with John Klessinger,
South River High School (MD) Head Wrestling Coach;
over 400 dual-meet wins;
12 Anne Arundel County Championships;
Multiple Regional Championships;
Regional Dual Qualifiers 12 of the last 15 years;
State Dual Finalist and Semifinalist;
6x AA County Coach of the Year;
NFHS Maryland Coach of the Year;
4 Individual State Champions and 37 State Medalists;
author of 'A Coach's Manual';
Columnist WIN Magazine and MatBoss;
Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach
Controlling your opponent from the top position can totally change a wrestling match. Coach John Klessinger shares techniques and strategies on how to be a dominant top wrestler with several breakdowns and a series of turns based off of a near wrist ride. He does a great job of showing each move from different angles and going into detail on each technique.
Top Position Fundamentals & Breakdowns
Coach Klessinger discusses the basic rules of riding, including how to line up, staying under the arms, and making adjustments. He shows a drill that helps the top wrestler maintain position and teaches the bottom wrestler to keep their knees under them.
In this video, you are shown three different breakdowns, including a spiral, near arm chop, and far knee far ankle. Klessinger then shows two versions of a drill to reinforce chain wrestling from the top position. These breakdowns make a great foundation for any wrestler.
Near Wrist Ride & Situations
Coach Klessinger's near wrist ride series gives you seven options for turning your opponent, starting from a near wrist ride. Klessinger shows multiple ways to run a half, different bars, and various tilts all beginning from capturing the near wrist. You will also see a drill to flatten your opponent when they get back up to their base, as well as two different versions of a drill to focus on chain wrestling from the top.
To conclude, Coach Klessinger shows four situation drills you can have your wrestlers use during practice. These are practical drills that will help reinforce the techniques that are demonstrated in this video.
Coach Klessinger provides a great series to help your wrestlers dominate from the top position. The breakdowns, turns, and drills in this video can be implemented into wrestling practice at any level.
60 minutes. 2022.