Riding, Breakdowns, and Control on Top

Top position is a weight problem before it is a technique problem. A rider whose hips are low and whose chest is on the opponent's spine can hold position with very little grip strength, while a rider sitting high on the shoulders spends the whole period fighting with the arms. Breakdowns exist to remove base points one at a time — an ankle, a wrist, a hip — until the opponent is flat and a turn becomes available.

Key points

• Ride with the hips low and the chest on their spine, so your weight rather than your grip does the holding.
• Break the base diagonally: a tight waist with the near ankle collapses one hip and removes two base points at once.
• Control the hips before the arms, because a wrestler whose hips are flat cannot build a base or begin a stand-up.
• Keep your knees off the mat and outside their hips so you can drive in any direction instead of kneeling in one.
• Choose rides that lead somewhere; a hold that merely occupies time is usually judged as stalling and never becomes a turn.

Common mistakes

• Sitting high on the shoulders, which places your weight where the opponent is strongest and leaves their hips completely free.
• Locking your hands around the body on the mat, which is restricted in some rulesets and freezes the position in all of them.
• Riding with your weight on your arms, which fatigues the shoulders and lets a strong wrestler simply stand into your grip.

Put it into practice