There are many aspects in grappling that can have a huge impact on the outcome of the match but there is no other impact that can last as much as what you do in the first few seconds of a stand up grapple fest. In not only combat sports but also every contact sports such as hockey, football or rugby, the way you handle and can hold your ground in the first few seconds of a scuffle will have a huge psychological impact on your opponent.
First and foremost, grips are everything. No brainer in judo, but in almost every combat sports there will be some kind of grappling with some pulling and pushing to unbalance the opponent and set up some kind of throw, kick or punch.
It’s impossible to win if you don’t have a stable base. Once your base is established, you will end up pushing or pulling, and often both at the same time but contro-laterally, meaning one arm will push and the other will pull. Even though not one exchange will ever be the same, establishing a strong base is the basic requirement for a strong foundation in stand-up grappling. Here are a few ways to improve foundational strength for a strong grappling game
The Deadlift is probably everyone’s guess for the first exercise. Most wrestlers understand the need to keep their center of gravity low for mainly two reasons which is avoiding to get single or double legged for a takedown but also, it solidifies their base for the first exchange as it makes it tougher for the opponent to push and charge forward.
The start of the deadlift is basically the greatest way to learn about proper basing and applying the proper stress on the lower back and legs. Basically, there is a lesson to learn from applying the principle of the center of gravity. When you stand up straight, It passes just a few inches behind the navel and should fall in the middle and in between both feet. Failing to understand this concept could cost you big on the deadlift. Too much lean forward and your low back will take all the load while too much leaning back will drive the weight on your legs but will render your technique ineffective. See the deadlift the same way as you would look at a linebacker waiting for the big dude in front of him trying to break the line.
If he was standing up, the O-line player will have no problem breaking his base since his center of mass will easily pass and break his center by driving forward. Lowering his center will obviously make it harder for the O-line to break through as he will be stronger to hold off and also, could easily redirect the energy of the forward push.
Next would be the Log clean and press for that exact same reason, redirecting the energy. For this to focus on strictly upper body power development, the log would be at mid-thigh and due to the bigger circumference, the hips will have to drive and push forward to help bring up the log at shoulder level. The next phase is being able to shift the weight up by driving from the legs first and using the arms through the end of the mid-range to full arm extension.
This is, in my opinion, the best way to involve the upper body. If you don’t have access to a log, you could go with a traditional barbell clean and press or play around with Olympic lifts such as …
The Hang pull is one of my favorite power development for the whole body and especially for judo. Once your grips are established, it’s a game of proper balance and energy transfer to set up for a throw. Basically the same as the log or barbell clean and pull but with a lot less technical issues involved but also, a lot more weight involved. The fun with the hang pull is not only that you can pull a lot of weight but also that the weight will pull you back down as well, which is a common denominator in most combat and contact sports. There is often a force greater than your own that will pull you off your center of gravity. Nothing like catching a barbell mid-flight and try to slow it down. It’s also one of the best grip trainer around.
Special consideration
For remedial work it would always be a great idea to include unilateral work such as split squats and lunges. Rarely you’ll have both feet planted at the same place but for strength purposes, you want that. However, unilateral work will always take care of those little hidden strength discrepancies that could lead to major issues in the long run. Focus on posterior chain, especially hamstring work as it will be the best knee injury prevention strategy that you can take.
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