Ride and Hold-Down Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "You Got the Takedown. Then They Stood Up." Print it. The article teaches why wrestlers stand out of a resting top game. This book builds the ride that stops them: position specs, breakdown…
| Art | Catch Wrestling |
|---|---|
| Family | Wrestling |
| Level | beginner |
| Format | playbook |
| Topics | groundwork, training-plans, fundamentals |
Mat Manual companion guide to "You Got the Takedown. Then They Stood Up." Print it. The article teaches why wrestlers stand out of a resting top game. This book builds the ride that stops them: position specs, breakdowns, follow drills, ride rounds, and the trackers that show which control you keep losing.
Name: ______________________________ Gym: ______________________________ Weight class: ______________ Best takedown: ______________________________
SAFETY — RIDING WITHOUT HURTING ANYONE ☐ Control before submission, always. A finish is taken from a settled ride, never grabbed at a wrestler mid-build. ☐ Crossface pressure turns the head. It never cranks the neck. Pressure that bends the neck sideways ends the rep; the coach resets it. ☐ Every submission in this book is catch-and-release in training: slow on, position first, instant release on any tap, verbal taps count. ☐ Never drop your full weight through a partner's neck, head, or a trapped straight arm. Weight goes through the chest and shoulders. ☐ A bottom wrestler who goes still, limp, or silent is checked immediately. Rounds stop for a partner check, every time, no exceptions.
Part 1: The Ride Position, Specified
The base ride in this book is the chest ride behind and beside a flattened or building opponent. Variants exist across lineages; this spec is the common core.
| Element | Standard | Self-check mid-round |
|---|---|---|
| Chest | Heavy on their back or chest, contact never broken | Can they breathe easy? If yes, you are light |
| Head | In tight on the crossface side, cheek driving | Your head steers theirs; if yours floats, theirs turns free |
| Crossface arm | Forearm or shoulder across their face line, turning their head away from their build side | Their nose points where you chose, not where they chose |
| Wrist hand | Holding their near or far wrist to the mat or into your control | Name the wrist you own. If you cannot, you own none |
| Hips | At or below the level of their hips, weight line through them | If your hips are the roof's peak, they can roll or stand through you |
| Knees | Light, hovering, or trailing; carrying almost no weight | Knees sore after rounds means your weight was on the mat |
| Feet | Toes dug in, legs long behind you, sprawl-ready | Legs long are hard to trap; legs tucked are gifts |
Ride and Hold-Down Playbook
Mat Manual companion guide to "You Got the Takedown. Then They Stood Up." Print it. The article teaches why wrestlers stand out of a resting top game. This book builds the ride that stops them: position specs, breakdowns, follow drills, ride rounds, and the trackers that show which control you keep losing.
What's Inside
- Part 1: The Ride Position, Specified
- Part 2: The Four Controls — Drills
- Part 3: Breakdown Library
- Part 4: Following the Stand-Up — The Decision Tree
- Part 5: The Cradle From the Ride, Specified
- Part 6: Double Wristlock Entry From the Ride
- …and 26 more sections
The full guide is a paid Mat Manual product. Checkout is not connected yet — no payment is taken on this page.
Free companion article: You Got the Takedown. Then They Stood Up. — the full article, free in full.