How Do I Counter a Wrestler?

[Edison Carasio]

I guess a good wrestler would end up getting you down anyway. Wrestlers start from a very early age so they are normally decades up on you in experience if you are a life long striker just learning the grappling game to better keep the fight where you want it.

I have very limited wrestling, so I venture if I was to spar or fight a life long grappler, I'm gonna end up looking at the ceiling one way or the other. =/ That doesn't mean I shouldn't try to hole up that part of my game but that it's a very tough game of playing catch up.

Stinkoman - I guess I was thinking more from a friendly sparring stand point. In a street fight there's so many other variables to consider but just friendly, light hearted sparring would be a much easier environment to control.

[RyanR]

I hate these kind of generic questions because the answer is so simple yet so detailed at the same.

Answer: Avoid the takedown

It's like a wrestling asking how to beat a boxer: don't get hit.

No two people wrestle the same so your strategy is going to vary depending on what kind of takedowns and set-ups he likes.

[Pathogenic]

Working on your sprawl is of crucial importance, but learning how to actually read the takedowns is more important than learning how to sprawl. Without it, you'll never be able to react in time. Him having longer arms isn't nearly as great an advantage in wrestling as it is in striking because him being within reach of you isn't even close to being all it takes to get a takedown. Observe how he sets them up. Does he first try to get an angle on you? If so, does he typically use the same angle(s)? Does he do specific combinations to close the distance before he shoots? Does he ever hesitate when he makes the transition from standing up to taking you down? Observe his movement patterns, and learn how to read what he does so that you don't have to completely rely on your reflexes. Once you can read him, you can use your standup skills to negate some of it.

[aries]

Take angles, never let him get set. Lots of circular movement, one way than the next. Use up jabs at range and uppercuts when he gets close. Try to avoid big swings at the head because his whole goal is to get inside or underneath you. Try keeping your lead hand low so it's always between you and him and you can get the underhook if he tries to shoot.

[aries]

Originally Posted by Mr Fizzle

Anyone have advice for the clinch if he does get there?

Always pummel for underhooks, don't let him lock his hands, keep your hips back. Hand fight and keep your head in his face. Stuff his head down to break his posture if he tries to go for a double. Learn how to use the whizzer. If you are in over unders, drop your weight down onto his underhook side and clamp his arm to your side with your elbow. On your underhook side try to get deep and lift his overhook high.

But if he's a good wrestler he'll have the advantage, so need to create space so suck your hips back and put your head in his face. If you get the chance break away. If you can get your underhook high you can slip out that way under his arm.

[End on 6]

Originally Posted by Mr Fizzle

I have strong quick hands, however hypothetically let's say I am facing a much stronger,bigger, wrestler with longer arms. He is going straight forward toward him and I know his going for some sort of take down. How would I go about countering him? Throwing a hard right hand and turning to his side, or a double jab with a turn after or something else? I am not much competition on my back.

Thank you.

EDIT: Forgot to mention I am also quicker on my feet.

If you have no wrestling experience, barring a perfectly timed knee or whatever, you're going to be planted and at least wrestlefucked and tossed around or at best beaten to a bloody pulp while he's on top of you. The good news is that if you survive three rounds you'll have 3 chances to catch him before he plants you. Of course if you have much better cardio (unlikely if he's a real wrestler) you could outlast him maybe.

IN short, learn to wrestle.

[a guy]

Originally Posted by Mr Fizzle

I have strong quick hands, however hypothetically let's say I am facing a much stronger,bigger, wrestler with longer arms. He is going straight forward toward him and I know his going for some sort of take down. How would I go about countering him? Throwing a hard right hand and turning to his side, or a double jab with a turn after or something else? I am not much competition on my back.

Thank you.

EDIT: Forgot to mention I am also quicker on my feet.

Body shots ALL DAY. Its very hard to keep moving forward when you keep getting hit in the stomach or chest. Also, the body is a much bigger target and much easier to hit than the head. The absolute last thing you wanna do is plant your feet, throw a hard punch and completely miss. you'll be helpless. With body shots, your level will be low by default which will make it more difficult for him to duck under and get to your hips. Wrestlers tend to have phenomenal cardio so this will even that out for you a little. And trust me, there's nothing worse than having a better grappler on top of you who is significantly less tired than you.

A neat trick that can really screw up wrestlers is to move backwards, then suddenly plant your feet and feint a jab, then throw a cross but aim it at the guys chest instead of his head. There's a good chance he'll react to your feint by changing levels to shoot and essentially duck right into it. You can also do this with uppercuts, but most people tend to rise up when they throw uppercuts which is counterproductive.

Don't be afraid to throw knees too! I'm personally very fond of throwing a front snap kick to the jaw of anyway who leans forward too much, especially wrestlers who are crouched down.

But in all honesty, if you've never wrestled (or grappled in general) then you'll never beat a strong wrestler consistently. Put the time in to learn how to defend a takedown once the guy has a hold of you. Also, learn how to sweep. Just drill the shit out of basic sweeps and you should hopefully be able to use them to at least create enough space to get your hips away and stand up if you're relentless.

[SummerStriker]

Get just a little wrestling training and then spar with wrestlers all the time.

[devante]

Originally Posted by SummerStriker

Get just a little wrestling training and then spar with wrestlers all the time.

good idea, i agree; you gotta up your level of experience working w/those types to really round out your skills,and get your timing, spacing and conditioning up for dealing w/those types.

no real shortcut but to put the time in w/live experiences...an the key thing is to get that wrestling training in. Or the alternative the grappling training to create sweeps, neutralize the opp so you can get back to your feet.

[SummerStriker]

Originally Posted by devante

good idea, i agree; you gotta up your level of experience working w/those types to really round out your skills,and get your timing, spacing and conditioning up for dealing w/those types.

no real shortcut but to put the time in w/live experiences...an the key thing is to get that wrestling training in. Or the alternative the grappling training to create sweeps, neutralize the opp so you can get back to your feet.

Not all of your training has to be formalized. I rarely get taken down but I never wrestled. I just picked it up here and there by asking people in BJJ or sparring to drill basics occasionally. If you can pummel for like 5 seconds, know how to throw the person off and start punching, you can survive a TON of shit.