Next Level Tricks With Mario Mason
It doesn’t take a master’s degree in astrophysics to know that the goal of any sport is to win. If you’re winning, you’re having fun. However, specifically with wrestling, you’re gonna feel the urge to throw in some moves that spice things up a little bit. Being able to do that is what keeps the sport interesting and fun. Trying out new things on the mat that may seem unorthodox can end up being very beneficial while at the same time fun. Yes drilling the same high crotch, double leg, and sweep single may be technically sound and a safe thing to do, but new moves can be implemented that keep your opponent on his toes while being fun for you doing the move.
Most of the time when people think of fun in wrestling, they think of that last session of a technique camp where the coaches come out and show some big throws that everyone loves to do. The big and glamorous takedowns steal the limelight from the other possible ways to have fun. By far less flashy, but equally as fun, is a move in the front headlock position. It is called the kamakazi roll. With both yourself and your opponent already down on the mat, there won’t be any of the attention that is drawn from a hip toss or fireman’s carry, but this move looks pretty slick when it is done correctly. In addition, it is both effective as well as different, providing the fun aspect.
We have all heard our moms tell us, “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you’re having fun.” Whether this was said after a tough loss in an effort to make you feel better or as words of encouragement before a big match, let’s be honest: this phrase may be true to an extent, but it’s much easier to have fun when you win. With that being said, we have a way for you to have fun while giving yourself a great chance at winning. Mario Mason, a four time high school state champion and All American who finished 5th in the Big 10 championship as a part of the Minnesota Gopher team, is here with a series of videos that keep wrestling fun.
In The Art of Misdirection Wrestling: Slick Takedown Tricks, Mario Mason goes over many exciting forms of takedowns made possible by fooling your opponent with clever jukes and jives that leave them mislead and confused. The kamakazi roll is just one of the many great moves that Mario shows you how to do. Keep your matches interesting and fun by trying this move out for yourself!
Check it out here!
Sometimes the fun moves that you’ve never heard of can be useless to a degree because of their complex techniques required to do them. This is definitely not the case with the kamakazi roll, and with Mario Mason’s incredible knowledge, he breaks it down very simply. He uses misdirections to be able to set himself up for success.
Learn more misdirection traps from Mario! Click Learn More!
The way that he does that with the kamakazi roll is quite simple. When you have your front headlock, whichever side you have it on, you are going to rotate to the side where you actually have the head wrapped. While doing this, Mason reminds you to be on your toes, pressuring in towards your opponent to be sure that they have a small chance of escaping. When you rotate around, your opponent is going to follow your direction to prevent you from getting your takedown by getting behind them. This is exactly what Mason says that you should want to happen. When your opponent follows, the misdirection is successful. Now it’s time for the fun of the kamakazi roll.
After you have deceived your opponent with a misdirection, you’re ready to start the actual move. The first step is to take whichever arm isn’t wrapping the other man’s head in the front headlock to your hip on the same side. Since this is on the back side of where you were rotating earlier, this arm will block your opponent from being able to circle back around during your roll. As you bring that arm in (your left if you do it the same as Mario does in his above video), you’re going to need to bring your right arm over the top of your body to where your left shoulder is all that is on your opponent’s back for a split second.
At that point, you are going to keep carrying the momentum from bringing that right arm over, making yourself go back to back with your opponent while your body is perpendicular to his. This is a quick move, and you’re not going to want to stay here long. The faster the better. When your left shoulder begins to come off of his back as you continue to roll, you’re almost done with your kamakazi roll. Now all you have to do is put your right arm in front of his closest leg, and your left arm behind. This gives you the control that you’ll need to keep your opponent from trying anything funky while giving yourself time to regain your composure after that quick roll over your opponent’s side. Now you are behind your man, you have your two points for a takedown, and you’re ready to work your favorite top move.
Misdirection is a big part of wrestling, and Mario Mason has many more ways to show you how deceiving your opponent can be beneficial for you. The kamakazi roll is a fun move to try to hit when you’re up in a match and you feel the right movement for it, but it’s not going to be anyone’s go to. However, you won’t know if your new favorite go to is in Mario Mason’s videos unless you check it out.
Go check out The Art of Misdirection Wrestling: Slick Takedown Tricks to see what other ways Mario Mason can teach you to mislead your opponents while setting yourself up for victory.