Technical Prowess with Bo Nickal
For many wrestlers at all different skill levels, the classic, bread and butter high crotch is a staple move that has many different uses. However, it doesn’t matter how good your high crotch is because the defenses for this shot are numerous and oftentimes quite effective. For that reason, wrestlers don’t need to subject themselves to the same old thing when it comes to setting up, executing, and finishing their high crotch shots. The need to constantly be a few steps ahead of your opponent in a wrestling match leads to the requirement of having multiple finishes on each and every move in your arsenal.
This includes even the old reliable high crotch. One person that has mastered the art of taking shots, finishing them, and really just takedowns in general is Bo Nickal. Bo is a four time NCAA D-1 All American wrestler with three first place finishes in the NCAA championship tournament. He also was the Dan Hodge Trophy recipient that goes to the best pinner in all of college wrestling each year, and I think it goes without saying that you can’t pin someone if you get them taken down first.
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So obviously, if you can pin someone, you are more than capable of taking them down pretty easily. Bo can do just that, and it is because he doesn’t limit himself to the same kind of move every time. All of his different takedowns and finishes to takedowns are in his new instructional Bo Knows Takedowns. In that instructional, one of the many takedown finishes that Bo covers is a finish to the very classic high crotch. He calls this finish the Houdini. From Bo Knows Takedowns, here is a video in which Bo Nickal himself breaks down the Houdini finish. He will show you how to set it up, execute it, and ensure that you are always one step ahead of whoever you use this move against.
Check it out!
In the video, Bo says the steps to setting up the shot several times over and over. This is because there is no shot without the set up. Before anything can go right for you in a match, you have to be purposeful and deliberate in putting yourself in the right positions, explaining why Bo reiterated that point so much. After posting your opponent , pulling and circling, spinning to get your feet in the right spot, and actually getting your feet lined up, you can take the shot. This is where the mind games come in.
For this move, Bo says that you want your opponent to think that they’re getting the upper hand. When you get the shot and your opponent sprawls, they will begin to think they’re going to come out on top. That feeling is made even stronger when you fall to your hip on the shot side and let them hook your leg with theirs. It is then that you explode forward, pull their leg over your head, prove that you had the upper hand the whole time, and ultimately, get your takedown and two points. The advanced part of this move is keeping your composure and not freaking out. If that happens, your opponent will capitalize on your mistake and you will get scored on instead.
If you have trust in the move and the four time NCAA D-1 All American who is teaching it to you, this move can prove to be deadly on all different skill levels. So all in all, whether you make this move your new go to, try it out just to have another trick up your sleeve, or want to know it just to be able to have the edge in your opponent, it is a great weapon to have.
A great weapon taught by a beast of a wrestler can make you the best version of yourself. Check out The Houdini and many more takedowns in Bo’s instructional Bo Knows Takedowns to set yourself up to be in the best position for success.