How to Understand Wrestling Moves

Wrestling is a popular sport among high school and college students. It's a sport that involves not only physical strength but mental strength as well. While it may take a lot of study to understand all there is to know about wrestling, you can easily understand enough about basic wrestling moves to let you enjoy watching the sport.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Observe the neutral positions to start. Without a good starting point or neutral position, it's hard for the wrestler to get the momentum he needs to carry out the moves. The two basic neutral positions are the square stance and the staggered stance, which is the easier to accomplish.
2. Watch to see which wrestler has the best balance on their feet, preferably their toes. Also, watch to see which one has the best control of his center of gravity. A wide stance with the head in the upright position indicates the wrestler understands his wrestling moves.
3. Notice the placement of the wrestler's feet as he begins a drop-down or drive step. A staggered stance can easily use the wrestler's knee in a penetrating motion to take an opponent down.
4. View the wrestler in the basic down positions. Even then, the wrestler makes more use of the strength and power in his legs than in his arms.
5. Determine if the wrestler is down and about to be pinned. He may just be positioning himself to execute a reversal of a takedown.
6. Understand the scoring rules. In order to win any points the opponent must be on his back with his shoulders touching the mat. The rules vary between Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, both of which are Olympic sports. A third type of wrestling, folkstyle, is most common in high school and collegiate matches in the United States.