Basic Wrestling Research Paper

7 Basic Wrestling Skills
Position
Motion
Changing level
Penetration
Lifting
Back step
Back arch

Position
Your ability to teach your wrestlers how to get into the proper positions will help them successfully execute a variety of wrestling maneuvers and score match points.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers positioning:
The knees should be flexed and never positioned farther in front of the body than the chest.
The feet should be shoulder-width apart and under the center of gravity.
The head should always be up.
The elbows should be flexed, and the hands should be in front of the hips with palms down.
The hips should be low and flexed with the back straight.
The correct body position is essential to every wrestling
move and must be maintained throughout the execution of each maneuver. A wrestler must also be able to control the specific positions of various parts of the body in order to achieve quick movements and maximize power.
When a wrestler holds proper position, it enables him or her to be ready to attack.
It also prepares him or her to defend an opponent’s attack.
One way to practice positioning is to use the Wrestler’s Handshake game. In this game, pairs of wrestlers grab each other at the forearm, right arm to right arm or left arm to left arm. The object is for the wrestlers to use good forearm control with a good stance and motion to go behind an opponent.

Motion
After achieving good body positioning, wrestlers must be able to move around in all directions in a free and fluid manner. This means that the muscles of the arms and legs must be flexed or coiled in order for wrestlers to have explosive movement. Lateral and circular movements must be smooth and quick. Wrestlers must have good footwork using short, choppy steps or pivoting from a single base of support such as a single foot.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers how to move efficiently:
Keep the arms and legs flexed.
Use circling, spinning, and lateral
movements.
Take short, quick, choppy steps.
Make smooth pivoting movements on a single base of support.
Your ability to teach your wrestlers how to develop quick and powerful motions will help them successfully execute a variety of wrestling maneuvers and avoid getting into trouble during matches.
In order to be successful, your wrestlers need to move efficiently and effectively through space and in relation to their opponents. Proper motion enables wrestlers to develop speed, promoting effective attacks.
Try the Bull Riding game. This game divides wrestlers into pairs. One wrestler must ride and stay on the back of the wrestler in the bottom position for 10 seconds. The goal of the bull riding game is to teach wrestlers the proper bottom position and movement.

Changing Levels
So far you’ve seen the importance of good positioning and motion. Changing levels is the next skill that must be mastered.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers how to change levels:
Keep the head up.
Do not bend at the waist, bend at the knees.
Raise or lower hips while maintaining proper positioning.
In changing levels, wrestlers lower or raise their hips to move their bodies in a vertical plane. It takes a lot of practice for wrestlers to keep the correct body positioning when changing levels.
Knowing how to change levels properly helps a wrestler attack his or her opponent without breaking from a strong position.
Try the Bone Fight game to practice changing levels. This game uses pairs of wrestlers holding one end of a towel between them. The object of this game is for the wrestlers to break each other’s grip on the towel. Penetration
In order to weaken their opponents’ stance and reduce their mobility, wrestlers must learn penetration skills.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers penetration:
Movement should be through the opponent’s hips.
Movement should be directed toward the opponent’s hips or the location where they will be.
To attack with effective takedown techniques, wrestlers must develop penetration skills.
When a wrestler has executed a deep penetration quickly, the opponent will have little time to react and counter.
Try the Knee Tag game to practice penetration. Divide your team into pairs, and have wrestlers shoot in and tag the inside of their partner’s leg. The object of this game is for the wrestlers to work on penetrating skills by changing levels.

Lifting
Lifting occurs from a number of positions including standing, top/bottom, and side positions.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers lifting:
Squeeze the opponent to your body using your arms.
Lower your hips into and under the opponent’s center of gravity.
Lift primarily with the legs, not the arms.
Return the opponent safely to the mat.
Lifting is one of the most important wrestling skills; it’s used in a wide variety of wrestling moves. All wrestlers should be aware that it’s the position of the hips, rather than arm strength, that’s necessary for successful lifting.
A wrestler’s takedowns are most effective when he or she is able to lift the opponent so that the opponent is unable to defend by enacting any counters.
To practice this skill, try the Rescue Mission game. This game divides your team into groups of four. Wrestlers compete lifting their teammates across the mat one at a time. The object is for wrestlers to work on lifting technique and speed. Back Step
The back step is a skill often used in lifting that requires the ability to make a quick rotation, change levels, and penetrate the opponent.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers the back step:
The step must be smooth and quick.
Feet should be brought close together to create a small base.
Wrestlers should change levels, penetrate, and lift after the back step.
The back step is a basic skill that enables wrestlers who are behind in a match to execute a maneuver that can take opponents to their backs.
When wrestlers learn to execute a back step successfully, a whole new level of technique is open to them.
The back step develops wrestlers’ ability to use their hips in lifting opponents.
Try the Switcheroo game to practice the back step. This game uses pairs of wrestlers locking up their arms over and under each other, chest to chest. The object of this game is for the wrestlers to try to knock their opponent to the ground without breaking each other’s grip. Back Arch
The back arch is an important skill used in a number of lifts and throws.
Here are key points to focus on when teaching your wrestlers the back arch:
Squeeze the opponent in tight.
Lift with the legs.
Maintain your balance over a point of support.
The back arch is the high-arching, back-bridge part of the progression of basic skills used in all throws, along with the head-outside single-leg, duck-unders, and every maneuver requiring a lift.
The back arch is viewed as the most complicated skill in wrestling. Wrestlers who develop a proper back arch can score takedowns to near falls using spectacular throws and
lifts.
Try the Spider Fight game to practice the back arch. This game uses pairs of wrestlers facing away from each other assuming a back bridge. The object of this game is for the wrestlers to try to knock their opponent out of the bridge position.