Wrist Control with JDJ
Kinesiology is the study of how the human body moves. How it generates power, speed, and mechanizes movement that determines agility. Biomechanics are the keynote of Kinesiology.
The human body is divided into several hemispheres, or halves.
The body generates the most power at the centerline because it utilizes muscles and tendon tension from both sides of the body to create it. Yet once a limb crosses the centerline the limb loses power rapidly.
Therefore, in wrestling, crossing an opponent’s centerline is important. Techniques like cross wrist grips and Duck Unders are so strong. They are hard to achieve but once the position is created it is an uphill battle for your opponent to wrestle to a neutral position.
Effectively putting you one step ahead in a match, one step ahead will create more opportunities, and opportunities to score leads to more points!
Speaking of cross wrist grips, wrist control can be one of the most difficult situations during a match. At the highest level you can watch wrist control dictate where a match goes.
Johnni has a unique way to utilize wrist control and the duck under to create a great scoring opportunity and at a minimum get a few points for a go behind.
Check out how he does it below!
What is unique is the approach Johnnie goes with. His wrist control is a bait and switch. Johnni takes full advantage that his opponent is going to try and strip his grip. The opponent now has cross wrist grips, so time is at a premium before the other person scores.
Check out more wrist exchange attacks with JDJ! Click Learn More
Johnni uses his feet to deceive his opponent with one key detail. When Johnni moves his feet his head stays on centerline. His is important so that he does not allow his partner to chase around outside or create the opportunity for an arm drag which would worsen the situation.
Using that step to the outside johnni changes levels and drives the other direction. Using the opponents strong grips against them. Throwing the arm over his head and behind him. Johnni comes back up crossing the opponents shoulder centerline.
This farside duck now allows Johnni to chase to the outside. Johnni then reaches deep across the back gripping the hip or elbow locking in the position. Both elbow and hip grabbing have different attacks that can continue from there, but both have scoring potential.
The problem is finishing the duck requires lots of practice. Johnni explains that to finish the duck you have to be a “Duck Guy” essentially already have the Duck under as a weapon locked in the arsenal, but all is not lost if that is not your thing!
Johnni shows you can throw the arm behind you and instead of moving around the opponent, Change levels and attack the legs. This leads to a high percentage blast double leg takedown. Why? Because of the centerline of the body we spoke about earlier, when Johnni throws his arm behind him and changes levels it pulls his opponents upper body over his own centerline.
This will cause their legs to get lighter or they try to back out which creates off balancing to the back side. It effectively kills their balance either way. Sprawling may become difficult as most of the weight is already passed the shooters shoulders.
At best the last takedown will yield 2 points in folkstyle and a possible 4 depending how they land in Freestyle.
The former finish could be huge in freestyle as the wrestler has an arm and is set up laterally. Meaning an overhead throw landing flat will bring “5” points and no doubt a great response from the crowd!
Let us not forget how this whole thing started! Grip fighting and wrist control. Learning to fight from this position can be so difficult as it is not something we see a ton of in the younger classes, but the guys in college and the international level all have some knowledge in the game.
If you are new and starting out with ascertaining grips, or are a veteran just trying to navigate your way through different control positions Johnni is here to help.
I mean if you search Wrist control in wrestling or Johnni DiJulius in google one of the first things that will come up is his instructional on wrist control.
It is a three-part series, that covers the basics in control, stripping grips, attacking at different positions. In additions to that Johnni goes over a few leg rides and turns from the figure four position. Check it out here!