Fighters Only

Issue 085

February 2012

Those skilled mat rats always getting you down in sparring? Then these drills are your key to sprawl ‘n’ brawl serenity

It is important to understand that the goal of the sprawl is to block and redirect the force of the tackle, an act accomplished by counter-intuitively putting the hips on to the attacker. It is normal for the athlete to wish to get his feet and hips as far away as possible from the shooter, but the inevitable side-effect is that the hips become lighter, and consequently the body becomes easier to throw.

The following drills will help to teach you and your athletes to use the hips correctly, develop speed and form good habits when executing the sprawl.

Basic sprawl, solo drill Origin: Freestyle wrestling

Stand in your stance, slide your lead leg back around, describing a broad semi-circular arc on the mat. As the leg goes behind, throw your hip back landing on the mat with your hip, not your knee, cushioning the impact with your hands.. Do not simply spring back up as one would with a burpee. Walk back on your hands to recover your position. With practice you will recover directly into your stance, immediately ready to shoot or sprawl again.

Advanced solo sprawl

Starting in your stance, throw your hips into the air and post on your hands as though about to handstand. Extend your body into a scorpion position, and roll out along the mat as you land, springing back up onto your feet.

Sprawl and reshoot, partner game Origin: Collegiate wrestling

Players one and two move around in their wrestling stance. Player two, right, tags player one on the inner thigh, and player one sprawls on the appropriate hip. Player one recovers into his stance and shoots a single directly. Once he picks the single he releases the leg instantly and returns to motion, waiting for player two to tag him again. Work three-minute rounds, then change roles.

Speed sprawl - Med ball pass partner game origin: collegiate wrestling

Players one and two start on their knees. Player one, left, passes the ball to player two and sprawls to full extension, player two throws the ball and player one returns to their knees in time to catch the ball. Immediately as player two releases the ball she sprawls and returns ready to catch. The closer the players are together the faster they must sprawl. Try for a continuous round of one minute.

No-hands sprawl origin: Freestyle wrestling

Player one starts in on a double. Player two, right, cannot use her hands, only the pressure of her hips to resist the takedown, and balances her arms out wide. Rotating the hip against the direction of drive, she forces player one down on the mat.