ALTA Week 5 Wrestling

Wrestling – Single Leg Defence

You’ll remember from week 2 that we had 2 different types of single leg takedowns – head inside and head outside. Both finished with the “Run the Pipe” movement. For that reason, we need 2 different defences, depending on where our opponent’s head is. 

Terminology

• Whizzer: This is a form of overhook and is the antidote for an underhook. As well as having your arm over theirs, in a whizzer, you also have the front of your shoulder pressing down on the back of their shoulder. This really messes with your opponent’s balance and posture and makes the whizzer one of the most important grips in your wrestling arsenal.
• Shin Frame: Whenever you get your shin between you and your opponent in a way that maintains a solid gap between you, that’s a shin frame. 

Head Inside Single Defence

Let’s recap on what the attacker needs. They need the Rule of the Single Nipple and your leg between their two legs. With those two things, they will then attempt to knock you off balance to sit you down. With that in mind, we will defend systematically.

1. Establish whizzer and frames: As soon as they grab your leg, your first job is to get a whizzer on their arm that’s closest to you. Using the downwards pressure of your shoulder on theirs, you can separate their head from your chest (breaking the rule of the single nipple). In that space, you now insert a forearm frame across the side of their neck with your hand gripping the back of their neck. Finally, you circle your leg out from between theirs and press your shin against their hip, applying your bodyweight to their leg and compromising their ability to move. This is called a shin frame. All 3 things need to be done pretty much simultaneously so you’ll need to drill this set of movements a lot to get quick at it.  
2. Balance and weather the storm: Even when you have your whizzer and frames or while you’re in the process of getting them, your opponent will likely be still trying to complete their takedown. They’ll be pushing, pulling, twisting and jerking you all over so you’ve got to hold tough and stay balanced. Pay attention to your standing leg and don’t let it too close to your opponent. They may try to trip it by kicking it or they may reach to grab it with their hand. As you balance, just keep that leg as far as you can from them.
3. Replace your arm frame with your head: When you’ve settled your balance and are ready to proceed, now replace the frame you’ve got across their neck with your head. Place your forehead on their jawline and look for the hairs in their nose.
4. Grab their far elbow: Now that your head has taken over the job of framing, you’ve got a free hand. Use it to grab behind their far elbow. Continue to focus on balance throughout.
5. Free your leg: In one motion, stomp your leg to the ground as you pull their far elbow towards you. The resulting position you end up in is actually a really good spot for you. You have the option of doing a Judo throw, shooting for your own single leg or alternatively backing up to reset in the striking range.

Head outside Single Defence

We have a couple of options here. Let’s start with the really simple one (now that you know the head inside single defence). 

Option 1 – Force the inside single

So instead of fighting the head outside single, just use cross-face pressure to force their head from the outside, to the inside. Slide your arm in under their face and lift it up while transferring it across to your chest. Then you can go ahead and work through the steps of the head inside single defence as above. 

Option 2 – Shin frame go-behind

This is a popular solution for the head outside single using a lot of the same principles as the previous escape from head inside.

1. Establish frames and hook: As soon as the attacker grabs your leg, place your hand that’s closest to their head on the back of their head and push their head down and away from you. Now this will actually help them complete their takedown if you don’t also beat the shoulder (next step). Your second frame is a shin-frame. Circle your leg out from between theirs and place it across their lower thigh on the leg closest you. With your remaining hand reach for and hook around the hamstring of their leg that’s closest to you. 
2. Balance and beat the shoulder: As I mentioned in the previous step, pushing on their head actually helps them go in the direction they need to go. However, they need to have their shoulder pressing down on your leg. So, if you can get your frames and hooks to get yourself outside their shoulder, you’ll diminish their ability to take down. Now it’s a game of balance and tug of war, just like with the other defence. 
3. Go-behind: If you’ve got the previous two steps right, the attacker is now under severe pressure and will very likely look to let go and disengage. With your frames and hook, you’ll find it relatively easy to pull yourself around the corner to get behind your opponent, establish a back bodylock position or similar. Where you go next is up to you.