Become Fighter
The sprawl: Wrestling guide
Kick your legs back, drop your hips onto their shoulders and make the shot fail.
The sprawl is wrestling's first answer to a shot. As your opponent drops for your legs, you throw your legs back and push your hips down onto their upper back. Their hands end up with nothing to hold.
Practise on a mat or carpet. Do not sprawl on tile, concrete or any hard floor, because your hips, knees and hands take the impact.
Key points
- React to their level change, not to their hands.
- Hips go back and down, then your legs shoot straight back, wider than your hips.
- Land with your hips low and your chest high, weight pressing on their shoulders.
- Keep your head up and your hands ready to push their head or arms away.
- Spin or circle off and return to your stance. Do not stay on the floor.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Hips staying high. Aim your hips at the floor. A high sprawl leaves them space to slip underneath.
- Legs landing narrow. Land wider than your hips for balance and to stop your legs being scooped.
- Head dropping toward the floor. Keep your head up. A dropped head slows the recovery and risks your neck.
- Staying flat on the floor. Treat the sprawl as a step, not a place to stay. Rise and move out.
Combinations that use it
- wr-circle-sprawl: Circle out, Sprawl
- 1-2-sprawl: Jab, Cross, Sprawl
- wr-sprawl-sd: Sprawl, Snap-down
- wr-whizzer-sprawl: Whizzer, Sprawl
- wr-sprawl-circle-hf: Sprawl, Circle out, Hand fight
- wr-sprawl-lc-dl: Sprawl, Level change, Double leg
Related techniques
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Defence, getting up and chains module of Wrestling foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Defence, getting up and chains
- Underhooks and ties: Wrestling guide
- Whizzer and snap-down: Wrestling guide
- Sit-out and stand-up: Wrestling guide
- Chain wrestling: Wrestling guide
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.