Turns and Tilts: Scoring From Top

Every turn is built from the same two parts. A lever moves one end of the opponent — usually a shoulder, a head, or a hip — and a block stops the other end from following. A half nelson levers the shoulder while your chest blocks the hip. A cradle levers the head and knee toward each other while your body blocks the roll. Understanding the pair means you can improvise turns instead of memorizing them.

Key points

• Break the opponent down before you reach; you cannot turn a wrestler who still has a hand and a knee posted.
• A half nelson slides one arm under the armpit and cups the far side of the head, moving the shoulder past the hip.
• Your chest supplies the block: without body pressure on the near hip, the lever simply spins the opponent back to base.
• A cradle locks the head and one knee tightly together, and the tighter the lock the less room they have to extend out.
• Whether you hold a turn or repeat it depends on the style, since some rulesets reward sustained exposure and others reward the moment.

Common mistakes

• Reaching for a turn before the breakdown, which puts your weight back onto your arms and gives them room to stand.
• Twisting the neck with a half nelson instead of moving the shoulder and hip, which strains the neck and turns nobody.
• Locking a cradle loosely, so the opponent straightens the trapped leg, slips the lock, and rebases while you are committed.

Put it into practice