Wrestling shot/penetration step question

Arm's length away is ideal. That's why you'll see wrestlers looking to touch their opponents heads for range.
 
KILL KILL said:
We had a saying in the military : Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
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I've heard this from good coaches too. Learn it slow and get it down with repetition, and the speed will come from your drill refinement.
 
Hendo89 said:
Thanks lads, the only reason i ask, is that it hurts my kneecap on anything other than mats (even mats a little) is that because i'm not bringing the other leg through fast enough, causing a harder hit? a level change issue?
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The idea of dropping your knee is that it allows you to get deep underneath your opponent, and get in on his hips. Now, some wrestlers do that without dropping their knee-- but the reason you drop the knee is to really force yourself to change levels and explode up and into your opponent. Some coaches will fucking scream at you if you shoot without dropping the knee. You wanna be knocking the bro over with your drive and shoulders already, drop knee or not.

Now, sometimes people drop the knee and don't drive forward. If your knee hurts from dropping when you shoot, it's possible that you're just dropping your knee, and then popping up. You should be driving forward and into your opponent as you drop the knee, and driving the whole time (though the direction can change, depending on if you're cutting the corner or not, or your lift, etc.). So, dont just fall down onto your knee-- your knee should be skimming the mat as your other leg comes across to get an angle on your opponent.

I always, always drop my knee. I fucking drop my knee for single legs a lot. I love my shot when I drop my knee. Now, for MMA? If I ever want to do MMA, I'll probably try and work my shot without dropping my knee. Also, streetfights (if that's your cup of tea) you don't wanna be dropping your knee all the time. I try my best to not be wrestling with dudes in bars or on sidewalks, so I don't care about the latter. But there you go.

edit: ^^^I fucking drop my knee as I get out of bed in the morning. Cereal? I drop my knee and explode up to get those fucking Fruit Loops.
 
KJGould said:
Arm's length away is ideal. That's why you'll see wrestlers looking to touch their opponents heads for range.
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Btw, KJGould, I just read some of your grappling stuff on Bloody Elbow. Stellar stuff. You do your research, and/or you're already a wrestling/grappling encyclopedia.
 
Thank you for the kind words, my only goal is to continue to learn and get better and hopefully it helps more casual fans learn and get better along the way. I'm always open to corrections as well.
 
I train wrestling under a 2008 Olympic Bronze medalist and I got the best answer I've ever received to that question last night.

It depends.

If you are taller than your opponent, or need to get lower because you're shooting on a shorter person then go to the knee.

If you are shorter then going to the knee is probably not necessary. My wrestling coach teaches me to just change levels not drop to the knee and finish the shot that way.
 
Great thread. We have been drilling singles and doubles a lot lately, and there are some tips here, that I think will prove indispensable to me.
 
it should barely touch

pretty much you should dropped levels as you slice your knee forward. this was a key realization of shooting of mine
 
Our wrestling coach and also my main grappling coach, a BJJ black belt from Brazil both taught us to drop the lead knee. I was so used to seeing MMA takedowns that I was convinced that I didn't need to drop the knee. They both made sure I got away from thinking that, and my power and how deep of penetration I got were much better when dropping the knee. KJ nailed it IMO about straight wrestlers needing go drop the knee, but in MMA the level changes don't make it necessary to drop the knee to get a TD.
 
I wholeheartedly 2nd the suggestion to get some kneepads when you're learning. My knees killed me when I was first trying to develop a shot. Then I picked up some kneepads and after only a short period of working with them and not having to worry about my knees, my technique got good enough that I didn't need them any more.
 
Shadowbox said:
I wholeheartedly 2nd the suggestion to get some kneepads when you're learning. My knees killed me when I was first trying to develop a shot. Then I picked up some kneepads and after only a short period of working with them and not having to worry about my knees, my technique got good enough that I didn't need them any more.
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Indeed. Brute makes some good ones.

When I did the majority of my wrestling, I was also dealing with osgood schlatters syndrome so it really sucked because it was on my lead leg.
 
when i was wrestling in school, you were taught to have it touch the ground. as others have said maybe more advanced guys don't but especially for basics you should be making contact with the ground
 
SenshiJin said:
when i was wrestling in school, you were taught to have it touch the ground. as others have said maybe more advanced guys don't but especially for basics you should be making contact with the ground
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Yup. Learn the basic fundamentals first, which is to touch your knee to the ground. I think you see a lot of tackle-like shots in MMA because 1) they're standing much more upright. 2) they don't want to get kneed in the face, and 3) they're skilled and explosive enough to pull it off.
 
Theirs technique to both but as said in mma it is more common to blast than drop to a knee and shoot when you blast make sure you really hit with the shoulder and drive with your head under the armpit and keep driving till you get it
 
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