Former Cornell University Assistant Coach;
2x U.S. National Team member; 2008 U.S. Open Freestyle National Champion
Not every athlete has the ability to get to their feet quickly. The general rule of thumb from the bottom is to hit a stand-up off the whistle. National champion Matt Azevedo shows how a changeover can impact that line of thinking and lead to several different options for the bottom wrestler. In addition, you'll learn how to recover faster from a takedown and other transitional positions.
The changeover is more explosive move than the standard escape and it gets wrestlers of any body style out quicker. It's great for creating space and motion from the bottom position. Starting with the basic technique, Coach Azevedo breaks the changeover down into three easily understandable steps that all roll into one very effective motion. He emphasizes where the technique could fall apart and where there is room for personalization.
Coach Azevedo shows how to use a changeover to perform a hip heist, which helps explosive wrestlers get away quickly and easily. He demonstrates several that can be used in practice to improve the wrestler's ability to do a hip heist. He also shares several options that can be used after executing the changeover, including:
- Power switch - This more powerful, explosive version of the switch allows you to escape and reverse the position.
- Stand-up - Learn how to combine the stand-up with the changeover so your less powerful athletes are able to get to their feet.
- Granby roll - See how to get the top wrestler out of position and what move to hit when they are out of position.
The drills in this section emphasize what really happens in a match, giving wrestlers a feel for its usefulness. With practice, the move becomes second nature and athletes perform it automatically to move from the bottom.
You'll also see the effectiveness of the changeover in countering one of the top rides at any level - the Spiral Ride, and how to get quick escapes after takedowns with the changeover. These are all great ways to integrate a highly effective bottom position into your arsenal no matter the position of the athlete.
The changeover is an effective move that athletes at any level can do off the whistle or as a transition move. This technique will open up several doors for escapes or reversals by the bottom man. Coach Azevedo has a great teaching style that will help any coach or parent enable their athlete to pick it up and use in short order.
It's a great video for all athletes and coaching levels ... Coach Azevedo combines two explosive moves, the change over and granby roll, to create an unstoppable escape! - Chester Chen
51 minutes. 2014.