Wrestlers have had good success transitioning their skills to other sports such as Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. But you are probably reading this article because you have found your wrestling skills are not up to par, and you want to learn how to wrestle. Unfortunately, it can be really difficult finding ways to learn how to wrestle after high school. If you are one of the people that regret not wrestling in high school here are 3 ways to learn wrestling after high school.
1) MMA/BJJ Gym
With the success of MMA, and MMA gyms, this has attracted not only high school wrestlers, but collegiate wrestlers who know they can succeed in MMA. Due to this many MMA gyms have dedicated wrestling coaches and dedicated wrestling classes that you could attend. I would suggest reaching out to the gyms to inquire if they have dedicated classes or wrestling coaches, who would be willing to train you. If there are no dedicated coaches or classes, do not worry, most likely some of the athletes at the gym will be proficient wrestlers, and most are willing to teach private or small group sessions for a price. This is a win-win for you and them, many of them supplement their income by teaching people new to the sport, which allows them to continue to train.
How Much Do Private Wrestling Lessons Cost?
This can vary greatly depending on where you live and the coaches credentials.
A small poll of 15 current and ex college wrestlers showed what someone could expect to pay for private wrestling lessons. The average price was $58 per lesson. The highest was $200 dollars with the lowest price being $15 dollars. The median price was $40 dollars.
***If you are looking to start wrestling lessons on a budget here are a few tips that might help keep the costs down.
- Find a partner or two to take the lessons with. Most coaches offer a discounted rate per person when they had a partner to practice with.
- Just think they do not have to wrestle with you, and avoid wear and tear on their bodies
- Current college wrestlers tended to be the cheapest on average.
- Current professional fighters and college coaches were the most expensive.
- Although they will be able to incorporate more MMA techniques into their coaching, I think to start your training it would be best to look for a cheaper option like a current college athlete. However, if you feel you have some basic knowledge and want to go to another level hiring a professional fighter or coach might be the best option for you.
2) Local High Schools/Clubs
You could reach out to local high schools in your area and see if you could act as a volunteer coach. Many high school wrestling programs would love to have the extra bodies and hands to run a wrestling team. It can be a win-win for both parties. You help with day to day running of the program like rolling up and mopping mats, moving equipment etc. and you in turn get to learn wrestling.
Many high school programs are now running club programs in the off season. So if for some reason you cannot work with the wrestling team during the season you could reach out during the club season and see if they have open mat times you could attend.
Some wrestling clubs are stand alone entities and not attached to a school. Most wrestling clubs are geared towards youth wrestling but some do cater towards masters wrestling. By joining a club with master athletes, you will be able to spar with numerous individuals with different skills. USA Wrestling has a search function to help you find clubs near you. Here is the link https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Membership/Athletes/Find-a-Club
3) Online
You can learn almost anything online from how to restore an old mustang to how to use a 3D printer. Wrestling is one of those things that you can definitely augment your learning with online resources. However, it is probably not something you can strictly learn online. Many of you may be intimated by reaching out or even going to a practice, by watching videos, and reading blogs ( like this one) you will learn the lingo, and become familiar with the sport, which is a great first step.
You will still need training partners, access to wrestling mats, and it really speeds up learning having an in person coach to help you learn the finer nuances of the sport.
However, depending on where you live or your financial resources you may not have access to elite level coaching or maybe cannot train with them as much as you would like or need. This is where online resources can be helpful. You can use the online resources to augment the knowledge you have or to practice the skills given by your coach.
YouTube
This is obviously the cheapest option. You can find good videos from some of the top wrestlers in the country. However, there are some limitations with YouTube.
Pros
- Free
- Easy to access (just need WiFi)
- Can learn from top coaches
Cons
- Lacks structure. Some techniques build on other techniques which can be difficult to grasp from sporadic YouTube videos.
- Lacks context. A lot of the “how to videos” may show the technique well but not explain when and when not to use the technique.
- Not comprehensive.
DVD/Online Instructional
This option unlike YouTube is not free in most instances. However, it does allow you to learn in a more comprehensive manor from some of the best wrestlers in the country including Olympic gold medalists and college national champions.
Pros
- Good Structure. Usually will have the basics and each move will build on another.
- Better Context. The videos usually can go more in depth on how the move relates to other moves and when and how to use them in a system.
- More Comprehensive. Can go over several positions and systems with no limitations on time.
Cons
- Limited Accessibility (Some of the older instructional’s might only be on DVD)
- Cost (Can be anywhere from $20- $100 per set and you may need multiple instructionals)
- You are getting one perspective (The coach selling you the instructional)
Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to see all of the instructionals that are out. I personally have seen Dan Gable’s and watched a lot of Cary Kolat’s content. Dan Gable’s DVD’s obviously have great foundational skills however, the presentation is a hair outdated.
One of my favorite online resources is from Cary Kolat at https://www.kolat.com/. (I am not an affiliate and do not receive any money for recommending his website) He has over 2,500 videos on his website that he recently made free. I think one of the best options he has on his website, especially for new wrestlers, is what he calls the 4-6 year curriculum.
The 4-6 year curriculum teaches the core of wrestling and would be a good place for anyone to start learning wrestling. He has a video for everything you would need to know, and he starts with the basics from how to wrestle from stance, top positions, bottom positions, and drills. You can see and download the curriculum here for free at https://www.kolat.com/4-to-6-year-teaching-curriculum.html.
He has practice plans so if you are completely unfamiliar with wrestling you can see what a wrestling practice might look like. Overall, you can’t beat the price (FREE) and he has put a lot of work into creating a great product.
If You Really Want to Learn Wrestling
If you are really trying to master your craft and learn how to wrestle there are 3 factors that experts in any field share.
Coach/mentor: For long term success in your sport having the best coach possible for you is a must. Hopefully the 3 steps above gave you some ideas on how to find a coach/mentor. You need a coach that has a good eye for things that need improving, good ability to communicate, and someone to hold you accountable. It is important that your coach is able to give and receive constructive feedback, however uncomfortable that might be. In short find someone who you work well with, but who also will push you to be better.
Deliberate practice: What is deliberate practice? It means having a purpose to your practice. This might be working to improve specific skills or qualities that need improving or even learning a new skill. When you are learning a new sport it is easy to improve every practice because everything is new, so take advantage of this time and make large improvements. Often it is natural for us to gravitate towards our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. As you learn more you will naturally find yourself gravitating to what you are good at and sometimes avoiding what you are not good at. Having self-awareness towards your limitations and a good coach can ensure that you are getting the most out of practice by working on things consistently that need improvement.
Lastly it will take time. It is estimated that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate purposeful practice to become an expert in any given arena. Now hopefully you have a plan, a good coach and now you just need to repetitions. To get the repetitions you will need to make sure you have training partners, access to mat space, and a schedule to be as consistent as possible so you can get those hours in.
Good luck improving your skills, I would love to hear from any of you that have any other suggestions. Also, if you need help finding a gym or a coach please reach out and I would love to help you