Here is a training program I set up for Neil Erisman back in 2003. Like Church said it is going to take all of us not just a few. But we also need wrestlers who are willing to commit to the training it takes to be good/great.
If we become better at the gutwrench we will get better at defending it; its simple logic. Please read through it and give me your thoughts and let me THANK all those involved back then one more time, I could have never done it alone. I am willing to set up developmental systems for kids again if they are willing to put in the work. I don't charge a price or let us say money I just don't want my time wasted the kids have to be willing to pay the price Not the DAD's.
Guaranteed Gut Wrench
By Tom Peterman
The number one used move in the par terre position is the gut wrench. Freestyle or Greco-Roman the gut wrench is the go to move once you get up top. In this day and age of guaranteed ads for weight loss, strength training, or even financial freedom, I am guarantying a better gut wrench in one simple summer. Well maybe six weeks of hard work is more accurate of a description.
The circumstances I was faced with as a coach during the summer of 2003 was having a national caliber wrestler who was good on his feet but was just above average in the par terre position. He was able to turn most people with his gut wrench, regular or trapped arm but would have difficulty with the move against the best. It would work all the way up to the medal rounds or finals. Since takedowns are hard to come by against the best we figured we wanted to set a goal to be able to gut every opponent.
We believed that if he could stay close in the takedown department and win the par terre battle, the war of Fargo could be won. There would be many factors involved in making this become a reality. Starting with technical education we increased our knowledge by watching video, going to the OTC, and getting a few tips from some great wrestlers. Second, we worked on increasing strength and endurance or the physical part of the task. Last, whenever we had practice we made sure of spending at least 1/3 to one half of it in the par terre position.
Technical Input
I started by reviewing gut wrench techniques from the USAWrestling Coach’s Syllabus II with Bruce Burnett, Tape 1: Freestyle – “Par Terre Wrestling”. I then started on videos from camps I have gone to in the past. These ranged from the 1992 Olympic Camp that was at Rockhurst College in Kansas City, MO to the 3 Joe Seay Camps I have attended in the Kansas City area. Clinicians showing gut wrench technique were Kenny Monday, Gary Mayab, and Tom Erickson. Like Joe Seay says, “If you want to be the best you have to learn from the best.” Last camp I will mention is the 2000 Olympic Gold camp at Blue Springs, MO with Bruce Burnett. Two of the clinicians at the camp were Sammy Henson and Lincoln McIIravy.
This leads me into the next educational device being the trip to Colorado Springs for four days of training at the Olympic Training Center (OTC). Lincoln was the developmental coach at the time and it was great to see my wrestler working hard and learning in such an awesome atmosphere. Other clinicians at the OTC that week were Gary Mayab, Doc Bennett and Ike Anderson. This was right before the Cadet National Duals so it was in great timing to try out a few of the things he learned at the OTC in Greeley that weekend.
Last are the tips and practice partners the good Lord allowed him to work with that summer. We are both members of the East Kansas Wrestling Club in Overland Park, Kansas. This club has a great tradition of producing champions. Coach Kevin Klemm who is a coach for the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club has had a tremendous positive effect on wrestling in East Kansas. He helps with Eric Akin who also came to practices and helped my young wrestler. Other coaches and wrestlers who played a big part were Chris McCormick, Shawn Bunch, and Joe Johnston. All are NCAA Division 1 wrestlers. High school practice partners that helped were Tyler McCormick, Stuart Boogart, Conner Fitzgerald, and Ryne Sondregger. Like the African proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child”, well it takes a group of people to help produce a champion. I would like to thank all of the people responsible. Thank you, all of you.
Physical Training Regiment
You can say that this is the meat and potatoes of working towards a better gut wrench. Without the other two parts though how could we have known if he was getting better or doing the right training. We made a big chart to put on the wall to keep track of progress and make sure all exercises were done each week. It is also great to have something materialistically visible to see what you have done for preparation before you head off to the big show.
For endurance the main exercise was hanging on a 65-pound punching bag for an allotted time. We started out at 30 seconds and worked our way up to two minutes, which is what a Cadet period last. The first time was 5 sets, 30 seconds each and at the end in July we were doing 10 sets of 2 minutes each. One of the three keys of a good gut wrench as stipulated by Bruce Burnett in the Coach’s syllabus tape is to maintain pressure on the lock throughout the gut wrench move.
The bag hanging was to simulate constant pressure for a whole period. I felt this would give my wrestler the physical endurance but also the mental courage to go hard for gut wrenches when on top. I didn’t want him to dread the possibility of not scoring and then getting put back up into the neutral position very arm weary and not able to defend off attacks.
The other two keys Coach Burnett prescribes are to keep your chest tight to your opponent’s back and keep your elbows in. Strength and endurance was increased for these two situations by mostly weight training. Dumbbell work, which focused on the shoulder and lattimus dorsi muscles were performed to help keep the elbows in and forearm work to help keep the chest tight to your opponent’s back. One other exercise that was performed was gut wrench dips. In a Roman chair put your elbows on the pads, your hands on your chest and lower and raise yourself by your elbows. It is kind of like doing the funky chicken with your body weight making your elbows go up and out. Stay in control throughout the movement. Come up forcing elbows in tight with the body and go down slow to the point where your upper arm is parallel to the ground.
We also worked on the lower part of the body to help in loading up the opponent, being able to roll and hold or roll and arch to finish the gut wrench in good position, so not to be scored upon defensively. Mountain climbers, hip heist, and squats were all good exercises used to increase strength and endurance in the hip region. One of the best drills that I felt helped a tremendous was a good bridge routine. Besides strengthening the neck, it also helped strengthen the lower back while improving balance and power in the hips.
Par Terre Position
Allotting time for drilling and wrestling in the par terre position can be difficult sometimes. Top wrestlers get bored and frustrated when they cannot turn their opponent. Bottom wrestlers just want to get out of there and with no official to let you up maintaining a good defense can be exhausting. Creating some rules while live wrestling can easily solve incorporating more par terre action during practice. Other factors that can help are situation games and starting live wrestling periods in the par terre position.
I have a basic rule when going live takedowns with a partner or during old man, iron man, 3 on 1 rotation, what ever you want to call it. Once you take your opponent down the bottom man counts to ten out loud. If he gets to ten without getting turned he is let back up. If the top man turns him, the bottom man has to start over counting again from 1, once he gets back to his belly. If the top man scores 10 points in a row, just like in a technical fall, he lets the bottom man up. This helps keep the action going and the wrestlers thinking once a takedown is scored.
I like the relentless style that Dan Gable has instilled in the Iowa Hawkeyes. Great hand fighting while pushing and battling into their opponents but why stop after the takedown. To many times do wrestlers let golden opportunities fly by because they were too busy celebrating on a takedown they had just obtained. Each point you score in the top position is one less takedown you have to earn to score points in the match. Don’t rest and don’t allow your opponent time to establish a defense on bottom. Score on the man you just mentally broke while also physically taking him down. While being discouraged from getting taken down your opponent may also be off balance or out of position. A prime time to score.
Conclusion
I have had the great privilege of coaching this young man since he was five years old. While experiencing many great triumphant championships and disappointing defeats he has always impressed me with a great work ethic. I knew if I could organize, simplify, and instill the work needed, so as to be in the position of winning a Cadet Freestyle National Championship this young had the guts to do it. Congratulations Big Dog, you did it! Neil Erisman, you are a Cadet National Champ!
Last I would also like to Thank Scott Reick, he helped out alot later when Neil got too big and strong for me to go live and scramble with.
