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Below is advice from Nick on how to use and implement Foundation Wrestling for both the individual and the coach.
First: For you, by far the best way to implement and use Foundation Wrestling is for the young wrestlers to watch and study our YOUTH series and also watch and study our PHASE I series. Do this over the course of a few days. This way, they see what they are starting with (YOUTH SERIES) and have an idea of what they are working towards...the next Phase of study which is Phase I. Put Phase I away for a while and go through piece by piece and drill with your wrestler each skill / move. I'd suggest hitting about 15-30 each depending upon how difficult it was for him to get. Then, go back and narrow down your FOUNDATION PLAN a bit...for example...you may only have 2 tilts / turns on top that your son likes and will use. He needs to know it all and master what fits his 'style' or level of ability. Now, he can build his wrestling season upon this FOUNDATION of wrestling skills.
Of course you should go back and re-study and add some techniques from the YOUTH series as he will need to evolve and his needs may change a bit. But, you now have an individualized 'play book' to go by. This should be done over about a 1-2 week period...move at a fast pace and don't dabble in it...kids are not dumb and can learn at least 10X faster than we think. Get after this.
Secondly: Now, you can dive into Phase I. If I had a youth wrestler of say.....8 Under or a first year wrestler, I may not attack all of Phase I. But, if he has 2+ years experience then dive in head first to Phase II. You may stay away from the Pick and Pass stuff and also the PA as these are highly skilled techniques that should be added later as 'icing on the cake'. All the rest of Phase I should be learned and hitting 15-30 again is a good start. However, I feel that Phase I is the CORE of wrestling and know that you can win HS state titles and earn Division I wrestling scholarships just from what you know on FOUNDATION WRESTLING / Phase I technique. So...go back over this and hammer these skills home. I'd spend less time on high-level single leg finishes since we are not going to be there as much (since the wrestling stance in the US is so 'low-level' / FOUNDATION-style nowadays) and I'd suggest mostly hammering on the Easton / or Rolling tilts (you decide) and also the Clarion tilts...but knowing the others is important too.
After a month, you should now have a list of skills that your son knows. All along you should be drilling your wrestler like we teach in our DVDs and keep a list of all the skills / moves that he knows. I'd suggest hitting your club practices 1-2 X a week and going 1X a week on your own with a workout partner who has gone through FOUNDATION WRESTLING with you. The 'buddy-system' is hard to beat.
You should break these skills from the YOUTH series and Phase I down into say 3-4 index cards. One day, pull out index card one and get them hand-fighting for 5 minutes, then head-blocking and down-block and stance-n-motion, etc. Then, you can drill them on their leg attacks. Call out the set up and shot and finish...ex: "#1 man, right hand club, high crotch, crack down (he sprawls), head hunt...GO!" Drill him for about 90 seconds and go a couple times each. Include some 2ndary attacks, front headlock, tilts, etc. You should have a few index cards and can keep all leg attacks on one, tilts / cradles / turns on one, etc or mix and match the cards. This way, you have 3-4 PRACTICE PLANS to follow and you can focus your son's mat time.
Needless to say, most club / team workouts are NOT going to make your son better at wrestling and by following our plan, your son will be a beast in 1-2 weeks and in 4-6 weeks a monster.
Jr High / High School / and Advanced youth wrestlers...follow the above plan using Phase I and Phase II.
We should all keep in mind that some of what we cover in FOUNDATION WRESTLING are tricks and need not be drilled all the time. Ex: Hairline on his collar bone to stop a head lock. This is a trick...no need to hit 100 of these a week!
FOUNDATION WRESTLING covers WHAT you must know and since there are maybe 8-10 GREAT techniques from a front headlock position, know all of them. But, you can't master everything and should master 2-3 and after you study FOUNDATION WRESTLING and have learned the options you have, then YOU are to pick what works best for you (or your team) and hammer and develop some 'weapons'. Pull your (or your teams' FOUNDATION of wrestling skills from FOUNDATION WRESTLING). I say on video which techniques are vital and you should make sure those are on your list for sure...example is a go-behind, PA or collar jerk, snake and spin finish, etc...
Coaches have limited time (4 months) and a lot to do. Follow the same advice above but teach ALL of say....Phase I in a week or weekend using 6-8 hour training camps. Get your Phase I and Phase I stuff taught fast so you can begin the drilling process. The first 30-40 minutes of each practice should be spend hammering one of your index cards. Also, things like the 'Joe Seay finish' and scramble positions can be used to fill in the gaps after your drill sessions and before the hard wrestling and live sessions. No need to drill some of these type things 1-2-3 times a week. Mostly focus on CORE techniques from COMMON wrestling positions.
High School coaches can build an empire using just Phase I and leg riding from Phase II. I have built a very successful business from just Phase I wrestling and this is what we implement in our weekly sessions.
Junior High and youth teams should implement the YOUTH and PHASE I dvds in their practices. Again....get a FOUNDATION of drills going.
Junior High teams and High School teams with many beginner's may want to have a weekend day-camp / mini-blaster camp where the kids all watch the DVDs, and then the coach takes them through the things like stance, head-position, getting off of your back, etc in a day camp and then throw them to the wolves and get them into your regular workout rooms. The basic skills and tricks of beginner wrestling will not take a 15 year old 2 weeks to learn.
Youth - Use YOUTH and PHASE I
Experience and older kids us PHASE I and PHASE II
Youth teams....same
Experienced and older teams use same as above.
Learn it all, watch it 2-3 times and then 2 times a year after that at home or as a team, and kids and coaches get a FOUNDATION of wrestling skills that work for YOU or your TEAM and drill your FOUNDATION SYSTEM. Pull and index card out and hammer it with our 'drill it and kill it' approach.
Individuals are encouraged to learn all of this. If you do, you will be a freak-of-nature. Coaches should as well but you will no way have a chance to implement this in your practices as it is way over the heads of most kids and coaches. But, you may, for example, get some of your athletes onto the low-single leg series we have or key-locking to defende a shot. Or, you may pull a move here or there from PHASE III to put on your FOUNDATION of skills / index cards so you and your team implement some of that. But, PHASE I and at least the leg riding of PHASE II should be the cornerstone of your drill scheme.
Individuals - Get a partner, get mat time or a home mat and make yourself great.
Coaches - Get your kids drilling from a PLAN and you will pound the opponents. Remember, you don't have to out-wrestle or win a dual against Oklahoma State...you just have to beat the guy down the road and that isn't too hard to do.
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