your opponent, turn to your stomach and back away for an escape.
Gazonies - Sit-out and back into your opponent. You basically want to be in the same position you are when you stretch your groin. Be patient, and if you opponent's head ends up on one of your shoulders, use the same side arm to cup his head and roll sideways over yuor knees holding his head. He will falll into a pin. You can also simply roll over your knees to a reverse or an escape.