What are popular style wrestling moves?
There are three types of wrestling. The first type of wrestling is folk style. This is also known as varsity style wrestling. This is what you see in America’s middle schools, high schools, and universities.
The other two types of wrestling are wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. These two types of wrestling are the international or Olympic wrestling styles. The United States is the only country that practices folk-style wrestling.
What are folkstyle wrestling moves?
Folkstyle wrestling moves are any wrestling moves that are legal or not illegal and fall within the rules of folkstyle wrestling or college wrestling. Many moves from Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling are legal and carry over into popular-style wrestling.
On my blog, I recently posted some videos demonstrating different folk style wrestling moves and exercises. If you are interested in learning more fighting skills, I suggest you go to my blog and watch the videos. However, since this is an article and therefore does not use video, I will try to describe or explain what these moves are, how they are done, and when I would use them.
The Granby roll.
The Granby roll is a classic example of a folk style wrestling move. This ability is ONLY used in popular style wrestling and not in freestyle or Greco-Roman wrestling. This is a move that the wrestler will do from the bottom position.
You execute the Granby Roll creating enough space between you and the top wrestler to move your hips out so that you are now in a T with your opponent. You are perpendicular to it rather. So you want to grab his wrist and roll towards his head. As you slide your elbow between his legs and catch the leg closest to you. When you arrive, if you do it correctly, you should have your opponent’s back turned. You should hold him there by locking his arm and leg around your body. The video explains this ability much better than I can with words, but I hope this helps.
Defense of a leg in dive and roll.
This move is not a high percentage move, but once in a while, when a kid is really athletic or is much better than their opponent, this move works. This is a last resort way to get out when your opponent has fired and lifted your leg into the air. Now you’re hopping on one foot hoping you don’t get knocked over. So, in desperation, you pull away from the other fighter, dive, and spin. As he rolls, his leg comes free. You then turn and face your opponent. Again, this is hard to explain if you’ve never seen the move. There is a video of the move on my blog.
Head lock.
The headlock is one of the most effective and least effective moves out there. It’s a great way to score 5 points when you’re trailing or get a much-needed pin. It’s important to do it correctly and know when to hit it, otherwise a fighter can get into trouble. You start by doing what is called a step back. It’s a step you take to get your hips under your opponent so that you can then cross him over your lower back and onto his back. A great drill to practice this move is to have one wrestler raise their hips and throw to catch the other person. Then the other person sticks out their hips and throws. You repeat this over and over again.
Other popular style wrestling moves include:
single leg, double leg, high c, firefighter load, arm bar, cheap lean, standing, knee slip, fitted waist, cross face, 2 in 1, low hook.
I hope this is useful.