Inner Champ Wrestling Club

Stop trying to hit fancy turns from the legs if you can’t even stay on top. 🛑👇

Before we even talk about power halfs or guillotines, you need to get comfortable just RIDING.

This is the ultimate drill to build that “sticky” pressure.

👉 Bottom guy: Sit out, move, pop up, knee slide. Make it hard!

👉 Top guy: Glue your chest to their back. Hips tight. Do not fall off.

Master the ride first, the turns will come easy later.

🧠 🤼 Follow for the second leg riding drill (cross-body)

🦆 + 🐻 Down big? Try this duck to a bear hug

Let’s be clear: this elevator is NOT your everyday defense. This is a home run. This is the move you pull out when you’re down on points and need something big.

Get his head to the outside ➡️ Front headlock ➡️ Underhook ➡️ ELEVATE & THROW. ✈️

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The Sneaky Unorthodox Head & Arm. 🤫💥

Bait the defense. Jack up the underhook, make them pull their hips away, and then… SEND IT. 🚀

Stop fighting their resistance and start using it.

Stop getting stuck on the bottom! 🛑 If you want to master the Mat Return Recovery, your partner must do a proper mat return. 🤼‍♂️🔥

You’re only as good as your training partner, so no bad habits here—drill EVERYTHING the proper way. Here’s the breakdown to level up your defense:

💥 THE ATTACK (Proper Mat Return):

1️⃣ Clamp down on the hip to control their movement.

2️⃣ Take a big, deep step in.

3️⃣ Bring your hips tight and bring ‘em down to the mat.

🛡️ THE DEFENSE (The Recovery):

1️⃣ As you’re getting lifted, immediately bring your knees to your chest.

2️⃣ Stay compact and tight in a ball.

3️⃣ The second you hit the mat, EXPLODE back up to your feet! 🚀

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Wrestlers are built different!

Here are 3 different bottom stances you NEED to use based on what the top guy is doing:

1️⃣ The “Unknown” / Default Stance
When you don’t know what they’re going to do (also works if you know the guy is a leg rider)

The Cues: Take a deep breath to relax. Curl your back up like a cat. Keep your hands SUPER light (barely touching the mat) and turn your elbows in. Eyes look up to the ceiling.

The Reasoning: Top guys want pressure on your hands to flatten you out. Light hands and a curled back prevent this. From here, you can fire straight up for a stand-up, or if they are a leg rider, sit back on your haunches and “seal off” with elbows tight. This blocks legs from coming in and lets you slip out if they come over the top!

2️⃣ Defending the “Chop”
When you know they love to chop the arm and roll you through.

The Cues: “Cheat” your stance! Elbows outside of hands. Lean and look INTO the direction the chop is coming from, and open your opposite foot out slightly.
The Reasoning: By shifting your weight opposite to their force, you completely neutralize the chop. (Watch D1 guys like Mitchell Mesenbrink do this!) Off the whistle, use that leaning momentum to knee slide or granby.

3️⃣ Defending the “Tight Waist Far Ankle”
When they have a nasty tight waist and hunt for that far ankle.

The Cues: Keep hands light and be ready to fire backward immediately—putting all your weight on the ankle their going for.

The Reasoning: Off the whistle, sit straight back into them! By dropping all your body weight directly onto the ankle they are trying to grab, you make it incredibly heavy and impossible to pull. Once your weight traps their grip, peel the hand and escape!

🧠 Wrestling is a game of chess. Anticipate, adjust, and execute!

The easiest time to escape a takedown? The exact second it happens. 🤯

Stop holding onto the head! 🛑 The biggest mistake most people make when getting taken down is clinging to their opponent. If you know you’re going down, BAIL on the head, post your hands to brace the fall, and immediately slide your knees and hips underneath you.

There’s a split-second window to explode back up before they settle. Don’t miss it. ⏱️💨

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