Hand fighting: Wrestling guide

Wrestling · Stance and motion · 8 minute lesson Free

Most shots begin with a hand fight. You use your hands to control their arms, clear their guard and break their posture, so that when you drop to a shot there is nothing in the way.

This lesson is shadow work. You practise the hand motions in the air, in your stance, with an imaginary opponent. The partner version comes later.

Key points

• Hands are active and light, always touching or reaching, never hanging.
• Clear one of their hands before you shoot, then move your feet while it is cleared.
• Use wrists and forearms to push and pull. Do not grab their fingers.
• Keep your elbows in and your head up while your hands move.
• Your hands set up the shot. Your feet and hips do the work.

Step by step

1. Tap and reach. From your stance, extend your lead hand toward the imaginary opponent's wrist, then bring it back to your chest. Light and quick, as if tapping a hot pan.
2. Wrist clear. Sweep your lead hand across to push their lead hand to the inside, then reset. Add the other hand once the first feels natural.
3. Pull and reset. Imagine gripping a wrist and pulling it toward your hip. Step your feet back a half step as you pull, then return to your stance.
4. Hands then feet. Chain a hand clear with a step in. The hand creates the opening, the step takes it. Keep your head up and your hips low through the whole movement.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

• Reaching without moving your feet. Pair every hand movement with a small step. Reaching alone throws you off balance.
• Dropping your head to follow your hands. Keep your eyes up on their chest. Your hands go to them while you stay tall in your stance.
• Frozen, stiff arms. Stay loose. Tension slows your hands and wastes energy.
• Grabbing at fingers. Work with wrists and forearms. Fingers are small, slippery and easy to hurt.

Drill: Shadow hand fighting

3 rounds of 45 seconds, with 30 seconds of rest. Safe to practise alone.

1. Slow tapping and clearing with your feet in place. Check your stance between reps.
2. Combine each hand movement with a small step. Keep your head up.
3. Follow the caller: hand fight, then move. Stay light and loose.

Combinations that use it

• wr-hf-sl: Hand fight, Single leg
• wr-hf-dl: Hand fight, Double leg
• wr-in-hf-sl: Step in, Hand fight, Single leg
• wr-sprawl-circle-hf: Sprawl, Circle out, Hand fight
• wr-hf-sd-sl: Hand fight, Snap-down, Single leg
• wr-hf-lc-pen-sl: Hand fight, Level change, Penetration step, Single leg

Related techniques

• Single leg
• Double leg
• Step in
• Sprawl
• Circle out
• Snap-down
• Level change
• Penetration step

Train it in the app

In Become Fighter this lesson comes with a short video, a timed drill with the coach calling the shots, and a quick quiz to check you've got it.

Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.

More from Stance and motion

• The wrestling stance: Wrestling guide
• Moving in stance: Wrestling guide

← All Wrestling lessons

Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.