Wrestling Seven Basic Skills – Lifting

The fifth skill in the sequence of seven is that of lifting. More than any other skill, this is the one that distinguishes the champion from the rest of the field.

Every wrestler understands the basic concept of lifting. But all too many fail to understand the technique involved.  Too often the job is attempted by using only the arms, yet the strongest muscles in the body are those found in the hips and thighs.

To properly execute a lift, the arms are used only to secure your opponent. Once that is done they are not moved. The hips are now lowered by bending at the knees and brought into and under your opponent’s center of mass. Once in this position you simply extend your legs, lifting with the power of your hips and thighs.

One of the most exciting confrontations that can take place during the course of a match is when two good wrestlers are struggling in an upright position. The man behind tries to keep control of his opponent and get into a position to lift, while the man in front struggles to break his opponent’s grasp by lowering his level and extending his arms.

Another interesting matchup occurs when one man gets to the side of his opponent after executing a duck-under, but finds himself momentarily stymied. From this position he must get his hips down and into the opponent to finish the lift and score.

The lift also is an integral part of a high crotch takedown. The same principles apply. The arms are used to secure your opponent. The forward thrust of your hips and the straightening of your back provide the upward momentum. In most case, it is the lift that ensures a successful finish.

Having secured a single leg it is often difficult to trip your opponent to the mat until you take most of the weight off his foot. Now it becomes easy to take his support away from him. This is especially true when you try to leg-sweep your opponent from an upper body tie.

Although it may appear as though the lifting is being done with the arms, this is not the case. The real lift is still coming from the legs and the arch in the back.

Lifting is another important maneuver and skill in wrestling. It is often viewed as one of the ultimate maneuvers. The taking of an opponent from his feet and putting him on the mat is what champions do. Lifting represents the major difference in attitude of wrestler who participates in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. However, today, wrestlers who are champions in Folkstyle or high school style wrestle very much the same as our Olympic Style wrestlers.

Of all the basic skills, the ability to lift is probably the ultimate skill in wrestling. It is the fifth and essential basic skill in becoming a champion wrestler.

In the next post, I will discuss the sixth Basic Skill of Wrestling known as the Back Step.

Coach Hatfield