Mat strategy in Wrestling

[Clinchfighter]

I figured, going into freestyle season that I would do another very broad and encompasing post. For wrestlers/judokas, what is your favorite mat strategy? Are you a defensive counter type, or a balls to the wall agressive type?

I'll use my scholastic wrestling strategy as example.

1st Period: Work defense and use my reach to frustrate his open shots. Make him tie up, and use his tie up to work my offense.

2nd period: My coach makes the call for bottom usually, so I **** with my opponent's mind. I let him man handle me with rides, but try to keep the pin and nearfall out of his reach. When I hear him breath heavy, I stand up and escape for my 1.

3rd: Usually end up in top position. I hit a near arm chop to roll through tilt to get some points. He postures, I go for the cradle. If he goes flat, I work power half.

Simple, effective, and general enough to change on the fly.

[judojeff]

When i was wrestling in highschool I played a defensive game but since I switched to judo I have found that being the aggressor works better for me.

I like to constantly threaten smaller foot sweeps and trips, de/okuri ashi harai and ko soto gari, until I make an opening for "bigger" techniques like O soto gari, seoi nage, sasae tsurikomi ashi, or O uchi gari.