Here are my notes for February to the Eve of Cities...February 2-17, 2008

Saturday-Sunday, February 2-3, 2008

At the Cadet Juveniles:

Ilya Abelev won two gold medals!!!
Nils Rohde got 4th
Sarah Stringer got 5th
Mike Carrier got 5th
Michio Clark got 4th
Emily Bekolay was in the top 8

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

We had a huge turnout, boosted with contingents from Colonel By, Saint Pats and Brookfield…

Clint Kingsbury
Mike Smith
Dean Sherratt
Chris Schrauwen

Ali Houmani
Mike Carrier
Ben Sayah
Mathieu Deschatelets
Javad Ghorbani
Michio Clark
Jairus Bali
Ilya Abelev
Sum Yavari (Brookfield)
Michael Leff (Brookfield)
Celeste Antoft-Finch (Brookfield)
Joshua Fagan (Brookfield)
Admed Awad (Brookfield)
Sarah Stringer
Marie Gihozo (St. Pats)
Mariano Santo
Samuel Hadwen
Paul Hadwen
Thomas Hadwen

Our focus was primarily devoted to developing options off the two on one. Of course, the most common is a two on one to a single leg, but what we wanted to do here was consider other, more interesting and point-scoring variations.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

The largest turnout this 2007/8 Season!

Clint Kingsbury
Dean Stinson O’Gorman
Dean Sherratt
Chris Schrauwen
Jason Kirby

Connor Rockwell
Sarah Stringer
Mathieu Deschatelets
Michael Leff (Brookfield)
Scott Doucette (Brookfield)
Conor Stinson O’Gorman
Som Yavari (Brookfield)
Nils Rohde
Joshua Clarke
Eamonn Stinson O’Gorman
Javad Ghorbani
Nicole Curry
Matt Doull
Matt Lessard
Shamarke Debalke
Ben Sayah
Phil Staniewski
Celeste Antoft-Finch
Stephane Bernadel
Stewart Wilkinson (All Saints)
Sean Ryan (Canterbury)
Nebras Kouvieh (Brookfield)
Mohammed Alasaad (Brookfield)
Chris Galley (Canterbury)
Rony Khacshour (Brookfield)
Samuel Hadwen
Paul Hadwen (observed)
Thomas Hadwen
+ 1 other…

Clint worked variations of the fireman’s carry which was followed by extensive scrimmaging (“par terre”) and six groups of “King of the Mat”)

Monday, February 11, 2008

There were 20 at practice led by Clint Kingsbury.

Tuesday, February 12

A much smaller group (day of East Championships) led by Mike Smith

Ben Sayah
Mathieu Deschatelets
Ilya Abelev
Nicholas
Trudy - she is new
Som Yavari (Brookfield)
Jairis Bali

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

We had another excellent turnout of 25, especially with a good contingent of Spartans from Chelsea.

Clint Kingsbury
Dean Stinson O’Gorman
Dean Sherratt
Chris Schrauwen

Ali Houmani
Sheldon Morgan
Celeste Antoft-Finch
Sarah Stringer
Nicole Curry
Michio Clark
Mike Carrier
Javad Ghorbani
Brian Cohen
Connor Rockwell
Mathieu Deschatelets
Janice Thibodeau (St. Pats)
Conor Stinson O’Gorman
Brae Walker
Tate Walker
Keil Walker
Som Yavari (Brookfield)
Thomas Hadwen
Paul Hadwen
Samuel Hadwen
Marie Gihozo (St. Pats)

Clint introduced the importance of good wrist control in hand fighting…it is especially good at neutralizing the strength of a stronger opponent but even if your wrists are held, it can also be used to your advantage.

One way to twist free is to rotate your wrists to weaken his grip. Another is to use one hand to grasp your opponent’s other wrist and use that double strength to free your other hand…from that you should try immediately for a “two on one” since it is already partially set up.

Clint also reviewed good technique when you are snapped down to your knees. Coaches will tell you to pull down on your opponent’s elbow but not explain why you want to work the elbow. You should actually pull up and flay the elbow so you can pop your head to that side with the space that you create…then shoot for a high crotch on that side with your free arm.

We also went over trying to rescue a blocked double leg that got stalled (for example, your head is not well enough placed for you to turn the corner and drive him to the side). What you need to do is to pull that knee up (on the head side) to block (but not hook) your opponent’s leg and drive him right into your leg to take him down. Your head will shift from the side to your opponent’s abdomen to do this as you switch directions from your initial double leg…

Head snaps don’t work well without a good set up. You may get an opponent off balance but you can’t count on such good fortune. A good way to do so is to go for a fake single leg…that is not a feint where you touch and pull your hand back…You grasp your opponent’s leg till he pulls it back, putting all his weight on the back leg…NOW you have a head snap set up with your other hand…

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Last night we had:
Clint Kingsbury

Matt Deschatelets
Ben Sayah
Ilya Abelev
John Goodyear
Malcolm Cundell
Miles Cundell
Javad Ghorbani
Mike Carrier
3 St. Patrick’s guys
Rony Khacshour (Brookfield)

I gave speeches to them on Parterre wrestling and the importance. We did lots of technique and then the practice was centered on Parterre transition
No scrimmage.

Saturday, February 17, 2008

Another record turnout this year with 35 coaches and wrestlers participating!

Mike Smith
Dean Stinson O’Gorman
Dean Sherratt
Chris Schrauwen
Jason Kirby
Marc Griplas

Geoff Griplas
Ben Sayah
Mathieu Deschatelets
Chris Peters (Canterbury)
Brandon Rendon (Canterbury)
Sean Regal (Canterbury)
Chris Galley (Canterbury)
Sarah Stringer
Michael Leff (Brookfield)
Celeste Antoft-Finch (Brookfield)
Rony Khacshour (Brookfield)
Scott Doucette (Brookfield)
Nick Bradley (All Saints)
Nils Rohde
Matt Tattersall
Matt Lessard
Mustafah Khalil
Youssef Awada (LBP)
Connor Rockwell
Xavier Ouellet
Nicole Curry
Philip Staniewski
Eamonn Stinson O’Gorman
Conor Stinson O’Gorman
Shamarke Debalke (Hillcrest)
Marie Gihozo (St. Pats)
Tate Walker
Keil Walker
Haven Halter

This was a practice devoted to cardio, defenses off bad shots and then lots of scrimmaging:

“Big Dean” handled the introductory cardio and then Mike Smith took over.

Initially starting off a bad shot that doesn’t reach the legs the defensive wrestler should put weight on his opponent with his chest but keep his legs clear from any possible reach or re-shot. He should keep his hands on his opponent’s back or size his armpit or triceps, but not drag them on either side of his opponent since this will set up a reversal, often in the form of a sit-out. From there transition to a head and arm where you grasp your opponent’s chin (gluing your elbow to your ribs in the process so he can’t shove his buried head out) while grasping his triceps. Pull up on his triceps while driving away from them and pulling slightly back to extend him forward (“taking one of his four legs off his chair”)…you will drop your opponent right to his chest and from there circle for a takedown.

If your opponent is dogged and keeps following you, then prepare to “put on the breaks” and shuck him by with your “chin” hand.

We had two sets of scrimmaging…first a challenging set of an initial winner (in a group of 4 or 5) taking on all comers after that…and then the next heaviest in the group following suit so each wrestler fought for four-five minutes straight against constantly fresh wrestlers. In the group that I followed several wrestlers distinguished themselves…Mathieu Deschatelets, Matt Lessard and Chris Peters all wrestled well right to their last matches.

Then we broke up into three groups of “challengers” who would challenge any wrestler in their group.