FIG. 3.—TRYING FOR FARTHER ARM AND NEAR LEG.
Any one who has not had practical experience in the matter can have no idea of the immense advantage that trained skill has over mere brute strength. Of course one cannot expect any man or boy, be he ever so skilful, to put on his back an opponent weighing a hundred pounds more than himself, yet it is surprising to see what weight and strength may be defeated by skill and quickness. To become an expert, one ought to begin to learn the elements of wrestling at an early age, say at sixteen or seventeen, and it is important to have a well-trained, careful instructor.
Wrestling is by no means an easy game, and a great deal of harm may be done to growing boys if their work is not supervised by a teacher who combines with his technical instruction an intelligent appreciation of his pupil's physique. On the other hand, no exercise, when carefully conducted, is better calculated to build up and fill out a frail physical structure. It is not well, after one has learned the rudiments of this sport, to wrestle always with the same man, for this will surely limit the novice's range of action.
Two men, too, who wrestle continually with each other become so familiar with their capabilities that they derive little advantage from the practice, since the secret of success in wrestling is to keep the opponent busy wondering what you are going to do next, and to deceive him as to your own intentions as much as possible. This of course is impossible when every move of your opponent's body has become familiar to you by months of practice with him. Many advise beginners to drop on all-fours at the earliest possible opportunity in a wrestling-match, but I do not believe that this is the best principle for young men, whose muscles are not yet trained to sustain such severe work.
FIG. 4.—TRYING FOR HALF-NELSON.
It is well to learn to do as much wrestling as possible standing on the two feet, and never to go down unless some decided advantage is to be gained by so doing. The advantages of doing the work on the feet are twofold. In the first place, it is a wonderful developer of strength, and gives great steadiness to the body; in the second place, it is of the most practical benefit. For instance, if you are called upon to put your knowledge of wrestling into service against an attack, you would find the ability to stand upon your feet of inestimable value; whereas, if you have trained yourself to do your best work by lying down, the chances in a rough-and-tumble scramble would doubtless be against you. It is true, nevertheless, that the majority of the wrestlers of the present day, as soon as time is called by the umpire, begin to dance about as if the floor burned their feet, and then attempt to secure a wrist hold, following this immediately by falling to the floor.
The man who wishes to do his wrestling on his feet should try to get a head hold (Fig. 1), and then make an effort to back-heel his man, which is done by jerking him forward, and as he steps in with his right leg, to put your left leg behind it on the outside and bend him over backwards. If you are strong enough, or have the slightest skill at this, your opponent is bound to go over. A still better hold perhaps for this back-heeling, but a more difficult one to secure, is an under-body hold, and then if you are successful and active you are certain to throw your man.
Two other very valuable, probably the most valuable, holds to be secured in wrestling on your feet are the buttock and the cross-buttock. They are both hard to get on a good man, and require the utmost skill in execution, for they are not to be bungled. For the cross-buttock hold, turning your left side to your opponent, get your hip partially underneath and in front of him, and then, with your arms held tightly around his neck and shoulder, quickly cross both his legs by your left, and lift him and bring him down; you will also go, but you will go down on top.
