Freestyle/Greco

Every Spring Freestyle/Greco will be the focus for the majority of the practices. To practice at EPRTC a USA Wrestling folkstyle or minimum membership is required; to compete in freestyle/greco events the full USA Wrestling membership is required.

The goal is to have as many kids represent their region at Freestyle State, whether is in VA, MD or WV. Wrestlers in this region should learn these disciplines to compete at a high level.

Tactical benefits form freestyle wrestling

Teague Moore, Head Coach at American University

1. Front Head Lock Offense: This position is crucial to a successful freestyle career, if you can score every time you control your opponent’s head, your scoring potential becomes much better. This position is usually taken after defending an opponent’s leg attack (defensive FHL position).  The Russians have mastered the offensive FHL by snapping wrists to clear inside ties and snapping collar ties from neutral.
2. Head inside single, from contact: Most youth wrestlers in the U.S. learn from collar and elbow position so it’s a natural offensive leg attack to attempt while clearing the collar.  In the freestyle setting the finish to this offense forces a clean and “backside” finish that transitions easily to a leg lace offense.  Young wrestlers that learn a quick “swing single to lace” offense will naturally develop a solid folkstyle technique because by it’s very nature the swing single to lace forces you to control an opponent’s hips, which eliminates the typical “funk” defense that is popular in folkstyle.  The learned freestyle skill helps to develop a very proficient folkstyle takedown artist.
3. The backstep and backarch: It’s a basic technique for freestyle athletes to learn and should be one of the seven basic skills that every wrestler learns. The headlock, lateral drop, and body lock throws all utilize its skillset but folkstyle doesn’t appear to be emphasizing it with younger wrestlers.  An athlete that learns to properly backstep and backarch usually adds a deadly element to their offense in folkstyle, with a five-point move.
4. Bottom offense: On the surface, bottom offense in freestyle doesn’t seem to offer much to a folkstyle wrestler; but, in fact, the freestyle bottom position teaches a vital element to the folkstyle wrestler.  Bottom freestyle demands a wrestler to learn a position to maintain a strong base.  Positioning is not one dimensional in freestyle. A wrestler must learn how to position to defend a gut wrench, which is very similar to defending a tight waist in folkstyle.  Defending and moving from an ankle lace attack can quickly teach a folkstyle wrestler how to reposition to defend an ankle ride in folkstyle. Although the bottom position in freestyle appears to happen with little movement, the reality is that it teaches a folkstyle wrestler how to reposition themselves and hold a strong base, which is a key element for younger wrestlers to learn.
5. The top position: Freestyle top position offense teaches a wrestler the importance of hip control. The wrestler on top in freestyle has to expose their opponent’s shoulders to the mat for points, but most of these scoring opportunities are presented after you open the bottom wrestlers hips. In a gut wrench, you must learn to properly lock and drive, but without popping the bottom wrestler’s hips, exposure can remain futile. Another common freestyle technique is the figure-four leg ride, or bent leg turk that allows you to hip your opponent over for exposure. This turn can be done exactly identical in folkstyle so this technique is a great way to transition the technique between both.  If a wrestler properly learns how to control an opponent’s hips, cheap tilts, leg rides, and dominance in top position become easily transitioned.