Beginner fundamentals
Read a wrestling stance
Look at the feet before the hands. USA Wrestling’s Level 1 stance lesson gives you two starting pictures for reading the base underneath a takedown.
On this page
Watch the lesson
FIELD GUIDE / EDITORIAL COVERBefore you watch
Learn the two labels first. In a staggered stance one foot leads. In a square stance the feet sit closer to the same line across the mat. These are wrestling positions. Your MMA coach can show you how the guard changes when punches enter the round.
What to look for
Pause on each stance and point to the lead foot, if there is one. Look at the space between the knees and the direction the chest faces. From which position would your lead hand reach a partner first?
Try it without contact
On clear footing, step into each base and return to standing. Ask a coach to check whether you can shift in either direction. A common mistake is setting the feet so far apart that the first step needs an extra shuffle.