Leg riding wrestling is a common thread that holds together the best top wrestlers in history. So if you really want to dominate from the top position, understanding its tenets is a crucial step. In this leg riding wrestling series, I lay out the moves, techniques and philosophies that will allow you to use the power in your hips to maximum effect, the end result being a ride which is as diverse as it is punishing.
Ever wonder what is Leg Riding in wrestling? Check out the step-by-step below!
Step 1: How to get the legs in
When learning this leg riding wrestling series, start by sitting on your opponent like your riding a pony. One foot will go in shallow, your knees will be pinched and and your arms will be elbow deep under your opponent’s arms.
Step 2: Basic Breakdown
A great basic breakdown for the leg riding wrestling series is to hook your laces at opponent’s ankle. Straighten your opponent’s leg out with the ankle you have hooked. Drive off your toes, throw your hips into them and get them extended. Lift with the heel of the leg you have in and arch your hips into your opponent.
Step 3: Figure four hip over
While using this leg riding wrestling position, keep your heel tight in the opponents groin by sliding knee forward. Your opposite knee will go in the opponent’s groin as you figure four their leg, keeping your laces in your knee. Drive your hips into your opponent and lift your feet, turning the opponents hips. As you hip them over, frame your opponent’s face and make them look at you. After getting near fall points with this leg riding wrestling turn, hook the opponent’s arm keeping your fist in their armpit. Turn your hip towrds them and take your elbow to their ear. Stay up on top of the opponent for the pin.
Step 4: Steiner tilt
If your opponent is keeping their near hip down and posting their far arm, not allowing you to hip them over, you can execute a Steiner tilt. When they post their far while you’re performing the leg riding wrestling series, hook their arm at the elbow with your elbow, as you throw yourself to the opposite side in which you have a leg in. Pull their arm back as you thow yourself back to the leg in side and shoot your hand under their belly to grab the wrist of the arm you have barred. Elevate their legs with your foot to put them into a tilt position.
Step 5: Jerk tilt
If you can’t get the opponent to turn their hips due to excessive strength or flexibilty, you can now execute a jerk tilt. Using the leg riding wrestling series breakdown, release your figure four lock and plant your leg in foot above the opponent’s knee and on the mat, keeping their knee behind your toe. Your opposite knee will need slide up the opponent’s side as you lock around your opponent’s head and near arm. Cinch the lock and pull their upperbody up your leg, like a ramp. Fall back into danger position, keeping the head and arm cinched and your knees pinching your opponent’s hips.
If you feel your opponent slipping out, be sure to come back on top of them quickly to avoid getting reversed to your back. Once you get your nearfall, punch your arm through for a half nelson as you come up on top for the fall.
Step 6: Power half
After getting your opponent flat using the leg riding wrestling series breakdown, put your forearm in the back of the neck and apply a power half nelson by grabbing your the palm up of your opposite hand to lock. Step up the opponent’s opposite side and drive off your foot, taking your opponent into nearfall position.
As you get them there, take the opposite foot to the same side, post your foot and put your knee up their rear to trap their hips. Pull the opponent’s shoulder into your chest to keep them tight and stretched. Punch your top hand to the mat and extend their head in front of your elbow to keep them in the nearfall position. Keep the pressure on their head as you work your way on top of them into a half nelson pin position.
The keys to leg riding wrestling are hip position, maintaining pressure, and understanding how to adjust a figure 4 in order to maintain maximum leverage. These techniques are also essential for a wrestler who hopes to develop the feel necessary to stop a leg riding wrestler. Tap into this series, and get an understanding of the positions that win big matches at all levels.
Punish on Top,
Coach Weber
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