Kevin Jackson: Advanced Stance, Sprawl and Countering Leg Attacks

with Kevin Jackson,
National Freestyle Developmental Coach; 2017 US Men's Junior World Freestyle Team Head Coach;
former Iowa State University Head Coach; forrmer US World Team Coach;
1992 Olympic Gold Medalist; 3x World Champion;
4x NCAA DI All American wrestler;
distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame;
1995 John Smith Award as National Freestyle Wrestler of the Year;
1992 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year;
1991 USA Wrestling and USOC Wrestler of the Year;
Iowa State University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee;
LSU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee

Kevin Jackson's experience as a coach and one of the top wrestlers in United States history has given him the opportunity to develop a clear understanding of what it takes to compete at a high level. These are the same world-class skills that he uses with the wrestlers in the Elite Athlete Program in order to prepare them to compete against the best wrestlers in the world.

The key to scoring from the neutral position is a wrestler's ability to quickly change between an offensive and defensive mindset. Coach Jackson demonstrates how to effectively use a wrestler's body to defend a leg attack and to immediately turn the table on the opponent with an offensive attack. He also uses his experience to make it clear that the combination of efficient technique and determination to win the situation is the difference-maker in a wrestler's performance.

Neutral Positioning

Coach Jackson explains the importance of a wrestler's body position in the neutral position for both offense and defense. This will shift a wrestler's mentality to not allow an opponent in on their legs, but that they should be in on the opponent's legs. Topics Jackson covers include:

• How a wrestler should use their head to close the gap or defend a shot of an opponent.
• Why the best reaction to an opponent's shot is a head-down leg away action.
• How to use ties to control the opponent with a thumb block or create offense with a snap and go behind, snap and shoot, and how to snap an opponent after a fake shot attempt.
• A drill that will allow a wrestler to open an offensive scoring opportunity from a half sprawl or full sprawl reaction.

Coach Jackson also covers efficient ways of finishing a single leg when the opponent is using a shin whizzer as well as a high-crotch from the crackdown position.

Counter Offense

Next, Jackson demonstrates how good defense can open scoring opportunities. He touches on:

• How to run corners in order to create scoring opportunities on your opponent after defending their shot.
• When a wrestler should use a front headlock and how to finish with a go behind, jab step near-ankle and Kendall Cross's jab step variation.
• The mentality needed to instantly switch from a defensive to an offensive mindset.

Coach Jackson provides insight into how a wrestler should always be looking to score and how to capitalize on a defensive situation by turning it into an offensive situation. These skills can help an average wrestler become a dominant wrestler by opening up more scoring opportunities.

60 minutes. 2019.