Wrestling Blogs - Fas Qayyum
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Another season is upon us but instead of predicting my favorites for the tournament or getting excited about the All Star Classic I find myself intrigued with the development of our sport today. This development is the progression of “wrestling styles†or the particular trends and techniques in wrestling. For my entire life I’ve heard the basic breakdowns of wrestling between an “Iowa Style†or a “Cowboy Style†but it seems that as time progresses, individuals develop their own approaches to our sport that separate them from others on the mat.
From the unique stance of Edinboro’s NCAA Champion Gregor Gillespie to the trademark “funk†of Ben Askren, wrestlers everyday are elaborating on and tweaking fundamental techniques in order to highlight their strengths and keep their opponents on their heels. There is no longer a clear cut division between the brawling, aggressive, hard double legging “Iowa Style†or the quick, low to the ground, ankle picking, finesse filled “Cowboy Style†but instead wrestling has evolved to the point where athletes have become aware enough of their abilities that they can now grow and advance relying on their own unique method and manner of competing.
What is it that takes a wrestler from singles and doubles to inside sweeps and ankle picks? Where did Mark Perry develop his incomparable leg riding? For any veteran of the sport, there are clear cut distinctions in the style of every wrestler but how is it that so many styles nowadays are so “outside the box� We are in an era where “schools†or “styles†of wrestling are quickly being diminished and the creativity, determination, and persona of wrestlers are being showed more blatantly in their mat performance.
It must, at times, be difficult for coaches to address or acclimate their lessons to these individuals but I feel that these progressions come reinforced with the fundamentals of successful wrestling. One must be well-versed and experienced in this sport in order to push their technique to an area of uncertainty when competing but without this push there would be no growth for our beloved sport.
I can only hope that this upcoming season reiterates my point and provides further evidence of the unique styles in wrestling today. Either way, there are sure to be many memorable moves and matches but next time you see something out of the ordinary on the mat think if that odd technique might serve a functional purpose for that particular athlete.
We would like to make this a discussion throughout the season so if you see anything, have any opinions, or personal experiences then feel free to share with us! Help fuel discussion here at flowrestling. com
Evolution of Style as a Strength?
November 15, 2007
Another season is upon us but instead of predicting my favorites for the tournament or getting excited about the All Star Classic I find myself intrigued with the development of our sport today. This development is the progression of “wrestling styles†or the particular trends and techniques in wrestling. For my entire life I’ve heard the basic breakdowns of wrestling between an “Iowa Style†or a “Cowboy Style†but it seems that as time progresses, individuals develop their own approaches to our sport that separate them from others on the mat.
From the unique stance of Edinboro’s NCAA Champion Gregor Gillespie to the trademark “funk†of Ben Askren, wrestlers everyday are elaborating on and tweaking fundamental techniques in order to highlight their strengths and keep their opponents on their heels. There is no longer a clear cut division between the brawling, aggressive, hard double legging “Iowa Style†or the quick, low to the ground, ankle picking, finesse filled “Cowboy Style†but instead wrestling has evolved to the point where athletes have become aware enough of their abilities that they can now grow and advance relying on their own unique method and manner of competing.
What is it that takes a wrestler from singles and doubles to inside sweeps and ankle picks? Where did Mark Perry develop his incomparable leg riding? For any veteran of the sport, there are clear cut distinctions in the style of every wrestler but how is it that so many styles nowadays are so “outside the box� We are in an era where “schools†or “styles†of wrestling are quickly being diminished and the creativity, determination, and persona of wrestlers are being showed more blatantly in their mat performance.
It must, at times, be difficult for coaches to address or acclimate their lessons to these individuals but I feel that these progressions come reinforced with the fundamentals of successful wrestling. One must be well-versed and experienced in this sport in order to push their technique to an area of uncertainty when competing but without this push there would be no growth for our beloved sport.
I can only hope that this upcoming season reiterates my point and provides further evidence of the unique styles in wrestling today. Either way, there are sure to be many memorable moves and matches but next time you see something out of the ordinary on the mat think if that odd technique might serve a functional purpose for that particular athlete.
We would like to make this a discussion throughout the season so if you see anything, have any opinions, or personal experiences then feel free to share with us! Help fuel discussion here at flowrestling. com
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Wrestling is over 2500 years old and is a very basic sport. There really isn't all that much that's "new" in terms of style or technique. Things just go in cycles. I wish we had more videos of Rick Sanders. If we did, you'd see that there is very little that the so-called funk artists like Brinzer, Cross and Askren ever did that Sanders didn't do before them.
You're right that coaches are not imposing a certain style on a wrestler as much now as they might have done in the past. The best wrestlers develop a core belief in their ability to dominate an opponent. Much as you say, this comes from years of success developing a stance or a move or a style. Coaches today are more willing to build upon those strengths.