Folkstyle Wrestling/Advanced Wrestling Strategy

• Scouting
  • Strengths/Weaknesses
    • Physical
      • Height
      • Strength
      • Reach/ etc.
    • Mental
      • Breaking Point
      • Defensive Willingness
      • Offensive Willingness
      • Wrestling "Ticks"
• Team Vs. Personal Score
• Referee
  • Forcing Penalties
  • Scouting The Ref
  • Getting on Their Good side
• Changing your style to cramp their style

Size Concerns

First, reality is, the bigger your opponent relative to you, the harder it is to take him down. Period. However, using and avoiding certain positions and techniques can maximize the probability of success and minimize the probability of getting smashed, the latter of which is definitely a bad thing when you are much smaller than your opponent.

Second, the general rule with significantly larger opponents is that anything you do needs to keep the risk low of getting caught and squelched underneath your opponent at which point certain physics and mechanics will be working hard against you.

Third, I tend to avoid my final attack as being a traditional double, outside single, or inside single leg (except for a very low single leg sometimes) takedown as it gives too much of an opportunity for a much larger opponent to smash me down simply by virtue of the size and weight difference. Those shots tend to be feigns for other attacks.

Fourth, I tend to ultimately attack the head (i.e., the head and arm or front headlock) a lot with the idea that I would rather my smaller weight be on top of a larger weight than vice versa. This is frequently set up with leg attacks (and secured as my opponent pulls his leg back, lowers his hips, or sprawls to defend).

Fifth, with regard to throws for larger opponents, a fireman's carry (if down properly) or an arm throw (but to my knees as opposed to a backstep) seems to work for me as most larger opponents tend to try to push and over power you so those two throws allow me to get underneath them very deeply, like a fulcrum (i.e., my body remains upright, not bent over more vulnerable to getting squashed), and continue their motion to the ground although it is especially crucial with a larger opponent that you keep your grips and position tight. Any slack is likely doom. And it definitely sucks when somebody 50 to 100 pounds is sprawling on and squashing you. Been there, done that.

Sixth, not exactly a throw but I like an explosive inside trip if an opponent is not outrageously larger than me.

Sixth, with regard to other types of attacks, I will occasionally, but not particularly frequently, attack a very low single to the ankle. If I get in, I am usually in decent shape. If you fail on your entry, you get squashed (the obvious risk for this particular attack). I will try drags to get to and around my opponent's body frequently which tends to be my main strategy (i.e., get around behind). Again, pinging shots against a much larger opponent is not particularly wise.

Seventh, most much larger opponent's will tend to try to over power you so having good pummeling and tie ups are crucial. However, when going against a much larger opponent, you need to modify such by learning to keep a bit more space and changing position frequently so they can't simply get a good hold on you and overpower you. Traditional chest to chest pummeling or collar tie against a much larger and stronger opponent is risky. A two on one tie, for example, is less risky.

Eighth, my defense is good, and keeping with the notion that I would rather be above, than below, a much larger opponent, I sometimes will subtly get out of position to encourage my opponent to attack, preparing for such, and then keeping the back of his head at my lower abdomen, getting to head and arm position, etc. Then I spin behind or attack a choke (and then spin behind if defended well).

Ninth, if a much larger opponent does overpower you and you are losing it, accept the situation and immediately get your guard and deal with it from there. Bigger opponent's will take you down at least sometimes regardless of your skill, etc., simply based on the size difference. Therefore, getting to guard quickly and effective, and obviously having a game from there, is crucial as you will end up underneath some larger opponents.Then you might get pinned .