Gut Wrench
- Wrestling
- Top & Pinning
- intermediate
- Referee’s position (top)
- 3 steps
Lock your hands around the waist and arch to roll the opponent over for exposure (freestyle). Also known as the Gut. Here is the exact breakdown from the DARCE app: 3 steps, the details that make it work, and the mistakes to avoid.
When to use it
Use the gut wrench from the top of referee’s position or whenever the opponent is flat on the mat in freestyle. Lock your hands high and tight on their waist first. It works best with your hips close to theirs.
Step by step
- 01
Referee’s position, on top
Chest to back, hips heavy.
- 02
Lock the waist
Lock your hands tightly around their midsection, palm over fist.
- 03
Arch and roll
Pull them in, arch your hips and roll them over your body to expose their back, then re-secure on top.
Key details
- Lock the hands high and tight on the waist before rolling.
- Use a hip arch and bridge, not just arm strength, to turn them.
- Stay attached and re-lock immediately for the next roll.
Common mistakes
- A loose waist lock that gets pried open.
- Rolling with the arms only and gassing out.
- Letting them post a knee to block the roll.
Common counters
Opponents post a knee, widen their base, or pin their elbows to the ribs so you cannot lock. A loose lock gets pried open. Lock tight and arch fast.
How to drill it
Your partner kneels on all fours: lock the waist and roll them across, keeping the lock as you come up on top. Do three rounds of one minute, rolling continuously.
Related techniques
- Spiral RideWrestlingFrom the top, grab the far arm and near hip and drive in a corkscrew to flatten the opponent.
- Half NelsonWrestlingThread an arm under the opponent’s arm to the back of the neck and turn them to their back.
- CradleWrestlingTrap the head and a knee, lock your hands and ball the opponent up onto their back.
Train it with the AI coach