Wrestling Skills: Moving Your Opponent

When wrestling in the neutral (standing) position it is essential to be able to move your opponent to set up your attacks.  Even if you don't tie up with your opponent you will have to use motion and level change to get your opponent to move.

Motion and Hand Fighting

You most often will use a combination of motion and hand fighting to move your opponent in order to set up your takedowns.

I like the following video because the coach mentions, "One of the basic skills of wrestling is back stepping."  He shows how easy it can be to move an opponent around with motion and hand fighting.



Here's another example of moving an opponent around with good hand fighting.  Bang Collars!!



As I mentioned earlier, you need to move your opponent even if you want to shoot from an open (no tie-up) position.  In the following video, former NCAA champion and coach Lee Roy Smith discusses sets ups for takedown attacks.  He talks about moving your opponent and making him react.  For instance, you pull his arm and he pulls it back.  You twist your opponent's shoulders and he twists them back.  From an open position you can pump and fake like you're going to shoot to draw a response or reaction from your opponent.  Control your opponent's response to your advantage.



Being able to move your opponent around in the neutral position is a valuable wrestling technique.  Knowing several takedowns is not enough to make you successful on the mat.  You need to be able to set up those takedowns and attacks by using motion and hand fighting to move your opponent around and then acting on his responses.