The Seven Basic Skills of Wrestling – Introduction
Wrestling, man’s oldest and most challenging sport, has a 5,000-year history. The inscriptions on the walls of the tombs of Beni Hasan, Egypt, show maneuvers that are the same as those practiced in any fighting room today.
This article describes the seven basic skills as described by USA Wrestling’s national training staff.
As a member of the USA Wrestling National Training Corps, I had the privilege of presenting the Seven Core Skills at USA Wrestling National Development Camps, Clinics and training camps for team members.
With these skills as a foundation, a well-conditioned and mentally prepared athlete can reach the level of CHAMPION. They will help the fighter to reach his full potential. In all athletic endeavors, the mastery and application of these fundamentals will produce competitive excellence.
The Seven Basic Skills include:
Position
Movement
Change of levels
Penetration
face lift
Step back
back bow
These Core Skills provide the strong biomechanical skills needed to gain proficiency and skill at all levels of wrestling. As a trainer, it is essential that you learn the fundamentals of these skills and develop competent communication that allows you to train your fighters on a daily basis using a consistent vocabulary that expresses these basic skills. He must train his athletes in such a consistent way that they understand when he is telling them they need to improve their position and they will know what he means. If you tell them that they need to change their level or create movement during a match, they will clearly understand what you are telling them to do. By adopting such a fundamental vocabulary, he will be able to take his fighters and his program to that championship level.
It is imperative that all fighters clearly understand what each skill requires and include them in their repertoire of techniques and skills. No matter what maneuver is being executed, one or more of the Seven Basic Skills will be essential to completing the move successfully.
In the next article, I will discuss the first ability known as Stance.
Coach Hatfield
