Last Saturday at Wrestling Show Live I, once again, had a match against Ricky Vendetta, and this time the stipulation was that either wrestler can only win by submission - an idea I felt very comfortable with. Since technical wrestling, especially when it takes place on the mat, is really my area more than that of anyone else in FCF, I now want to take a closer look at some moments in time during the bout.
Submission holds, unlike one might expect, are not about strength - there's nothing wrong with being strong but let me quarantee that once you catch the opponent the most effecient way to deal with the situation is not to squeeze as hard as you can. In the picture above I've taken Ricky down and I'm going for the hold; my approach is almost Baguazhang-like as I direct his arm with a slight touch. It's all manipulation: instead of wasting time and energy I make him move the way I want and, feeling at ease, wait for the opportunity to come and then complete the strike.
The picture of the double wrist lock is a very important one for many people have problems understanding the hold in the first place. It's a powerful hook but can also be problematic when one doesn't have a proper background for utilizing it. See, I'm not bending over to reach the wrist but bringing Ricky's elbow up so his hand is being pulled closer... I'm maintaining a strong upright position, gaining control and making the opponent bend in order to find some way to get out of the situation he's been put in.
In the next picture Ricky is using no other hold than Indian death lock. If you take a look at the expression on my face you can tell I'm not actually happy with his decision, but I do find it satisfying when wrestlers have the brains to use old tricks that happen to be better than most of the new ones. You can clearly see how easy it is for Ricky to twist my arms and increase the amount of pressure while he indeed remains in a position most natural. However, as for the match I prefer luring the opponent into a trap instead of preparing the hold one step at a time (as Ricky did). Don't give the enemy any extra time but choose to turn his advance into a fall.
Drop toe hold is a simple move but more difficult to execute than one might assume. I just want to point out what I'm doing and how tight this particular technique should be: it's definetely a hold rather than a kick - and sure to take the opponent down. The key lies in floating to the side in one fluid and explosive move, obvious in my case.
Upper wrist lock is another catch-wrestling technique that is in fact far from a mere control hold. Opponents often bring the arm in themselves, trying to push you farther away, so this is a very common lock you see technicians use. It's possible to escape it by stretching your arm out - again, not so much with strength but by putting the body behind it. Then again, there's a countermove for that but I'm not in the ring to cause severe damage. Intense as wrestling matches can be, there's a difference between hurting the opponent and injuring him/her.
What we see next is one of the best neck cranks. I've got my arm spiraled around Ricky's head, his chin being the handle. I'm using the weight of my body to push him downwards, adding one more direction in it, and my legs to prevent him from rolling along with the pressure. It's an extremely tight hold - like a screw cap - especially when you're able to flow into it straight from the previous situation. In the match my hand actually slipped a little bit while doing the transfer so this didn't become the finish that time.
People often regard spinning head scissors as a high impact maneuver, but it's really just the ground fighting technique modified. Imagine that the wall/ceiling at the back is the floor, and you'll know what I'm talking about - also, what I'm doing looks like an attack: the hold itself is very solid, my legs placed perfectly for applying pressure and instead of swaying my upper body down towards the mat I'm pushing myself up and spinning around in an aggressive manner. This of course is what creates the high impact. So, whether you're attacking or countering, always keep in mind that it is you who must dominate the opponent and not the other way around.
People who practice any form of combat skills are probably familiar with the plead "show me something". Then, under conditions most friendly, you put them in grovit or sleeper hold, they feel the pressure and, in excitement, go show it to the next person etc. This has very little to do with martial arts. The measure of prowess is not the capacity of strangling someone who's not fighting back but one being able to have the opponent in a hold to begin with. That's why the picture of Ricky landing me on my head: in wrestling we go for the high impacts as set-ups for phases to follow. The combination of raw power and poetry in motion is, among other things, what makes our art the most spectacular sport in the world. Anything can - and will - happen.
