Takedowns for Grappling-3 Keys to Success
If you never wrestled before, you may be asking yourself, what can I do to get
better at takedowns and what can I do to get better at my defense from a
standing wrestling position?
1- First off, you need to develop 1- your neck, 2- leg strength and 3- lower back strength.
recommendation is: start doing deadlifts, do straight leg deadlifts, and also do body weight squats.
This will help increase the strength of your lower body, upper back (traps) and neck
muscles. You can also use a weighted head strap to improve your neck strength.
2- Get used to bending your legs and lowering your level.
This is a problem even for many experienced wrestlers. The biggest reason
is because their body is just not conditioned for that specific activity.
They may have great conditioning overall, in terms of their ability to not “gas
out” but the problem is if your legs aren’t used to bending, they just won’t do
it. You’ve got to start doing body weight squats and lunges from every
direction imaginable. Do forward lunges, backward lunges, 45-degree angle
lunges, sideways lunges. If you’ll start doing this, this will help you
lower your level and move better on your feet.
3- Work on your stance.
If you’ve already learned how to do a deadlift, or a hang clean, it’s going to
be pretty closely related to that. You want to have something that’s going
to allow you the ability to respond in an athletic and powerful position.
So first off, go ahead and take a half-squat position, next bring your chest down a
little bit closer to your knees but make sure that your shoulder, elbow, and
knee are all lined up (take a look at our youtube channel were we show the basic
wrestling stance.)
Practice this position. Practice moving forward,
backward, side to side circling and then develop your shot.
The shot is the last piece to the puzzle.
If you learn the shot without first building the physical base,
then you’re going to develop a sloppy shot.
You don’t want to have a sloppy shot, if you shoot a bad shot
especially in Grappling, you will get submitted. I can guarantee you
that! You know why? Because that happened to me, and because that’s one of
my favorite things to do to people who shoot bad shots. Choke them really fast.
How do you develop your shot? You’re going to get in your
stance and learn how to move forward, backward, side-to-side,
all the different directions we talked about. Now, while in a stance,
lower your level, and step forward as if you’re attacking the legs. If you’re on
a mat you can drop to a knee and come up again. If you’re on a hard surface you
would want to stay as low as possible without hitting your knee.
I’ve tried to develop my shot over the last few years. I don’t have to hit my knee if
I don’t need to or if I don’t want to. I prefer not hitting my knee
because it means less recovery time from the ground and it also means I’ve got a
much better chance to use my power which is in my legs and hips.
Lastly the sprawl, if you ever heard the phrase, “the best defense is a good offense”, I think that
applies here. If you’re able to and attack your opponent more often than
he’s able to attack you, you’re going to be much better off than having to worry
about sprawling or recovering from a shot.
That being said, you do need to develop a good sprawl. Sprawling is basically this,
stay in your stance, move all the different directions that we talked about, and
just going to drop, (similar to how you would for an updown or burpee). A sprawl is very
similar with one caveat. As you do this, you want to throw your legs back
and make your hips go down to the floor. You also want to catch yourself
with your hands. You don’t want to just end up flat on the ground.
Start working on these exercises and skills and it will help your takedowns
and defense in the grappling game. I hope these tips help you on your
quest for grappling greatness!
Here is a video link to start developing some of the skills you will need for takedown success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xxe_xJ2AJI
better at takedowns and what can I do to get better at my defense from a
standing wrestling position?
1- First off, you need to develop 1- your neck, 2- leg strength and 3- lower back strength.
recommendation is: start doing deadlifts, do straight leg deadlifts, and also do body weight squats.
This will help increase the strength of your lower body, upper back (traps) and neck
muscles. You can also use a weighted head strap to improve your neck strength.
2- Get used to bending your legs and lowering your level.
This is a problem even for many experienced wrestlers. The biggest reason
is because their body is just not conditioned for that specific activity.
They may have great conditioning overall, in terms of their ability to not “gas
out” but the problem is if your legs aren’t used to bending, they just won’t do
it. You’ve got to start doing body weight squats and lunges from every
direction imaginable. Do forward lunges, backward lunges, 45-degree angle
lunges, sideways lunges. If you’ll start doing this, this will help you
lower your level and move better on your feet.
3- Work on your stance.
If you’ve already learned how to do a deadlift, or a hang clean, it’s going to
be pretty closely related to that. You want to have something that’s going
to allow you the ability to respond in an athletic and powerful position.
So first off, go ahead and take a half-squat position, next bring your chest down a
little bit closer to your knees but make sure that your shoulder, elbow, and
knee are all lined up (take a look at our youtube channel were we show the basic
wrestling stance.)
Practice this position. Practice moving forward,
backward, side to side circling and then develop your shot.
The shot is the last piece to the puzzle.
If you learn the shot without first building the physical base,
then you’re going to develop a sloppy shot.
You don’t want to have a sloppy shot, if you shoot a bad shot
especially in Grappling, you will get submitted. I can guarantee you
that! You know why? Because that happened to me, and because that’s one of
my favorite things to do to people who shoot bad shots. Choke them really fast.
How do you develop your shot? You’re going to get in your
stance and learn how to move forward, backward, side-to-side,
all the different directions we talked about. Now, while in a stance,
lower your level, and step forward as if you’re attacking the legs. If you’re on
a mat you can drop to a knee and come up again. If you’re on a hard surface you
would want to stay as low as possible without hitting your knee.
I’ve tried to develop my shot over the last few years. I don’t have to hit my knee if
I don’t need to or if I don’t want to. I prefer not hitting my knee
because it means less recovery time from the ground and it also means I’ve got a
much better chance to use my power which is in my legs and hips.
Lastly the sprawl, if you ever heard the phrase, “the best defense is a good offense”, I think that
applies here. If you’re able to and attack your opponent more often than
he’s able to attack you, you’re going to be much better off than having to worry
about sprawling or recovering from a shot.
That being said, you do need to develop a good sprawl. Sprawling is basically this,
stay in your stance, move all the different directions that we talked about, and
just going to drop, (similar to how you would for an updown or burpee). A sprawl is very
similar with one caveat. As you do this, you want to throw your legs back
and make your hips go down to the floor. You also want to catch yourself
with your hands. You don’t want to just end up flat on the ground.
Start working on these exercises and skills and it will help your takedowns
and defense in the grappling game. I hope these tips help you on your
quest for grappling greatness!
Here is a video link to start developing some of the skills you will need for takedown success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xxe_xJ2AJI
