Staggered stance

Most wrestlers use a staggered stance in the neutral position. It keeps your strengths facing your opponent and weaknesses away from him. A staggered stance also puts you into position to explode into a takedown directly through your opponent. The basic points to remember are:

• A good stance begins with good posture. Always remember those points in this stance.

• One foot (usually right foot for right-handed people) is leading while the other foot trails behind. Don't be too far extended or you won't have any mobility.
• To protect against your opponent attacking the forward leg, you must keep the hand on the forward side down to ward off attacks. This hand acts like a shield while the other one has more room to engage him.

If your opponent has a staggered stance with his same foot leading (opposite side for you), then it is called a closed stance. If your opponent has his opposite foot leading (same side for you) so he is like a mirror image, then it called an open stance.

The staggered stance is not invulnerable. There are several tactics to exploit against the staggered stance. The danger is if the opponent grabs the lead leg before you can shift your weight, then he becomes a one-legged, off-balanced table. When one of leg supports gets taken away before you can readjust onto your other leg then opponent then your will fall to the ground.

Another weakness of the staggered stance is that a wrestler is turned halfway around already. When attacking or defending your opponent, you can circle around towards your opponent's heels. If you face him with his right foot forward, you only need to circle 90 degrees around to the left to get behind him. But you would have to go 270 degrees if you circled to the right. Therefore, revolving around your opponent to the left is three times faster then to the right. (270/90=3)

Despite these weaknesses, the staggered stance should be your foundation when in the neutral position. It is the basic stance taught by coaches for all beginning wrestlers.