Embrace Your Superpower: A Guide to Finding Your Wrestling Identity
If you really sit with these questions, the answers will reveal themselves. Sometimes, you just need to put a name to it.
Photo by Usa Wrestling Who are you on the mat?
If you asked me what my identity on the mat is, the answer is simple: I am a shooter. I know I can get to anyone's legs. The real battle starts once I'm there. Sometimes I finish, sometimes I don't—but that relentless pursuit is the core of my style and personality. Resilience is the keyword. I hold myself to a standard of showing up and giving my absolute best, even when I fail. My true self is a shooter; my alter ego is the resilience that keeps me going when I don't immediately score. I remember in college, our training was aggressively offensive. The mindset branded into us was to always take the fight to the opponent. You find a way to get the job done, and you never wait for anyone else to make the first move.
This whole concept was on my mind today during a private coaching session with Nora. We started talking deeply about who she is on the mat, as she's currently in a phase of exploring her preferences and figuring out her wrestling identity. I realized that discovering your identity isn't necessarily about building it from scratch; it's about waking up and recognizing what's already there. The foundation is built—you just have to acknowledge and embrace it. That conversation inspired me to write this guide for any young wrestler trying to figure out who they are on the mat.
To discover your mat identity, you have to start by watching what you do effortlessly. Turn on your match tape and look at what positions feel entirely natural. What do you gravitate toward no matter what? When I was learning how to wrestle, I noticed on film that even if I didn't finish my shot, getting to the legs was always effortless for me. Ask yourself what that one effortless movement is that you can execute on anyone. You also need to pay attention to what draws you in during practice. Think about what techniques pull your focus when you step into the wrestling room. If we are going live or drilling, I am always excited about learning attacks on my feet, and that's where I feel most confident. Finally, identify your "Old Reliable." When you are under an immense amount of pressure and absolutely have to score, what is your go-to move? For me, my shots are my Old Reliable because I know I can get to them in any situation. Even if the shot is just to get my partner moving, it allows me to use my offense to clear ties, improve my position, and open up the wrestler for my re-shots.
If you really sit with these questions, the answers will reveal themselves, and sometimes you just need to put a name to it. Here are a few cool archetypes to think about, and I encourage you to create your own if these don't perfectly describe you:
- The Relentless Attacker: An offensive shooter who pushes a high pace, constantly attacks the legs, and relies heavily on stamina and chain wrestling.
- The Tactician: A wrestler who thrives in ties. They use heavy underhooks or collar ties to control pressure, systematically break down the opponent, and create scoring angles based on the opponent's reactions.
- The Wall: The patient counter-wrestler. Known for a brick-wall stance, heavy hips, and the ability to capitalize the exact second an opponent takes a bad shot or makes an offensive mistake.
- The Scrapper: The wrestler who is comfortable in chaos. They thrive in transitions, win the scrambles, and seamlessly turn bad positions into scoring opportunities.
Once you start to see your style taking shape, there are two major tips for embracing your superpower. The first is to stop forcing it. A lot of frustration comes from trying to force a style that doesn't fit your natural tendencies. It's exactly like doing a puzzle—you can't force a piece into the wrong spot. If you find yourself rarely shooting during a match, that is completely okay. Enhance what you are naturally good at. Build an unbreakable stance, work on your hand fighting, and find creative ways to make your opponent feel the need to take a desperate shot so you can capitalize. Look at highlight reels of your favorite wrestlers; they didn't just follow a rigid, set path. They took their craft and made it authentically their own, proving there is no single right way to wrestle.
The second tip is to own your pace. If you don't like being fast, you don't have to be fast. If you prefer methodical pauses and wrestling a tight, clingy style, own that. They say wrestling is like a dance, and I fell in love with this sport because it gave me so many avenues to be authentically myself and playfully explore different positions.
Figuring out my identity on the mat has translated beautifully into so many other areas of my life. Knowing I am a relentless leg attacker helps me understand why I tackle parenting, relationships, and friendships head-on. I am always willing to be the first to show up, put myself in a difficult position to solve an obstacle, and face things directly. Funny enough, it also highlights my stubbornness. I'm the person who orders the exact same meal from a menu every single time, regardless of the choices. I will sit in the exact same spot until I'm forced into a new environment—and then I just find a new permanent spot. I am a creature of habit.
I built my confidence on that consistency. It doesn't matter if my opponents know exactly what's coming; I'm going to stubbornly stick with what I'm great at. That is exactly where my relentless and resilient mentality comes from. I really hope this helps anyone reading. Focus on what you're naturally good at, look for the common threads in your match tape and practice habits, and embrace your superpower. When you finally uncover your identity, it opens up incredible opportunities to jump levels in this sport.