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Modern Art

Manet

This piece is said to be the first masterpiece of modern art. The first master piece of advice you can get in freestyle wrestling is to start with a good stance.  If you missed the video before click here.

Monet

This piece gave the “Impressionist” movement its name. Do you want to know how to make a good impression on your coach? When your coach says “Do twenty five push-ups”, you do twenty six. When he says “Do ten chin-ups”, you do eleven.

Monet

Artistic fluff by the most popular impressionist painter. However, the lady is scoring points by walking her child to a wrestling practice. It is very helpful when parents support a wrestlers training regime.

Gauguin

Together with Van Gough, Gauguin is one of the best known “post-impressionist” painters. This is another painting of Jacob and the Angel, but set in France at the turn of the century. Gauguin painted religious paintings, but he did so more out of a sense of wanting to follow a historical tradition rather than out of a sense of devotion. 

Unfortunately, this painting shows another example of bad wrestling technique. Always be square-on to your opponent when attacking. Jacob is not directly facing the Angel and so the Angel will likely push down Jacob’s head, get behind him and score the next point.  If you previously missed the section on “Motion” click here.

Vincent Van Gough

This guy had passion. A good example of when passion, guts and determination bring fame and glory. Just like in wrestling. The fellow in the painting is sowing seeds. Learning the basics and regular practice are the seeds of a great wrestling career.

Cezanne

Cezanne developed his own unique style of painting. Note the elbows. Keep your elbows in.

Edward Munch

Some days you will want to scream, too.

Paul Serrusier

A masterpiece, don’t you think? Despite the poor technique.

Franz Marc

Learn the basics of wrestling, and your wrestling will become as pleasing to look at as this fanciful piece.

Matisse

All educated wrestlers start their wrestling career like flopping guppies, but they will develop into dancing trout, hungry barracudas, aggressive piranhas and marauding sharks.  In fact, by the time the pimply little grade 8 who knows nothing gets to grade 12 he or she may know 99 different wrestling moves and movements.  For a summary of what is possible [click here].

But even when dancing, devouring, attacking and marauding, the Educated Wrestler must always remember to be polite to his/her opponent.

Picasso

Just before the start of World War II the Nazis bombed the little town of Guernica in northern Spain. They did so at the request of the Spanish dictator, Franco, who wanted to suppress the Basques.

For the Nazis it was target practice and an opportunity to try out their new weapons. Note the man on the bottom left…and please remember to keep off your back. Practice bridging. Practice in front of the TV (learn to watch TV upside down). After a few seasons you will never get pinned.

Jackson Pollock

Jackson Pollock was an alcoholic, but one heckuva good painter. He was famous for a style of painting in which he dripped colors onto a canvas. Sounds easy, but he had a rare talent for making such works of art look beautiful.

His talent was squandered when he died drinking and driving. Very stupid. This piece is called “Lucifer”, which is another name of the devil. You will have the devil-of-a-time winning if you do not train hard or if you forget the basics.

Rothko

Rothko became a great painter by painting simple pictures like this one with only a few colors. You can become a great wrestler by mastering a few moves.

Go ahead, pick them… master the basics… then progress to the mastery of the set-ups and variations on the moves.

Kandinski

Kandinsky was a great experimenter in art and he pioneered abstract painting. Likewise, you should experiment with your own style of wrestling. Do not ignore the Rothko advice above but also try new moves in practice. See what works for you and your body type. Also, note the lines at different angles in this piece. In wrestling angles have a special significance.

You will increase your likelihood of a successful takedown if you create an angle of attack during your set-up (i.e. you face your opponent but try to maneuver him/her so he/she is not quite facing you).

Warhol

The culmination of “modern art”? Never forget the importance of nutrition. Go into competitions with a meal plan as well as a battle plan.

Alexander the Great was considered to be a logistical genius, but his army almost got wiped out when he tried to cross a desert without enough water. Likewise, you should not go through a whole day at a tournament without a balanced intake of food and water.

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