Wrestling Stance - Wrestling in Aurora, Schaumburg, Naperville, Merriville - Hobart, IN

In wrestling there are tow stances that will serve you well; the square and the staggered stance. To assume a square stance, spread your feet a shoulder's width apart, keep your head up, slightly bend your knees and press your elbows tightly against your sides. Instead of having one foot farther back than the other, both feet should be planted on the same horizontal line. Although this foot positioning makes it difficult to drive forward and attack, it squares up your hips and provides strong defensive posture. If you opponent should attack, he'll have to confront your power head on.

The staggered stance isn't as strong in the defense department, but it's more offensive because on foot is positioned behind the other, allowing you to drive forward off your rear good and penetrate in fro the take down. How much you stagger your stance is a matter of preference. With my stagger stance, I draw an imaginary horizontal line between my legs. I bring the toes of my back foot up to the line, and I bring my heel of my lead foot up to the line. It is very important not to get too spread out. You want to be in a position that not only allows you to shoot in on your opponent, but also sprawl if he should shoot in on you. Just as with the square stance, you want to keep your head up, arms tight to your sides, and your knees slightly bent.

Whether you are standing stationary or moving your feet, it is critical with both stances that you maintain proper posture. When your opponent attacks, you have three primary lines of defense - your hands, elbows and head. If you get sloppy or tired and let your elbows float away from your sides, it gives your opponent a chance to slip past your first two lines of defense an gain access to your body.

It's important to remember that having a strong stance is more than keeping your feet in the right places, it's about creating an impenetrable wall. It doesn't matter if you have been wrestling for two months or twenty years, stance is something you must work on developing and maintaining on a daily basis.

For more on Wrestling Stances and to find local programs check out:  http://www.bulldogswrestlingprogram.com/