Four weeks: foundations
Stance, level change, footwork and the bottom base, built up over four weeks of short sessions.
Beginner. 3 sessions a week for four weeks. The table for each week is the week-one board with its work, rest and repeats scaled; print this page and take the sheet to the wall. It is a schedule for rehearsing shapes, not a training plan from a coach.
Week 1
Learn the shapes slowly. Every rep is watched, none is rushed.
| # | Study | Work | Rest | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Stance / base check | 30 s | 30 s | ×1 |
| 02 | Level change / reset | 45 s | 30 s | ×1 |
| 03 | Forward step / rear foot follows | 45 s | 30 s | ×1 |
| 04 | Lateral step / never cross | 45 s | 30 s | ×1 |
| 05 | Referee's position / bottom base | 30 s | 30 s | ×1 |
| 06 | Stance and movement review | 60 s | 30 s | ×1 |
07:15 per session, 3 sessions this week.
- Stance / base check, wrestling stance: Base. Begin with a base wide enough to move from. Knees flexed. Flex the knees and hips while keeping the head up. Hands ready. Hands stay ahead of the body, ready to make contact. Hold shape. Maintain a shape you can move from in either direction.
- Level change / reset, level change: Stance. Start in your wrestling stance. Bend the legs. Lower your level before attempting penetration. Lower base. Keep your head up as your knees and hips flex. Recover. Recover to your stance without straightening rigidly.
- Forward step / rear foot follows, forward step: Stance. Start in the staggered stance with the lead foot ahead. Lead foot first. Push off the rear foot and place the lead foot a short step forward. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot the same distance so the stagger returns. Base restored. Finish with the same width and the same height you started at.
- Lateral step / never cross, lateral step: Stance. Start in the stance facing the centre. Lead foot out. Step the lead foot out to the side and keep the hips level. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot across by the same distance. Base restored. Finish in the stance you started in, moved over, never crossed.
- Referee's position / bottom base, referee's position, bottom: Hands and knees. Kneel with the knees under the hips and the tops of the feet on the mat. Hips over knees. Post both hands in front of the shoulders, fingers spread. Back flat. Keep the back flat rather than rounded or arched. Head up. Look forward, not at the mat; this is a held position.
- Stance and movement review, backward stance movement: Stance. Face the target with knees available to move. Rear foot moves. Move the rear foot a short distance back. Lead foot follows. Follow with the other foot without bringing them together. Base restored. Retain your stance rather than standing tall.
Week 2
Same shapes, one more round of each. Check the stance between every block.
| # | Study | Work | Rest | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Stance / base check | 30 s | 30 s | ×2 |
| 02 | Level change / reset | 45 s | 30 s | ×2 |
| 03 | Forward step / rear foot follows | 45 s | 30 s | ×2 |
| 04 | Lateral step / never cross | 45 s | 30 s | ×2 |
| 05 | Referee's position / bottom base | 30 s | 30 s | ×2 |
| 06 | Stance and movement review | 60 s | 30 s | ×2 |
14:30 per session, 3 sessions this week.
- Stance / base check, wrestling stance: Base. Begin with a base wide enough to move from. Knees flexed. Flex the knees and hips while keeping the head up. Hands ready. Hands stay ahead of the body, ready to make contact. Hold shape. Maintain a shape you can move from in either direction.
- Level change / reset, level change: Stance. Start in your wrestling stance. Bend the legs. Lower your level before attempting penetration. Lower base. Keep your head up as your knees and hips flex. Recover. Recover to your stance without straightening rigidly.
- Forward step / rear foot follows, forward step: Stance. Start in the staggered stance with the lead foot ahead. Lead foot first. Push off the rear foot and place the lead foot a short step forward. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot the same distance so the stagger returns. Base restored. Finish with the same width and the same height you started at.
- Lateral step / never cross, lateral step: Stance. Start in the stance facing the centre. Lead foot out. Step the lead foot out to the side and keep the hips level. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot across by the same distance. Base restored. Finish in the stance you started in, moved over, never crossed.
- Referee's position / bottom base, referee's position, bottom: Hands and knees. Kneel with the knees under the hips and the tops of the feet on the mat. Hips over knees. Post both hands in front of the shoulders, fingers spread. Back flat. Keep the back flat rather than rounded or arched. Head up. Look forward, not at the mat; this is a held position.
- Stance and movement review, backward stance movement: Stance. Face the target with knees available to move. Rear foot moves. Move the rear foot a short distance back. Lead foot follows. Follow with the other foot without bringing them together. Base restored. Retain your stance rather than standing tall.
Week 3
Longer work, shorter rest. The stance must survive the last round.
| # | Study | Work | Rest | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Stance / base check | 40 s | 25 s | ×2 |
| 02 | Level change / reset | 60 s | 25 s | ×2 |
| 03 | Forward step / rear foot follows | 60 s | 25 s | ×2 |
| 04 | Lateral step / never cross | 60 s | 25 s | ×2 |
| 05 | Referee's position / bottom base | 40 s | 25 s | ×2 |
| 06 | Stance and movement review | 80 s | 25 s | ×2 |
16:20 per session, 3 sessions this week.
- Stance / base check, wrestling stance: Base. Begin with a base wide enough to move from. Knees flexed. Flex the knees and hips while keeping the head up. Hands ready. Hands stay ahead of the body, ready to make contact. Hold shape. Maintain a shape you can move from in either direction.
- Level change / reset, level change: Stance. Start in your wrestling stance. Bend the legs. Lower your level before attempting penetration. Lower base. Keep your head up as your knees and hips flex. Recover. Recover to your stance without straightening rigidly.
- Forward step / rear foot follows, forward step: Stance. Start in the staggered stance with the lead foot ahead. Lead foot first. Push off the rear foot and place the lead foot a short step forward. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot the same distance so the stagger returns. Base restored. Finish with the same width and the same height you started at.
- Lateral step / never cross, lateral step: Stance. Start in the stance facing the centre. Lead foot out. Step the lead foot out to the side and keep the hips level. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot across by the same distance. Base restored. Finish in the stance you started in, moved over, never crossed.
- Referee's position / bottom base, referee's position, bottom: Hands and knees. Kneel with the knees under the hips and the tops of the feet on the mat. Hips over knees. Post both hands in front of the shoulders, fingers spread. Back flat. Keep the back flat rather than rounded or arched. Head up. Look forward, not at the mat; this is a held position.
- Stance and movement review, backward stance movement: Stance. Face the target with knees available to move. Rear foot moves. Move the rear foot a short distance back. Lead foot follows. Follow with the other foot without bringing them together. Base restored. Retain your stance rather than standing tall.
Week 4
Add the motion ladder. Write a note after every session naming one thing that held and one that did not.
| # | Study | Work | Rest | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Stance / base check | 40 s | 25 s | ×3 |
| 02 | Level change / reset | 60 s | 25 s | ×3 |
| 03 | Forward step / rear foot follows | 60 s | 25 s | ×3 |
| 04 | Lateral step / never cross | 60 s | 25 s | ×3 |
| 05 | Referee's position / bottom base | 40 s | 25 s | ×3 |
| 06 | Stance and movement review | 80 s | 25 s | ×3 |
24:30 per session, 3 sessions this week.
- Stance / base check, wrestling stance: Base. Begin with a base wide enough to move from. Knees flexed. Flex the knees and hips while keeping the head up. Hands ready. Hands stay ahead of the body, ready to make contact. Hold shape. Maintain a shape you can move from in either direction.
- Level change / reset, level change: Stance. Start in your wrestling stance. Bend the legs. Lower your level before attempting penetration. Lower base. Keep your head up as your knees and hips flex. Recover. Recover to your stance without straightening rigidly.
- Forward step / rear foot follows, forward step: Stance. Start in the staggered stance with the lead foot ahead. Lead foot first. Push off the rear foot and place the lead foot a short step forward. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot the same distance so the stagger returns. Base restored. Finish with the same width and the same height you started at.
- Lateral step / never cross, lateral step: Stance. Start in the stance facing the centre. Lead foot out. Step the lead foot out to the side and keep the hips level. Rear foot follows. Bring the rear foot across by the same distance. Base restored. Finish in the stance you started in, moved over, never crossed.
- Referee's position / bottom base, referee's position, bottom: Hands and knees. Kneel with the knees under the hips and the tops of the feet on the mat. Hips over knees. Post both hands in front of the shoulders, fingers spread. Back flat. Keep the back flat rather than rounded or arched. Head up. Look forward, not at the mat; this is a held position.
- Stance and movement review, backward stance movement: Stance. Face the target with knees available to move. Rear foot moves. Move the rear foot a short distance back. Lead foot follows. Follow with the other foot without bringing them together. Base restored. Retain your stance rather than standing tall.
Open the boards in the app ↗ Use your browser's print command for the sheet; the page has a print layout.