Championship Signature Move Series: Jesse Delgado's Single Leg Finishes and Funk Defense

Understanding how to wrestle through funk position has become increasingly important to both the offensive and defensive wrestler, as more wrestlers have acquired an advanced understanding of scrambling and have developed new techniques in those positions.

Jesse Delgado, two-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois, made expert use of funk positions throughout his collegiate career. In this video, Delgado shares his unique take on a variety of basic and advanced techniques that will give your wrestlers the edge on their competition.

Single Leg Finishes

The best set-ups and penetration will be wasted if a wrestler can't finish his shots. Conversely, even a sloppy shot can be salvaged with a strong finish. Delgado starts by teaching basic single leg finishes, emphasizing proper positioning and avoiding the opponent's attempts at scrambling. He shows unique adjustments to these finishes to counter common reactions that give even the best wrestlers trouble.

Delgado shows his backdoor finishing series, which he used to finish most of his single legs attempts against the toughest competition in the country. You'll get his take on the position, which is different to a standard drive across and involves less hand switches, and how to finish when the opponent traps an arm.

Attacking the Opposite Side

To be a great wrestler you need to be able to attack both sides of the body. Delgado shows several high crotch set-ups for when he encounters stiff resistance to his head-inside single. He teaches several game-changing details to the entrance from the inside and outside ties, as well as a uncommon entrance against his opponent's underhook. Finally, he shows his unique low-shot entrance into the crackdown, with key details for avoiding the common scrambles in that position.

Single Leg Defense

Even the most aggressive wrestler will find himself with his opponent in on his legs. Before the opponent gets to your legs the first line of defense must be your head and hands. Delgado shows an excellent drill to train the heads and hands deal with the three most common leg attacks.

Delgado teaches a number of techniques that made it very difficult to score on him at the collegiate level and helped him win two National Championships.

• Single leg defense - Delgado focuses on three moves, whizzer, Funk Roll and Carry Cradle. The whizzer features a unique baseball slide approach to the common kick-out defense. He shows an easy way to teach wrestlers how to enter the funk roll, which is one of Delgado's signature "funk" moves that helped make him such a great wrestler. With the Carry Cradle, you can get a takedown, back points or even a fall.
• High crotch defense - Delgado teaches how to slip the shoulder in order to force the crackdown. This is an innovative roll-through series that will avoid the scrambles and stalemates that many wrestlers attempt.

Every technique shown is a difference-maker that can be adapted very quickly, that few of your wrestlers' opponents will be familiar with.

55 minutes. 2015.