The seven basic skills are:
- stance
- motion
- level change
- penetration
- lifting
- back step
- back arch
Stance
While in the neutral (standing) position, some wrestlers prefer a square stance Fig. and others prefer a staggered stance Fig. Either stance can work equally well. The wrestler should not stand straight up or leave herself/ himself open to a takedown from the opponent. An effective stance always prepares the wrestler for a quick attack and proper defence.
Square Stance
Wrestling Stance (Staggered)
Motion
Wrestling involves a tremendous amount of motion. Wrestler may circle their opponent. The wrestler may attack their opponent with a take down attempt. They may also snap the opponent to the mat and spin around behind him/her. The wrestler may also sprawl to defend against a take down and need to learn to move fluidly and quickly. All the movements need to be explosive and crisp.
Wrestling Motion
Level Change
Before a wrestler shoots a take down, he/she must lower his/her level. This is accomplished by lowering his/her hips. When a wrestler sprawls to counter a take down he/she is also using level change. In addition, a wrestler may lower and raise his/her level to force a reaction from his/her opponent. A wrestler needs to be able to maintain good posture while changing levels. For instance, a wrestler sometime overextends when shooting a take down because he/she forgot to lower his/her level first. A wrestler should always bend at the knees, not at the waist.
Wrestling Level Change
Penetration
When a wrestler shoots for a take down on his/her opponent, he/she does not merely reach for the opponent's legs or dive wildly for the opponent's legs. He/she makes sure to be close enough to the opponent and then takes a deep penetration step, keeping the back straight and head up. Lower the level and penetrate deeply. Always make it sure to keep the hips forward and lower the shoulders, while driving through the opponent.
Wrestling Penetration
Lifting
A wrestler often lifts his opponent off the mat when executing a take down as shown in fig. 6.30. He/she may also lift an opponent who has performed a stand up from the bottom position. The wrestler lifts his/ her opponent and returns to the mat. The legs and the hips are most important when lifting. For instance, when a wrestler shoots a double leg, he/she does not lift with the back. He/she gets the hips squarely down and then uses the leg and hip strength to lift the opponent off the mat. When a wrestler has been lifted off the mat, he/she is in a very vulnerable position, lacking support and balance.
Wrestling Lifting
