Team Impact Wrestling Club
Technical Preparation the Team Impact Way
By Stan Tzogas August 2, 2008
Philosophy:
The combination of working hard and working smart is the key to improvement. Optimal technical preparation is an important requirement for success in competition and routinely practicing the right techniques is a vital aspect of that process. The right techniques are those that are most common, basic, low risk and usually one point moves. Practice to perfect the situations you will encounter in a match. There are no short cuts to mastering wrestling techniques. The constant practice of perfecting endless numbers of repetitions will help to develop automatic instinctive reactions when wrestling. The intention of this article is outline a guideline for working hard and working smart to perfect essential wrestling skills. Endless repetition is the key to automating your wrestling skills. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Drill to perfection by focusing on details. Help teammates by correcting or complimenting their technique. When you can teach a technique you learn it better. Develop a positive attitude towards drilling, do it often and success will follow.
Learning New Technique
When exposed to a new technique make sure you pay close attention to everything that the person presenting says, as well as, performs. Give 100% focus and effort. Try to repeat in your head what the presenter is emphasizing using internal self-talk (internal dialogue). You may use cue words to help you to remember key segments of the technique. Cue words are words used to trigger key responses. Through repetition, an association between the cue word and the response develops. Once you comprehend the demonstration and have asked questions to clarify any uncertainties, try to visualize the move. Visualize the move in your mind a couple of times to further clarify the technique. Now you might want to try the technique without a partner and shadow the move by trying it on an invisible partner, and then practice the technique with your partner. Taking notes can also help to reinforce the learning of the technique and it is a good resource for future reference. Fatigue can inhibit you from learning and even performing a technique. The best time to learn new techniques is at the beginning of practice after a good warm-up. Also, if you lack the proper physical development to perform the skill you will not be able to execute it. For example, if you cannot do at least 20 push-ups, it will be very difficult to execute a standing double leg attack. If you are tense due to a stressful day, you may choose to use a few relaxation techniques to relax. Tension suppresses learning. .
At first, practice the move slowly but continuously with cooperation and extremely little resistance from your partner. If you are experiencing difficulty break the move up into smaller parts and progress through each part, advancing only to the next when proficiency has been demonstrated. As your performance of the skill improves and you have the details down, begin to drill the skill progressively to competition speed. As you increase the speed of execution, also have your partner increase their resistance gradually. It is wise to drill in continuous sets as opposed to single alternating repetitions between partners. When you drill in continuous repetitions you are quick to correct errors and improve mastery. Try to drill the same technique in repetitions of 3, 5 or 10.
In order to guarantee the effectiveness of the technique it is smart to drill on various individuals. Practice the technique on the various body types you might encounter. This means practicing on taller, lanky individuals, as well as, shorter stockier people. Such practice will assure the execution of the technique will be successful on anyone. The more familiar an athlete is with their opponent’s physique, the more comfortable, relaxed and confidant they will be.
Test your new skills in practice scrimmage matches with weaker and/ or lighter wrestlers, and then gradually progress to stronger and more experienced wrestlers. The same applies to tournaments. Attending weak tournaments and wrestling weaker wrestlers is excellent for improving and perfecting new skills. Avoid trying new moves or even inventing moves in important tournaments. Trying new untested techniques in competition is not a good idea because the probability of succeeding is low. Trying new moves in desperation during the dying 10 seconds when you are losing is an acceptable gamble, but not at any other time except for practice. I would advise wrestlers to only execute those techniques that have been proven effective in practice while sparring with good opponents at important events. This is why championships are won in the practice room.
Goal:
To develop, improve and perfect the Team Impact wrestling style- To fight with an aggressive, relentless and tenacious offensive strategy. Anticipate the whistle and force our opponents from the start of the match, to wrestle our style by initiating first. Keep opponent off balance by continuously attacking using combinations of head snap downs, faking attacks and half shots. Setting a pace he cannot stand by applying offensive pressure throughout the match. We want to score the first point and ultimately break the opponent’s will to win.
Individual Action Plan for Optimal Technical Preparation
Below is a guideline to help put things into perspective in regards to how to and what to drill on your own. Wrestling is a very individualistic sport in that athletes have to maximize their physical strengths to suit their techniques. You can devise your own individual-specific technique-drilling program with the assistance of your personal coach; although, choose your weapons wisely.
Before drilling each technique inform your partner what you are going to do, how much resistance you’d like, what you want him/ her to do and/or how to react. Work with a training partner that you like and can cooperate, make sure he/ she comes to practice.To be a productive workout partner one must try to react like a good wrestler would in a match situation, with enough resistance so that the move can be completed. This will help to create competition specificity in training. Be sure to always finish the entire technique, from set-up to a pin or a round ending turn (i.e. gutwrench or x-ankle). Partial drilling of techniques to the point of not scoring, usually results in developing muscle memory that pauses before finishing techniques, which allows the opponent a better chance to counter. Partial drilling is good for developing techniques; but not for improving or perfecting them for competition. I do not recommend drilling old techniques partially. Finish all moves completely and explosively without any pausing right through to a pin or turn. Always, be relaxed and light on our feet before you explode into the move, this will increase your speed and power output. Be in motion from set-up, to finish and through to the second move. Attack fast and finish faster. Use internal self-talk to praise yourself upon completion of tasks to develop confidence. The program following is for serious athletes working out on their own with the discipline to not waste time talking and/ or being slow to get to the next repetition. Follow in order as listed after a good warm-up.
Individual Routine Action Plan for Optimal Technical Preparation |
|
Techniques |
Method of Drill |
Core Offence:
This move must be consistent and cannot change from practice to practice. |
Dynamic Drilling:
Rational: Do it in practice as close as it is in a match because what you do in practice is what you do in a match. Attack fast and finish faster. Ten straight repetitions in a row executed with gradual increased intensity. Do this twice. |
Core hand defence (re-attacks or action-reaction drills) to outside attacks (partner does not tie-up):
|
Dynamic drilling- see above 10 reps. X 2 |
Core hip defence to inside attacks (partner ties-up):
|
Dynamic drilling- see above |
Trigger (signature) move
|
The trigger move is the move that can be execute anytime a point is needed under pressure. It should be followed by 2 different consecutive set-ups. |
Clinch |
10 dynamic repetitions at 80-100% intensity with 30-40% resistance from your partner. Do this twice |
Zone Drills
|
10 dynamic repetitions at 80-100% intensity with 25% resistance from your partner. Do this twice. |
Selection of Specific Areas of Focus for the Practice:
*hand fighting with head position and hand control |
This is the time to focus on a specific skill. This should be a skill that need work, work on what did not work the last time you wrestled, improve on your weakness or work on something that you learned but need more time to practice. If you could wrestle yourself, what would you do to win? Practice to improve your weaknesses. The skills listed 16-24 do not have to be drilled routinely; although wrestlers must know what to do in these common match situations. Select a different area of concentration for each practice. Budget your time to allow 40 minutes for a cool down and the drill below. |
Significant Drill for Technical Perfection: Immediately after the third match run the pyramid drill, and then cool down. |
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By Stan Tzogas Revised August 1, 2008
Definition: A set-up is an attempt to divert an opponent's attention elsewhere so you can attack him where he least expects to be attacked or an attempt to open an attacking area that is protected. It is important to note that the attacking wrestler should be working toward getting their opponent to place all of their weight on the lead leg they are attacking.
Most of the time a set-up will involve clearing the opponent’s hands, so that they cannot be used to block your attack. To clear the opponents hands use the following techniques;
Other set-ups that focus on getting or catching your opponents off guard include:
Emphasize in your wrestling style constant movement and motion. Perfect the ability to force offensive pressure on your opponent throughout the match. Be in constant motion by moving forward or circling, using level changes and working the opponents head. By constantly changing levels and/or even faking attacks you will be less predictable and more successful.
Rules of Attacking