United States Olympic Team Alternate (1996 and 2000); USA World Team member; 3x Big 8 Champion and 4x All American for Iowa State University; 3x Kansas High School State Champion
Four-time All American Eric Akin was a top level athlete at Iowa State University. Now as a youth coach he has developed a series of techniques that focuses on fundamentals that will train athletes at all levels to be successful.
Coach Akin starts with the stance - the most basic element to being successful on your feet. Akin provides a series of stance and motion drills all wrestlers need to become fluid and agile in any takedown attempt and help ingrain it into muscle memory.
He teaches setups that will work at any level to control the opponent and open attacks. His instruction covers elbow control, inside tie and collar tie, and telephone wrist tie to 2-on-1 control. From the set-up, Akin moves to three types of penetration steps (with drills to practice the steps) to get in deep on your attack. The steps include: the drop step/inside step, the punch-punch sweep single step, and the spring-load step for double legs and low singles.
All wrestlers, especially young wrestlers, commonly lack the ability to finish their leg attacks. To get those hard earned points, Akin demonstrates finishing drills for the "Big Three" (Single leg, double, leg, and Hi-Crotch). He also shows a slide-by - a technique that is really effective on an opponent that we cannot pass his leg defense.
Finally, Coach Akin covers basic leg attack defense from the most basic sprawl to the more advanced Wizzer. He discusses two types of level change skills, which is a fundamental component for good defense and blocking, as well as the key to effective leg attacks.
This video is packed with information from start to finish. It is ideal for any wrestler or coach who wants to learn sound and basic principles that are effective at all levels.
87 minutes. 2014.
YWD-04509B: with Eric Akin, East Kansas Wrestling Club Head Coach;
United States Olympic Team Alternate (1996 and 2000); USA World Team member; 3x Big 8 Champion and 4x All American for Iowa State University; 3x Kansas High School State Champion
Four-time All American Eric Akin has compiled a video full of essential techniques that wrestlers need to be tough on the mat.
Starting at square one, Coach Akin shows you stance and hand position skills in order to build a good stance on the bottom, which are essential to maintaining a base and defending attacks by the opponent. You'll learn how to be light on your hands to get hands and feet up quickly. The hip heist is a fundamental skill for escaping and reversing on bottom, and Akin demonstrates a hip heist drill series to learn how to feel comfortable executing the technique.
He then moves on to the fundamentals of a stand-up, switch, and finally the complex Granby Roll. The techniques you'll learn include:
- How to attack a hand and cut out for an escape. Hand control and cutting out to face the opponent are the foundation needed to finish to a stand up. No points are earned by the bottom man until he cuts out and faces the opponent.
- Sit out and head post. This is a great escape for developing wrestlers who struggle with stand up.
- A unique take on the switch. Coach Akin shows mistakes he believes are commonly taught on the switch and demonstrates a technique that may improve the switch from bottom.
- And much more!
He completes the DVD with several different counters to the highest used turns from the top position.
Coach Akin uses youth wrestlers of varying abilities to demonstrate the technique and drills that he uses in his own room. He has made this basic level series very easy to learn or teach.
54 minutes. 2014.
YWD-04509C: with Eric Akin, East Kansas Wrestling Club Head Coach;
United States Olympic Team Alternate (1996 and 2000); USA World Team member; 3x Big 8 Champion and 4x All American for Iowa State University; 3x Kansas High School State Champion
Coach Akin was a top level athlete at Iowa State University. Now as a youth coach he has developed a series of techniques that focuses on the fundamentals of turning and pinning your opponent.
Breakdowns:
Coach Akin does an excellent job demonstrating and explaining proper body position and pressure on your opponent. He gives constant reminders about "good" position on top. Akin teaches basic breakdowns including the 180 breakdown, the Spiral ride and the Tight Waist Ankle. He uses the 180 and Spiral ride to get into his Crossbody ride. Akin shows how he keeps himself in the "saddle" an effective method to stay top of an opponent to get into a variet of pinning combinations.
Pinning:
The former U.S. World Team member, Coach Akin demonstrates a ton of ways to get opponents on their backs and rack up team points. He covers six turns that are fundamental to having success at any level from the top position. You'll see everything from a half nelson and chicken wing to cheap tilts, turks, cradles and the dreaded spladle position. Akin sets up his spladle from a side headlock and single leg defense. He also shares unique details to his nearside and crossface cradles that will ensure a pin every time your opponent is on his back.
We often take minor details for granted, but Coach Akin covers those details as a part of his teaching so that it is easy to integrate into your practice. This is a great DVD for any wrestler or coach to learn sound and basic principles that are effective at all levels.
43 minutes. 2014.
