Using the zone can be an effective strategy in wining the close matches. It can be easier to score points using the zone and take less risk than it would be to score a good takedown on a good defensive opponent. The ability to force cautions can be a decisive factor in wining the tough matches. The following six Zone Drill tactics can be even more effective if combined with good offensive ground wrestling skills.

The best way to improve your groundwork is to incorporate a turn in all the takedowns that you drill. Every technique that is drilled should include a set-up, the technique, the finish and then the turn. This should be done without pausing. This helps to prevent pausing in a match setting when shooting and to perfect the finish in every skill.

It was the 1977 Jr. World Team final wrestle offs in Murphy's Burro, Tennessee where I was competing for the Jr. World Team spot at 82kg. The Jr. World Championships were to be held in LasVegas, Navada later that month. I had beaten my previous opponents and was now in the final "two of three" wrestle off with a tough kid by the name of Don Brown from Oregon.

Don Brown was a real cocky wrestler who had a great lateral drop. He threw almost everyone he wrestled with this powerful throw. Throughout our training camp prior to this final wrestle off we had trained together a bit and I can say that there was no love loss between the two of us. He was very vocal and loud, always talking smack. I was pretty quit and reserved, not an angle by any means but mostly shy. This contrast in personalities made these wrestle off matches very emotional for me. I wanted very much to whip him good.

Wrestlers are constantly exposed to a variety of rigorous training stress. Wrestling, running & weightlifting are the most common ways wrestlers tax their bodies. This is how one improves their physical, mental, and emotional conditioning. The well known phrase "No pain, No gain", I think, really rings true. When wrestlers drive themselves beyond their physiological limits, they fatigue their bodies. The more the fatigue, the more the negative training effects such as lower rate of recovery, less coordination, and less potential of output. Fatiguing your body is essential to improving it. But it also requires proper recovery (rest) to complete the development cycle. In other words it takes both hard training and proper rest to improve one's conditioning in sport. This article will focus on identifying some recovery techniques wrestlers can use to help balance their training regimen.

Active recovery (active rest) helps in the rapid elimination of waste products (i.e., lactic acid) from your muscles, etc. Active recovery occurs with light to moderate aerobic activity. Examples of this would be continuous light jogging or easy swimming. Let's take jogging. There has been studies that show that during the first 10 minutes of continuous light jogging, 62 percent of lactic acid is removed, an additional 26 percent of lactic acid is removed between 10 and 20 minutes of jogging. So it seems to make sense that maintaining an active recovery period of 10 to 20 minutes after strength training or intense wrestling would be advantageous.

How did an average guy like me wrestle competitively for some fifteen odd years? Fifteen years is a long time. How did an average "Joe" like me win some of the lofty titles that I've won? You have got to realize I was terrible when I first starting wrestling.

How do average, everyday people accomplish the remarkable? Ask Matt Lindland or Rulon Gardner (who just won their second World/Olympic medals this past month in Patras, Greece) how good they were back in the beginning. They will be quick to tell you... they were not any good.

So what is the answer?

Have you ever watched the Olympics on television and wondered how the athletes can be so calm under pressure? With millions of people watching, the Olympic stars seem so nervous-free and relaxed. How can this be? How can these athletes compete anxiety-free under such pressure-filled conditions? Well let me tell you a little secret…they don't.

If you could come back stage with me at the Olympic Games you would see some very, very nervous athletes. Pacing back and forth; people looking very tense and uptight; smiling but with clenched teeth; constantly going to the rest room. The tension so intense, you can almost feel it.

The truth of the matter is that elite athletes do in fact get nervous before they compete. They react to stressful situations just like you and me. In fact, I don't know any of my world class wrestlers that don't get a little nervous before wrestling. All the great ones do.