Horsetooth Hybrid Grappling Club

The past few weeks at Horsetooth we’ve been working a lot of ankle and leg rides for our top game.

Why the emphasis on leg riding?

For me, the most concise answer is that getting proficient at leg riding will allow you to steal your opponent’s athleticism. Consider how ‘booting in’ will force the bottom person’s hips down to the mat, and with the use of your hips and leg extension while on top, cause much discomfort in your opponent’s pelvis/spine.

Even if you’re not scoring points with the ride (i.e., with a tilt, or if riding time doesn’t officially count at your age level), the effects for the person on bottom can be devastating. Being held face down on the mat for even 20-30 seconds with a leg ride can both be physically and emotionally draining. Ask me how I know…🙂

For me, leg riding also is symbolic of why folkstyle wrestling is such an incredible sport. Name another competition that rewards you for grinding down an opponent in the ways in which folkstyle allows… Try to take away an opponent’s athleticism by locking on to their hips in basketball, for instance, and you’ll be lucky to not be thrown out of the game. Ditto for baseball, track, golf, etc. (sidenote: the focus on breakdowns and rides in folkstyle is one of the primary reasons it’s the ultimate base for MMA, but I digress…)

Whether you’re a wrestler or submission grappler, be sure to keep studying and training effective leg riding–regardless of how ‘booting in’ might be scored, these techniques will allow you to take on and control larger and more athletic adversaries.

Meantime, enjoy this clip where Chris Perry explains how to enter a shallow leg ride and follow-up with a half-nelson turn!

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