One of the principle moves athletes like to learn are Greco Roman arm throws. They are a part of every serious wrestler’s arsenal, regardless if it’s a folkstyle practitioner just getting started in Greco or an experienced Olympian like American Robby Smith. It’s a fast technique — there may be a sequence of grinding setups or an arm throw could be secured immediately after stepping into a two-on-one. But the one thing that doesn’t change is the result, which is an opponent tumbling over the shoulder for a quick score.
The video below was shot by United States National Team head coach Matt Lindland at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. In the video, Lindland, along with assistant coaches Momir Petković and Mohammed Abdelfatah, demonstrates different versions of Greco Roman arm throws for the athletes in attendance. The three US coaches offer their own specific flavors to the technique while maintaining a strict adherence to the fundamentals, making it an excellent video for those who might be new to the sport and are interested in picking up varying perspectives.
A bulletpoint to take away from the presentation is torque, and that does not deviate whether it is a throw or the slightly-less aerial arm “spin.” Coaches Lindland, Petković, and Abdelfatah also put an emphasis on the landing position, which is an area of concentration oft neglected by many developmental coaches. And as you can tell with this video being shot at the OTC, they are demonstrating this move in an environment that is anything but “developmental”, underscoring its importance.
Greco Roman Arm Throws — Time Stamps
Lindland — 0:07-1:47
Petković — 1:48-4:45
Abdelfatah — 4:55-5:40
Lindland — 6:00-13:30
