Wrestling Blogs - buffett

Well, the wrestling season is over and it's time to gear it up for the off season. There'll be a lot of lifting, drilling and beer swilling occurring around the country these next few months. In many rooms wrestlers will be adapting their styles and making the change from the USA style to the International styles of "freestyle" and "greco".

For many years the United States has been head to head in International wrestling, but in these last few years we have not had the success we have become accustom to. Sure we've had some wins, but we, as a country, have petered off. Many believe the result of the break up of the Soviet Union has the most to do with. Now that Russia is alone, many eastern European countries with a long history of wrestling are also involved in the mix: Ukraine, Belarus, etc. There is a great deal more talent to be contended with and, as a result, the USA has not exceeded where it did in the past. I believe there is validity in this.

Freestyle wrestling is exciting. You can throw and exposure is rewarded/ punished. However, "freestyle" has become stagnant and has reached its zenith of creativity. It had already done so, until the late eighties and early nineties. It took an American to change the sport. John Smith's low ankle attacks, a staple today, transformed the sport of wrestling: Nationally and Internationally.

The Europeans couldn't stop the attack, everyone else had trouble to. If Smith got under you, in an Iranian position, you were in danger of exposure. Freestyle wrestlers adapted to the attacks and adopted a series of tilts and stale mate positions. In the States, high school and college wrestling went a completely different direction. The invention of our current back exposing, scramble positions. Wrestling in the last twenty years has evolved in that area immensely. Now we have the potential of a fall and back points are always eminent. It has also hurt our technique and lead to less media exposure of wrestling.

Henry Ceudo(sp?) is the perfect example. He stopped wrestling the US style to focus on the International style. He succeeded and won the gold. He could have been a terrific story if he was wrestling in the NCAA tournament! Harry Lester is another one! These guys could have helped move the sport in the US, but because of the current International rules...they couldn't/ wouldn't.

It's time the International community changed some of their rules. Currently, FILA is dominated by the Euros. If I were them I would love the current system...the one that gives them the advantage. If the rules were changed to allow a more FREE "freestyle" system, a one that now creates a little more parody with the USA's more risky scrambling style...imagine how exciting that could be?