How to Hit a Five Point Throw

A five point throw in a greco-roman match. www.northjersey.com

It's freestyle and greco-roman season right now, and everybody loves seeing a five point throw.  As one ref described it at a tournament last month, those are the types of throws that make everyone in the stands go "ooooh" - except for the mother of the kid being thrown, who is probably screeching in fear.  Most often, it is a beautiful, high arching suplex.  It is as much a form of art as it is superb technique.  Wouldn't you like to know how to hit one yourself?

Before you learn the technique of getting into position and then executing the throw, you must first have enough strength and flexibility in your core, as well as good mind-body (kinesthetic) awareness.  For starters, you should be able to hold a back bridge with your nose touching the mat and your feet flat, preferably for three minutes.  The next step to working on your back arch is an exercise that many wrestlers refer to as wall walks.

After you are sufficiently warmed up (I don't advise doing wall walks cold, same as for bridging), stand with your back to a solid wall, oftentimes the padded wall of your wrestling room if you're warming up for a practice.  Put one foot in front of the other, toe to heel, and then take one more step in the same manner.  You'll now be standing about two feet from the wall.  Spread your legs shoulder width apart and begin arching backwards.  Do not tuck your chin, instead look straight up/back  Once you start arching, place your hands on the wall and slowly walk them down to the floor.  Once your head gently touches the mat, walk your hands back up the wall until you're standing again.

If that is too hard, try standing a little farther away from the wall.  As your flexibility improves, inch your way closer to the wall.  The closer you stand, the more you'll have to arch.  Doing this ten times without stopping is a great strength and flexibility builder that will also get your heart rate and breathing racing.  It is an excellent warmup for a wrestling practice, as well as a great all-around exercise for any individual.

Walk the wall,
Jeff

Koalas must have superb respiratory systems

No, I'm serious.  Eucalyptus, which we all know Koalas eat, can keep your respiratory system in check.  On Friday I did a stint in the sauna after finishing up my swimming, and this one other guy brought in a bottle of eucalyptus oil and began spraying it on the walls.  The aroma hit my nostrils instantly.  Eucalyptus oil is one of the ingredients in Defense Soap, so at least I was somewhat accustomed to the overpowering scent.

I asked him about it and he told me that he does it to clear up his sinuses.  After hearing this, a quick search online taught me that it wards off colds, reduces inflammation, and increases oxygen to every cell in your body.  Some people spray it in their house, car, or even on their pillow.

I don't know too much else about this, but I'll probably look into it more.  The man I met said that they keep the bottle in a storage box right outside the sauna, so I'll have to give it another shot next time I'm at the pool.

Spray away,
Jeff

More Ravens Tidbits

59-year-old man doing the splits.  No big deal, just chilling while I check my phone.

 

 

At this point you're probably beginning to think that I'm a Ravens fan, being that this is the third blog where I've referenced them.  I can assure you that's not the case, but that doesn't change the fact the I received an e-mail from Roger Erickson, the stretching guru that the team hired this past year.  He saw the post I wrote after the Super Bowl, and he showed me a link to an article that was written about him and his work with the Ravens: http://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/article-1/Ravens-Recover-With-Stretching-Guru/34b40486-d69f-4646-a6fe-fbe3a40b8ac0

To quote the article, "who wouldn’t listen to a 270-pound man who can lift his leg over his head?"  Erickson has helped many clients extend their careers and enjoy life with less pain from stiff muscles and joints.  His main job with the Ravens is to prepare their bodies the day before a game and to help them recover the day after a game.

Wrestling and Football are two very different sports, but many principles cross over.  Both are very physically demanding, and recovery is a key aspect.  This past weekend I worked out with Cleveland State's team at their open mats, and it was certainly the toughest practice I've done since college.  I'm very excited to get back on the mat and get back into fighting shape, but I made a huge error in not stretching out afterwards.  Exhausted, I slumped into my car and drove home.  Forty-five minutes later I arrived at my apartment, my muscles undoubtedly no longer warm, so a stretch wouldn't have been as effective then.  I told myself that I was going to stretch later, but I just never got around to it.  I paid the price, and I was a lot sorer than I would've liked yesterday.

Based on this weekend's experience and others from the past, I'm sure that I would've felt a heck of a lot better if I'd stayed just a short while longer and stretched.  Instead of making excuses or putting it off, stick around after practice and get your recovery in.  You'll thank yourself later.

You'll thank me later,
Jeff

When breaks between matches aren't breaks

In the past I've stressed the importance of consuming foods or liquids between matches at day-long tournaments.  I still can't emphasize that enough.  Even if you pinned someone in 30 seconds, you still exert a lot of energy for each match.  First of all, physical and emotional highs of a tournament use up much of your nervous energy stores.  Second, you most certainly are putting forth maximal effort in every match; if you're not, your coach has probably already yelled at you before I even conceived of this blog.  Lastly, your warmup and cool-down routine for each match require a great deal of energy.

In order for you to compete at your peak for each match, you need the proper fuel.  However, that can very considerably for each competition.  For example, this spring there are many Freestyle and Greco-Roman tournaments going on.  One crucial difference in the international rules is that they only require that you have 15 minutes between each match, whereas American Folkstyle rules require 45 minute breaks.  Clearly, you need to eat differently at tournaments of different styles.

As you may know, your body has to work harder to digest proteins and fats than it does carbohydrates.  That being said, you don't want to divert all your blood to your stomach if you're going to wrestle within the hour.  At a Folkstyle tournament I'd recommend an energy bar or drink, with mainly carbs and a little protein - something with a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio would be optimal, as I wrote about in my book.  If you have a bye for a round, you can have something more substantial, perhaps a sandwich with lean meat.  If you have a several hour break, such as in between sessions at a state or national tournament, you can have a full meal.

But at a Freestyle or Greco tournament, they may call your name again before you know it.  You need to get some quick nutrition in you.  It should be something simple and easily digestible.  A banana, granola bar, or Gatorade should suffice.  Regardless of what style it is, you need to keep yourself nourished.  Many wrestlers make the excuse that they aren't hungry or they can't hold any food down during a tournament, but then they feel sluggish because they haven't properly fed themselves.  If you find it hard to stomach food with a match coming up shortly, stick to sports drinks or meal replacement drinks.

One exception I can think of to avoiding fats before a match is coconut oil.  Coconut oil is a special fat called a medium chain triglyceride, and your body uses it as quick energy - it gets processed even before sugars do.  One bizarre yet tasty combination I sometimes use as an "energy shot" is extra-virgin coconut oil mixed with raw, local honey.  Consuming this shortly before a competition will give you an extra boost.  It is known that a fast-burning carb (honey) combined with a fat (coconut oil) gets treated like a slow-burning carb by your body.  When the oil is slightly melted, this delicious mix has the consistency of peanut butter.  Enjoy it straight or spread it on toast.

Eat between matches!
Jeff

Straight from the Olympic Training Center!

After a long wait, the webchat that I participated in with former Olympic Medalist and current Olympic Coach Zeke Jones is finally on YouTube!  Here's the link: Zeke Jones Webchat

It's just over an hour long, but if you've got the time to watch it, it will be well worth it.  The seven other participants and myself asked a wide range of questions.

Spoiler alert: Zeke revealed the proposed new set of rules for international wrestling before the rest of the public knew!

Click the link already!
Jeff