A takedown brings you down — nothing is won there yet. How to control on the ground, turn with the gut wrench and work toward the pin.
Honest statement: a takedown brings you down — nothing is won there yet. The ground game decides whether your control turns into points or even the whole win. Because in wrestling one thing truly counts as complete: pressing both of the opponent's shoulders briefly to the mat — the pin ends the match instantly, no matter what the scoreboard says.
Until then it's about two things: controlling and turning. Controlling means keeping the upper hand with your weight and your grips without getting rolled yourself. Turning means rolling the opponent from his belly onto his back — and for exactly that there are fixed points: every turn that puts the opponent's back in danger counts two points, regardless of where on the mat it happens.
The classic turn is the gut wrench: you wrap the opponent's torso, lift and roll him over his own axis. A single clean gut wrench can bring several turns in a series — and with them technical superiority.
Whoever is on top has to work — not sit. Control without a turn brings no points.
After the takedown you want to get behind or over the opponent. The strongest starting position is from behind, with contact at back and hip. Keep your weight on him and your hips low — the heavier you lie, the less he can move.
An opponent on all fours, on hands and knees, is hard to turn. Press him flat onto his belly with your weight or break his base by pulling away an arm or a leg. Only a flat opponent can be rolled.
Wrap his torso from behind with a firm body lock, hands together at his belly side. Pull him tight to you — no gap. This grip is your lever: from here you lift and turn him over his own long axis.
Lift his hips slightly with your body lock and roll him over the shoulder onto his back. The power comes from your hips and legs, not the arms. A clean gut wrench turns him in one fluid movement — and you can reset it right away for the next turn.
As soon as his back shows, press both shoulders toward the mat and hold them briefly. If both shoulders touch at the same time, the match is over — a pin. If you don't get the pin, you at least collect two points with every turn toward technical superiority.
The ground game is tight and powerful — treat your partner's neck with respect. When rolling and turning, never lever jerkily on the head or neck; the power comes from the body lock around the torso, not the neck.
For yourself: when defending a turn, resist with the bridge, but don't overextend the neck — go over the shoulder out of danger instead of stubbornly propping on your head. Knee pads save you bruises in the constant knee contact.
Think in series, not single turns. A good wrestler sets the gut wrench, turns, follows the movement and resets immediately — two points, two points, two points, until technical superiority stands. The second turn is almost always easier than the first, because the opponent is still off balance.
Second trick: keep your head tight to his body during control. A head with distance gives him room to turn and stand up.
Fastest by the pin: pressing both of the opponent's shoulders to the mat at the same time briefly ends the match instantly. If you don't get the pin, you collect points via turns — every turn that puts his back in danger counts two points and leads to technical superiority.
The gut wrench is the classic turn: you wrap the opponent's torso from behind with a firm body lock, lift his hips slightly and roll him over his own axis onto his back. The power comes from hips and legs, not the arms, and it can be repeated for several turns in a series.
Two points. Under the current rules every turn that puts the opponent's back in danger counts two points — regardless of where on the mat it happens. That's why turning several times in a series is more effective than just holding control on top.
Control means dominating the opponent on the ground with weight and grips; by itself it brings no points yet. The pin is the goal: pressing both of the opponent's shoulders briefly to the mat ends the match instantly. Control is the road, the pin is the end.
Wrestling: Escapes and Getting Out from the Bottom