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A technique-first wrestling guide: stance, hand fighting, leg attacks, mat wrestling and competition explained in the order a coach introduces them, with the details that decide whether an attack finishes.
12 of 12 guides
Stance and Motion: The Foundation of Every Attack
Your stance sets the ceiling for every attack and every defense. Build one that stays low, stays balanced, and still lets you move in any direction.
Hand Fighting and Ties
Matches are decided in the hands long before anyone shoots. Learn the ties that create inside position and the grip breaks that get it back.
The Double Leg: Penetration, Drive, and Finish
The double leg is the first attack most wrestlers learn and the one most often finished badly. Distance, head position, and drive decide the outcome.
The Single Leg and Its Finishes
A single leg gives you control of one limb and several ways to finish. The hard part is keeping the leg where you first trapped it.
The High Crotch
The high crotch attacks from the inside and sets up lifts, corner finishes, and a clean switch to the double when the opponent defends.
Sprawling and Front Headlock Defense
Defending the legs starts before the shot arrives. Hips back, hands active, and a front headlock waiting for whoever gets their head too low.
Re-Attacks: Turning a Stuffed Shot Into a Score
A stopped attack is not a failed attack. The wrestlers who score most are the ones who already know what the second and third moves are.
Riding, Breakdowns, and Control on Top
Riding is about where your weight sits, not how hard you squeeze. Break the base first, keep your hips heavy, and stay in a position that leads to a turn.
Turns and Tilts: Scoring From Top
Turning an opponent takes a lever and a block working together. Half nelsons, cradles and tilts all follow the same underlying logic.
Stand-Ups and Escapes From Bottom
Getting out from the bottom is a hand-control problem first and a leg-strength problem second. The stand-up works on sequence, not on speed alone.
Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco Compared
The three main wrestling styles share a foundation and diverge on what scores. Knowing the differences changes how you attack, defend and finish.
Weight Management for Wrestlers
Making weight should be a planning problem, not an emergency. Healthy wrestlers pick a class they can hold while eating, drinking and training normally.