Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1927-02-17
WRESTLING TIPS
BY NOTED COACH
Not the Rough and Tumble
Sport People Think.

Boysl Do you want to know how
to wrestle?
Here are some of the pointers given
by George Pinneo, famous coach of
the American Olympic wrestling team,
as printed in the American Boy Maya
zine.
First Mr.. Pinneo explains in the
American Boy that Wrestling isn't
the rough-and-tumble sport that I'M
informed people think it is. 1t de-
mands all the traits Of a good ath-
Iete: the speed and the wind of
track man, the muscles of football
lineman, an acrobat's agility and
sense of balance, and a swimmers ali
round development. 1t builds these
qualities in the boys who take 1t up"
You can learn the fundamental
wrestling holds by practicing with
your chum, writes Mr.. Pinneo.
you won't need a gymnasium.
MAKE your own mat, and put 1t In
your basement. If you want one the
regulation size take four 12-foot
lengths of two-by-four lumber and fit
them into a square. Round off the
edges and pad the strips by lacking
several thicknesses of cloth over them.
Then find an old piece of canvas
from wornout tent or tarpaulin--and
tack it tightly over the 12-foot frame.
Two inches of sawdust under the can
vas, and your mat is complete.
The next thing to do is to call your
chum and start practicing Ii posi-
BILE, get pointers from an experienced
wrestler. Begin by walking through
the simpler holds. say walk through
them because only in this way can
you learn what to do with your arms
and legs at each stage of the game.
Don't use all your muscle or speed
take it slowly and study your posi-
tion.
when you start bout you are
standing on the mat. facing your OPP
ponent. You're both thinking the
same thing:
81 must put his shoulders to the
mat and hold them there
"But before you can do that you've
got to close with him, and then to get
behind him. It's important to get be-
hind your man because it's possible
TO win your bout simply by staying
behind him longer-at least one min
ute longer-than he stays behind you.
Most wrestlers start things off by
advancing to each other and taking
what is called the referees hold. Both
men are bent forward, each mans
head is resting against his opponents
left shoulder. his right hand grasping
the other mans left arm above the
elbow and his left hand on the back
of the other mans neck. The feet
are well apart and parallel. Learn
the hold, because most go-behinds
start from there. The referees hold
is safe one for both wrestlers.
From this point on the job is to
get behind your opponent. One of
the very simplest methods is by the
arm-lift. Remember that in the ref
eree's hold your right hand is grasp
ing your opponents left arm above
the elbow Merely by shifting your
right hand under, thumb inside, and
pushing his left arm up and to your
left you'll find yourself behind him.
"Try it on your chum. Let him try
It on you. Get it down pat, because
it's the simplest go-behind known and
one that even experienced wrestlers
sometimes fail to guard against.
"But you ought to know number
of go-behinds. because if one doesn't
work you'll want to try something
else. quick. The football dive is one
that collegiate wrestlers use more
often than any other. Simply let go Of
the other man and dive for his legs,
making sure to keep your shoulders
high so that if you miss his legs he
dIh't easily get around you. If he
triSs this block him with your out
stretched arms. If you can grab his
legs lift him up and tip him to the
mat.
If the football dive doesn't wors