Systematically Perfect Your Attacks from Crackdown with Johnni DiJulius
In the sport of wrestling, thinking one step ahead of your opponent is imperative. By properly reading the reactions of your opponent, you can begin to build your attacks before they even see them coming.
Take that directly from Johnni DiJulius in the video below!
Johnni has an impressive resume to bring to the table for wrestlers to learn from. While wrestling for The Ohio State University he held a 115-47 record, qualified for NCAA Championship four times, and won the 133 pound weight class at the 2013 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
After his college career Johnni served as a wrestling coach at Kent State, assisting multiple wrestlers in qualifying for the NCAA. He now serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Harvard.
Learn more Wrist Exchange Attacks with Johnni DiJulius! Click Learn More!
The video begins with Johnni explaining the race between you and your opponent when you have them in crackdown. When you have your partner in this position he states “my shoulder, if he is wearing a pair of jeans, should be in his front pocket”. The race is to get your shoulder in that position before your partner has the opportunity to sit the corner.
He explains that if your partner does beat you to the position and sits the corner, their leg in which you have low ankle grips on begins to shorten, allowing them to turn their leg and sit up onto their shin.
This brings you two into a 50-50 position, being that your partner gains a body lock on you, but your shoulder is down by their low ankle and knee. It is at this point where being a step ahead really pays off.
When your partner gets into this position, their best option is to go into a bodylock, which causes them to drape over your body. Now the race becomes who is going to get the first step over.
Being that you have been thinking one step ahead, you are going to be the first to step over their leg which is closest to you, running into them and establishing a side control position. Johnni then briefly gives some examples of where to go from here, such as beginning to hook a leg and so on.
Something really unique about Johnni is that he is able to visualize and demonstrate the application of these moves from different scenarios, understanding that often times modifications will have to be made to these moves depending on the circumstances. The second attack he demonstrates is if you get to the same position with your partner up on their shin with a body lock on you, but you aren't able to reach to step over or hook their leg.
Once it is established that you are not going to be able to hook the leg, you begin to sit towards the opposite side of your partner, rolling them over you. Doing this allows you to bring your partner closer to you, and gives you the opportunity to hook the leg as you are rolling them.
Johnni categorizes both of these options into the shorter or the longer route, demonstrating the effectiveness of both of them from different scenarios. The first one being the shorter route, you simply hook the leg, crowding space and run into them. The second one being the long route where you can’t hook the leg, so you lean to the opposite side and roll all the way around, hooking the leg in the process. Both options serve as great opportunities to quickly get your partner moving towards their back.
Johnni’s passion for the sport is immeasurable. He has had an extremely successful career, and has dedicated himself to coaching since his college career ended. It is obviously important to learn from someone who is knowledgeable. However learning from someone who is both knowledgeable and cares so much about the sport and helping people grow is an opportunity you are not going to want to miss.
Check out more techniques from Johnni here and continue to progress your game.