Bottom Wrestling

There are two concepts to consider for bottom wrestling: defense and scoring.

First, let’s define them:

Defense is your ability to avoid being turned to your back, and also your ability to return to your base (on all fours with your head up). This often involves assuming defensive postures, and does not require a large energy expenditure.

Some essential defenses are:

Half Nelson Defense:

Bar-Arm Defense:

Defense against Legs:

Scoring is your ability to secure an escape or reversal. It often involves a lot of movement and a large expenditure of energy.

Stand-Up:

I suggest learning defense first (basic positioning so that you do not get turned). This is more important than escaping/reversing because once you can prevent yourself from being turned, you can learn how to return to your base and later develop the necessary movements to create space and scoring opportunities.

The problem with learning how to escape/reverse is that many wrestlers aren’t penalized for mistakes. It is very common for a wrestler to escape simply because the top guy didn’t know how to capitalize on the bottom wrestler’s mistake. If you give up wrist control or a bar-arm, you should be turned (a good wrestler will always score from this level of control).

Most wrestlers whose bottom-foundation is about scoring are very sloppy in their attempts to do so, and vulnerable as a result. By learning defense first, you will learn how to escape/reverse in a clean/safe manner.