Short Offense: Scoring from the Front Headlock Position

with Nick Mitchell,
Grand View University Head Coach,
205-12 Dual Record as a Head Coach;
Has won 13 out of the last 14 NAIA National Championships;
12 NWCA National Dual Titles;
6x NWCA National Coach of the Year;
9x NAIA National Coach of the Year;
2020 USA Wrestling Coach of the Year;
7 CRT Championships;
9 Heart of America Conference Championship Titles;
157 All-Americans;
45 NAIA Individual National Champions (NAIA record);
Wartburg College Assistant Coach from 2001 to 2008;
4x NCAA D-III Championships (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008);
wrestled for Wartburg College;
3x D-III All-American;
member of the 1999 D-III NCAA Championship team;
2001 Wartburg College Athletic Hall of Fame

It has often been said that the front headlock is the best move in wrestling.

9x NAIA National Coach of the Year, Nick Mitchell, shows how the front headlock can be incorporated into any wrestler's arsenal to make them a threat from any situation on their feet. He focuses on the basics and shows that it's the little things that separate you from your competition.

The short offense/front headlock series starts with head and hands defense. A good short offense or front headlock is predicated on good defense. It is vital to maintain good head position, which makes it hard to get to your legs and forces your opponent to go through your head and hands to get to your legs. Coach Mitchell goes over the position and then drills to keep you in good position.

The series then shifts to getting into the front headlock position using down blocks and pull downs to the mat. Once in the front headlock position, the primary scoring move is the go-behind. The go-behind is shown from a front headlock with and without the hands locked. You'll learn the right pressures to apply on your opponent for an easy go-behind for takedown and nearfall points.

If your opponent actually attacks and gets the leg, Mitchell covers how to sprawl and square your hips, so that you are again in the short offense position.

Next in the sequence is a "Head in the Hole" cradle and/or go-behind, followed by changing to an underhook and whipping your opponent to his back. The final move in the series is a knee-tap from the short offense position or the Dresser Dump from the standing position. You can catch your opponent in these moves while he is trying to defend your other attacks and take him straight to his back.

Mitchell also demonstrates how to recover when your opponent locks down on your elbow and causes you to lose your dominant position. He teaches these uncomfortable positions in easy to understand steps so they can be quickly incorporated into your offense and training sessions.

Coach Mitchell uses great demonstrations from multiple angles to highlight the important details that make each one of the situations devastatingly effective. He teaches what the typical wrestler is going to do and why his technique improves upon what the typical athlete does to make it that much more effective.

Make your opponent think twice about shooting on you! This short offense will allow you to score and make your opponent "pay" every time they shoot on you.

48 minutes. 2013.